Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of workers with AI-driven skills.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has developed a number of initiatives to increase the number of workers with AI-driven skills.
DBT’s Global Talent Network AI Futures programme attracts top young AI talents to the UK by focusing on exceptional international early to mid-career AI researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs which will support the upskilling of our domestic workforce.
Skills England will build the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade by setting both young people and adults up to succeed in an increasingly technology-driven world.
The AI Action Plan, commissioned by the Technology Secretary and drafted by the tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, will set out, in part, the steps needed to equip our workforce with the right skills to support the AI sector’s growth.
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Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the jobs of Vauxhall factory workers following concerns on the part of its parent company over net-zero targets.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Stellantis announced a strategic review of the UK operations this July. We have regularly engaged with the company throughout and stand ready to help following its conclusion. Stellantis transformed their plant at Ellesmere Port to solely produce electric vans from 2023 following a £100m investment that was secured with HMG support. Stellantis also announced that they will make small volumes of the larger electric vans at their plant at Luton.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the jobs of steelworkers.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Steel is vital for a vibrant, secure economy. This Government is working in partnership with trade unions and industry to secure a green steel transition that’s both right for the workforce and delivers economic growth.
We have already agreed a better deal for steelworkers at Tata Steel and are continuing negotiations with British Steel. However, we are clear we need long-term jobs, not short-term subsidies.
We will publish a steel strategy in spring. This will guide our commitment to invest £2.5 billion in partnership with the private sector as part of our wider commitment to invest in jobs and boost growth across the UK.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect high street businesses, particularly independent traders.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is focused on its five-point plan to breathe life back into Britain’s high streets. We understand how important the high street is to our businesses which is why our plans include tackling retail crime, ensuring a level playing field between online and high street businesses, stamping out late payments and ending the blight of empty spaces. This work will ensure that our high streets are great places for our businesses, supporting economic growth across the UK.
I am looking forward to working with the Sector Councils for Retail and Hospitality on the strategic issues facing the sectors, including high street regeneration and investment, labour and retail careers, sustainability and supply chain resilience.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decline in confidence among small businesses following (1) rises in energy prices, (2) the increase in material costs, and (3) the anticipated rise in employment costs.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We recognise that recent times have been challenging for business. The Government is committed to support small businesses. Our Plan for Small Business set out nine pledges, including a pledge to reduce the cost of energy bills. We will be setting out further detail over the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK remains an attractive destination for businesses.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are committed to ensuring the UK remains a leading destination for companies to invest and do business. The International Investment Summit in October will showcase our commitment to partnering with global businesses to secure the investment we need for growth. We are answering investors’ calls for stability and predictability with our new Industrial Strategy, providing long-term confidence to invest. The National Wealth Fund will bring together key institutions to offer compelling propositions to investors.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the recent increase in German exports to the UK on (1) businesses, and (2) consumers.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Total UK imports from Germany amounted to £89 billion in the 12 months to March 2024, a 6% increase in current prices (compared to the previous 12 months). The largest increase was for machinery and transport equipment up £5bn (13%), in particular cars up £4bn (22%) and aircraft up £1bn (153%).
This Government is committed to resetting our relationship with our European partners. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has already met his German counterpart, Vice Chancellor Habeck, and discussed how we can grow trade further with Germany to support sustainable growth for our businesses, workers and consumers.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to outline the key objectives for the UK in the trade agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council and India in light of the upcoming trade negotiations.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The first mission of this Government is to drive economic growth. As part of delivering that mission, the Government will publish a trade strategy, aligned with our industrial strategy, to support jobs and communities in every part of the UK. Free Trade Agreements have a critical role to play in delivering this.
The Government has set out its intention to deliver trade negotiations with key trading partners including the GCC and India. Our trade programme, which is driven by engagement with businesses and stakeholders, will play to the UK’s strengths, boost trade, and strengthen our ties with our international partners.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address concerns from businesses about the potential increase in costs and legal disputes as a result of their proposed employment law reforms.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Through the Plan to Make Work Pay we will deliver a new deal for working people. A number of these measures already have strong support from businesses, and we will consult with them as we put these plans into practice to ensure they are as effective as possible. We also expect that stronger employment practices could aid recruitment and retention, and ultimately save business costs.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to achieve a "closer, more mature, more level-headed relationship" with the EU, as outlined by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department for Business and Trade wants to reset our relationship with the EU and deepen ties with our European neighbours.
The Department will work to improve the UK's trade and investment relationship by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade.
The Department will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks, to help touring artists, and to secure mutual recognition for professional qualifications to open up priority markets for service exporters.
The Secretary of State has already held positive discussions with his European Commission counterpart Valdis Dombrovskis and has met with German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck to discuss UK-German shared trade interests.