First elected: 6th May 2010
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Bill Esterson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Bill Esterson has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Bill Esterson has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Public Advocate (No. 2) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Maria Eagle (Lab)
Covid-19 Financial Assistance (Gaps in Support) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tracy Brabin (LAB)
Tyres (Buses and Coaches) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Maria Eagle (Lab)
House of Lords (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - David Hanson (Lab)
Leasehold Reform Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Justin Madders (Lab)
Public Authority (Accountability) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Andy Burnham (Lab)
The gender pay gap has fallen by approximately a quarter in the last decade.
It was a Conservative government that introduced gender pay gap reporting, building on the robust equal pay protections we already have in the Equality Act.
To accelerate progress we have supported legislation to: enhance flexible working, extend redundancy protection for those on maternity leave, and introduce carers leave.
The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.
The Music Venues Trust created Music Venue Properties and launched the ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign in June 2022. The campaign is currently raising funds to take control of the freeholds of music venue premises and bring them under a protected status of benevolent ownership. The Government is supportive of this industry-led initiative and welcomes the sector seeking solutions to ensure the longevity of the UK’s beloved music venues. Minister Lopez is meeting Music Venues Trust shortly to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.
The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues at every level. We work with industry and across Government to improve the sector's economic resilience to future economic shocks, as we did through the pandemic, and the recent Energy Bills Support Scheme.
We will continue to engage with the sector on the impact of current pressures. As part of this engagement, Minister Lopez is meeting Music Venues Trust shortly to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.
The Creative Industries have been identified by this Government as a priority growth sector. We will shortly be publishing a Creative Industries Sector Vision that will set out our ambitions, shared with industry, to support all parts of the creative sector to 2030. We look forward to working with the music industry to deliver on these objectives.
The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues at every level. We work with industry and across Government to improve the sector's economic resilience to future economic shocks, as we did through the pandemic, and the recent Energy Bills Support Scheme.
We will continue to engage with the sector on the impact of current pressures. As part of this engagement, Minister Lopez is meeting Music Venues Trust shortly to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.
The Creative Industries have been identified by this Government as a priority growth sector. We will shortly be publishing a Creative Industries Sector Vision that will set out our ambitions, shared with industry, to support all parts of the creative sector to 2030. We look forward to working with the music industry to deliver on these objectives.
This Government is committed to ensuring survivors get the support they need. I have regular discussion with colleagues across Whitehall, including my counterparts at the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, and we have been closely informed by the latest data from the sector.
We have announced £3.2 billion to aid local authorities’ in their responses to Covid-19 pressures, including providing essential support for victims and their children.
I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest. However, it is a fundamental and longstanding principle of our system of Government that the fact of whether the Law Officers have advised on a particular issue is, by convention, not disclosed outside Government, without their consent. The Convention provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice in circumstances in which Ministers and Law Officers can be fully open with one another.
The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery in supply chains. On 26 March 2020, we became the first country to publish a Government Modern Slavery Statement setting out the steps we have taken to identify and prevent modern slavery in our own supply chains. From September 2021 onwards, Ministerial departments will publish their own annual statements setting out the steps they have taken in their priority risk areas.
The Home Office is working with DHSC, NHS and external experts to develop tailored training and guidance for HMG buyers and suppliers on best practice approaches to preventing modern slavery in PPE supply chains.
Cabinet Office finance systems only record information from 2009 onwards. There have been no payments made to the supplier Park Retail Ltd by the Cabinet Office since 1st April 2009.
Cabinet Office finance systems only record information from 2009 onwards. There have been no payments made to the supplier Appreciate Group PLC by the Cabinet Office since 1st April 2009.
On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed that a public inquiry into COVID-19 will be established on a statutory basis, with full formal powers, and that it will begin its work in spring 2022. The independent chair of the inquiry will be appointed by the end of this year. Further details, including on the terms of reference, will be set out in due course.
We are transforming the current procurement regime so that simpler procedures can drive increased competition and innovation, ultimately saving taxpayers’ money.
We have also recently published Version 3 of the Outsourcing Playbook, rebranded as the Sourcing Playbook, alongside our new Consultancy Playbook. This suite of guidance will help government and industry work better together to deliver quality public services and value for money.
The Government Consulting Hub was also formally launched last week; a new team at the centre of Government providing expertise on management consultancy and ensuring we maximise value.
Lord Frost, the Minister of State regularly meets business representatives, including through the Brexit Business Taskforce, and hears representations on the full range of challenges faced by business in adapting to the end of the Transition Period.
The TCA provides tariff-free and quota-free trade of all goods between the UK and EU. We have received some examples of delays in goods being cleared by different Member States. Officials are working closely with Member State officials, businesses and their representatives to understand the reason for any delays or refusal of goods so that issues can be resolved and goods can move freely.
