Oral Answers to Questions
Alex Ballinger Excerpts(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Alex Ballinger (Halesowen) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Michael Shanks)
The Government are committed to strengthening collective bargaining and trade union recognition. The Employment Rights Bill and the plan to make work pay will modernise rights and improve conditions. The Office for Clean Energy Jobs engages unions to ensure that renewable energy jobs support economic growth, the net zero transition and workers moving from carbon-intensive sectors.
Alex Ballinger
Many of my constituents in Halesowen work in energy-intensive industries such as forges and heavy manufacturing. The Government are rightly supporting those industries to become more energy-efficient, but workers need new skills, as well as skills in the many new jobs in the renewable energy sector. As they make this transition, how is the Department supporting workers in the west midlands to get the right skills for these new industries?
Michael Shanks
My hon. Friend is right to raise that point. Supporting workers in energy-intensive industries is essential as we transition our economy. The Government will provide over £1.2 billion per year in skills funding by 2028-29, supporting training in renewables, low-carbon construction and advanced engineering. We are also investing over £100 million over three years to develop engineering skills in England and launching new technical excellence colleges to make sure that training stays aligned with employers’ needs. We will also push forward on the clean energy workforce strategy this year.
Energy Infrastructure: Chinese Companies
Alex Ballinger Excerpts(5 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.
Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.
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Kerry McCarthy
That is not very polite of the hon. Member. As I have said, we are doing all we can to attract investment into the UK, so that we can be as reliant as possible on our own resources—that means our own supply chain and attracting investment and so on. We are doing that through the national wealth fund and through GB Energy. I do not know to what extent he took part in debate on the Great British Energy Bill, but there was much discussion then. As I have said, this issue must be solved on an international level. We are doing a lot of work with our colleagues to make the North sea the green power plant of Europe through the North Seas Energy Co-operation council, and we have set up the global clean power alliance. We cannot act alone—although I know that the Scottish National party prefers that approach. We are working in co-operation but also in the best interests of the British economy.
Alex Ballinger (Halesowen) (Lab)
Can the Minister confirm that her Department’s work is entirely consistent with the Government’s approach to China: co-operate where we can, compete where we need to and challenge where we must?