COVID-19 is the biggest challenge the UK, together with nations around the world, has faced in decades. Throughout the pandemic, we have consistently adapted our response as we have learnt more about the virus and how best to tackle it. As stated by the Prime Minister on 15 July 2020 'we will seek to learn the lessons of the pandemic in the future, and certainly we will have an independent inquiry into what happened.' Any further updates will be announced in the usual way.
COVID-19 is the biggest challenge the UK, together with nations around the world, has faced in decades. Throughout the pandemic, we have consistently adapted our response as we have learnt more about the virus and how best to tackle it. As stated by the Prime Minister on 15 July 2020 'we will seek to learn the lessons of the pandemic in the future, and certainly we will have an independent inquiry into what happened.' Any further updates will be announced in the usual way.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Further to the statement by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 23 September, the Government is committed to helping business prepare for the end of the transition period. The Government has launched an information campaign to communicate the actions that all businesses need to take before 31 December 2020, and detailed guidance is available on gov.uk/transition.
The Government is negotiating with the EU and has been clear that we want a free trade deal, based on friendly cooperation. The Political Declaration sets as an aim a zero tariff and zero quota FTA. We would like to achieve that. Reducing the costs and processes associated with trade is in the interests of people and businesses across the UK and the EU.
As previously set out through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Administrations can monitor the market situation across various agricultural commodities.
Further to the statement by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 23 September, the Government is committed to helping business prepare for the end of the transition period. The Government has launched an information campaign to communicate the actions that all businesses need to take before 31 December 2020, and detailed guidance is available on gov.uk/transition.
The Government is negotiating with the EU and has been clear that we want a free trade deal, based on friendly cooperation. The Political Declaration sets as an aim a zero tariff and zero quota FTA. We would like to achieve that. Reducing the costs and processes associated with trade is in the interests of people and businesses across the UK and the EU.
As previously set out through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Administrations can monitor the market situation across various agricultural commodities.
As part of the Advanced Manufacturing Plan, we have announced over £2bn of capital and R&D funding over five years to 2030, boosting the UK’s competitiveness and unlocking strategic investments in our automotive industry.
This funding will be delivered via Auto2030, an ambitious programme building on the work of the Automotive Transformation Fund and the Advanced Propulsion Centre R&D programmes, ensuring continuity in HMG support.
This programme will leverage the UK’s unique innovation ecosystem, building on its strengths as a global centre of automotive R&D. Details of funding opportunities under Auto2030, including delivery mechanisms, will be set out in due course.
The Government recognises the importance of a decarbonised and sustainable steel sector and is working closely with industry to support its decarbonisation options.
According to Office for National Statistics data (here), the manufacture of basic iron and steel represented between 2 – 3% of all UK carbon dioxide emissions in the latest five-year period for which these were reported.
The table below summarises ONS carbon dioxide emissions for the steel industry:
Reference year | Carbon dioxide emissions (millions of tonnes) |
2021 | 10.9 |
2020 | 11 |
2019 | 10.8 |
2018 | 10.4 |
2017 | 11.1 |
The Government recognises the vital role that steel plays within the UK economy, supporting local economic growth and levelling-up.
According to Office for National Statistics data (here), the provisional release date for the next Business Register and Employment Survey, which includes the year 2022 as a reference period, is September/October 2023.
The table below summarises ONS employment estimates for the steel industry:
Reference year | Jobs |
2021 | 39,000 |
2020 | 33,700 |
2019 | 33,300 |
2018 | 33,100 |
2017 | 32,200 |
The Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are in regular dialogue over their shared aim to help industry decarbonise as the government works to deliver on its net zero ambition.
For energy intensive industries (EIIs) particularly exposed to international trade, paying the full amount of Government electricity policy costs can increase the risk of the movement of production to another country due to the different levels of decarbonisation effort (known as “carbon leakage”). It can also increase the cost of electricity relative to other energy sources making it more challenging for users to switch to less carbon-intensive production.
Analysis shows that the Supercharger proposals could reduce average electricity prices for UK EIIs from around £41MWh to around £22MWh, having a direct impact on their competitiveness and reducing global carbon emissions.
The Department for Business and Trade holds detailed discussions on new policies with all relevant stakeholders on a regular basis, including ahead of the announcement of the British Industry Supercharger and during the recently closed consultations on the Capacity Market exemption and the Network Charging Costs Compensation Scheme.
The Government is focused on action and has a clear plan to grow the economy and support high growth industries. The Chancellor has identified five key sectors: Digital Technologies, Green Industries, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Creative Industries. Delivering growth in these sectors is a priority, and government has announced a £500 million per year package for 20,000 research and development intensive businesses and a £650 million war chest to fire up the UK’s sciences sector.
PPN 04/23 sets out the latest project appraisal, commercial and procurement policies which in-scope organisations are expected to reflect. The revised steel data origin requirements are now in force and should be followed. Cabinet Office have disseminated and promoted the Procurement Policy Note with in-scope organisations.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12th July 2023, UIN 192830.
A consultation on the Capacity Market exemption element of the Supercharger concluded on 29 June 2023 and a response will be issued soon. The Network Charging Compensation Scheme is subject to ongoing consultation through to 24 August 2023 and a Government response will follow.
It continues to be our expectation that all the measures comprising the Supercharger package be rolled out sequentially between April 2024 and April 2025.
We have not set a timetable for decisions on the Clean Steel Fund as we are continuing to work with the sector to understand their decarbonisation investment plans and pathways, and what would work best for the industry to transition to lower carbon iron and steel production.
In the meantime, there are well established funding schemes such as the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) and the Industrial Decarbonisation and Hydrogen Revenue Support (IDHRS) that the Steel sector can access in this regard. In February, we announced the British Industry Supercharger – decisive measures to reduce energy costs for energy intensive industries, including steel, in line with those charged across the world’s major economies.
The Government also takes seriously the potential for carbon leakage risk in the future. We have recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate those risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation closed on 22 June 2023, and the government will respond to the consultation in due course.
Since the British Industry Supercharger was announced in February, the government is working to deliver it without delay. A consultation on the Capacity Market exemption concluded on 29 June and a response will be issued in due course, whilst the Network Charging Compensation Scheme is subject to ongoing consultation through to 24 August 2023. It continues to be our expectation that all the measures comprising the Supercharger package be rolled out sequentially between April 2024 and April 2025.
Ofgem has previously carried out research on what drives comparatively high GB electricity prices for energy intensive industries (EIIs) and has compared these with selected European countries. Ofgem published a report in 2021 which can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/research-gb-electricity-prices-energy-intensive-industries(opens in a new tab).
The Government recognises that EIIs, including steel producers, are feeling the impact of high energy prices. The 2022 British Energy Security Strategy announced that the EII Compensation Scheme would be extended for a further 3 years.
In February, we announced the British Industry Supercharger: a decisive set of measures aimed at reducing electricity costs for EIIs to bring them in line with those charged across the world’s major economies.
We have already provided extensive energy costs relief to the steel sector since 2013, including through the Energy Bills Relief Scheme. Steel producers will continue to receive support until 31 March 2024 through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
The delivery mechanisms for implementation of the British Industry Supercharger are subject to ongoing consultation, with an expectation that they be rolled out sequentially between April 2024 and April 2025.
Ofgem has previously carried out research on what drives comparatively high GB electricity prices for energy intensive industries (EIIs) and has compared these with selected European countries. Ofgem published a report in 2021 which can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/research-gb-electricity-prices-energy-intensive-industries(opens in a new tab).
The Government recognises that EIIs, including steel producers, are feeling the impact of high energy prices. The 2022 British Energy Security Strategy announced that the EII Compensation Scheme would be extended for a further 3 years.
In February, we announced the British Industry Supercharger: a decisive set of measures aimed at reducing electricity costs for EIIs to bring them in line with those charged across the world’s major economies.
We have already provided extensive energy costs relief to the steel sector since 2013, including through the Energy Bills Relief Scheme. Steel producers will continue to receive support until 31 March 2024 through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
The Department for Business and Trade does not produce assessments of skills shortages in small and medium construction businesses, and the impact of these on housing construction. Annual forecasts of demand for construction skills by occupation and by region and Devolved Administration are produced by the Construction Skills Network. The forecast for 2023-27 was published on 18 January 2023, and identifies the need for 225,000 additional construction workers during that period, based on likely demand. This forecast is publicly available on the website of the Construction Industry Training Board.
Ministers engage in regular discussions with their counterparts, as well as with firms in the construction industry, on a range of issues relating to the construction sector.
The Government recognises the vital role that the steel sector plays across the UK economy. We will continue to work with the sector to support its decarbonisation efforts and we have already established various funding schemes such as the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) and the Industrial Decarbonisation and Hydrogen Revenue Support (IDHRS) in this regard.
A decision on the Clean Steel Fund has not yet been taken as we are continuing to work with the sector to understand its decarbonisation investment plans.
The Department for Business and Trade has made no such assessment.
Regarding labour fraud, HM Revenue and Customs recognise, and regularly assess, labour fraud within the construction industry and use the full range of civil and criminal powers where they identify fraudulent activity.
The updated Public Procurement Note (PPN) 04/23 implements most of the recommendations produced by the Steel Procurement Taskforce, which is a joint effort between Government and the steel industry to help the sector best position itself for success in public contracts.
PPN 04/23 reflects changes to the project appraisal and procurement policy landscape and commercial best practice while clarifying the scope of reporting requirements on steel origin data. It also enhances our procurement data collection methodology, and it emphasises the importance of early engagement between procurers, producers, and suppliers, to help make future opportunities more visible.
The electricity networks infrastructure is regulated to ensure adequate grid capacity through the price control. For the low-voltage electricity network price control, Ofgem has allowed £22.2bn for networks to invest, including £3.1bn for network upgrades to allow for adequate grid capacity to meet anticipated demand
The Government commissioned an independent review from the British Geological Survey, the National Oceanography Centre and Heriot-Watt University. The terms of reference included a review of minerals contained in seafloor deposits and how this compares to terrestrial resources, with discussion on future resource potential and knowledge gaps. The review was published in October 2022 and is available here:
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/deep-sea-mining-evidence-review-published/
There is no deep-sea mining currently happening in areas beyond national jurisdictions.
The Government commissioned an independent review from the British Geological Survey, the National Oceanography Centre and Heriot-Watt University, to support informed decision making regarding potential future development of mineral resources in the deep sea.
Chapter Four of that review addresses Economics, and the full document (published in October 2022) is available here:
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/deep-sea-mining-evidence-review-published/
The 2021 Net Zero Strategy reaffirms our commitment to continue to work with the steel industry on decarbonisation.
We continue to support the sector in its decarbonisation efforts and to consider the implications of the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee; to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’.
Decarbonisation pathways will be a commercial decision for individual companies. We are working closely with companies to support them as they make those commercial decisions.
I refer the Hon Member for Sefton Central to the answer I gave him on 2 May 2023, UIN 182550.
As a member of the World Trade Organisation’s plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), the UK cannot set procurement targets for public projects or any measures which favour, or indirectly discriminate in favour of, UK products or suppliers.
However, we have worked with the sector to progress the recommendations of the Steel Procurement Taskforce, published on 22 February 2022, looking at how government and industry can work together to help the steel sector best position itself for success in public contracts. Most of the recommendations have been addressed through the updated Public Procurement Note (PPN), published in April 2023, which reflects changes to commercial best practice, commercial policy and business case appraisals while clarifying the scope of reporting requirements on steel origin data.
The Government remains committed to a decarbonised and sustainable steel sector and is working closely with industry to support its decarbonisation options. Industrial sectors (including steel) have already been able to bid into competitive funds worth more than £1 billion to support energy efficiency, innovation and decarbonisation.
We welcome the EU’s ambition on climate and the emphasis placed on open trade and support for developing countries. However, the global challenges we face cannot be resolved through unilateral action. We support EU proposals for collaboration, including proposals for Net Zero Resilience Projects, and we are interested in exploring these and other collaboration options to enhance security of supply across Europe.
The Government wants UK businesses to be successful in bidding for UK public contracts. We also want UK businesses to be successful in competing for public contracts in other countries around the world, which we achieve by negotiating guaranteed market access for UK suppliers in many international free trade agreements. This reciprocal guaranteeing of market access means treating each other’s suppliers in the same way as we treat domestic suppliers. The terms of these agreements mean that legally it is not possible for the UK to have a similar policy.
It is important to note that the Buy America policy does not apply to members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement, which includes the UK, so our steel suppliers are not affected.
Setting UK procurement targets for public projects or any measures which favour, or indirectly discriminate in favour of, UK products or suppliers, constitutes a breach of the UK’s international obligations under the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).
Steel is a key material with many different uses. The UK steel industry represents around 1.2% of total manufacturing output in the UK and underpins a range of domestic industries, across manufacturing, infrastructure and construction. It forms the core of some local communities and economies, directly supporting c.39,000 jobs, and a further c.60,000 jobs in the upstream supply chain[1].
The Government recognises the role that steel plays within the UK economy and is working with the industry on its decarbonisation options and a sustainable future.
[1] ONS and NOMIS Data (2021)
The Department for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office have been engaging with other government departments, and relevant public bodies, throughout the development of Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 04/23.
Since its publication, and as part of the PPN’s rollout process, the Cabinet Office held familiarisation sessions to ensure that commercial procurement professionals are fully aware of the new policy and its requirements.
In addition, I continue to engage with sector colleagues on all steel related issues, including procurement in our regular steel sector calls. These calls are attended by industry and trade union representatives, with the most recent call having taken place on 2 May.
In March 2021, the Government decided that the Industrial Strategy Council would no longer be needed to monitor the impact of the Industrial Strategy, following its transition to the then Plan for Growth.
Delivering economic growth in key sectors remains a priority. The Chancellor has identified five key growth sectors for the UK: Digital Technology, Green Industries, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Creative Industries. The government has announced a £500 million per year package of support for 20,000 research and development (R&D) intensive businesses through changes to R&D tax credits, alongside 12 new investment zones. Earlier this month, the Department for Business and Trade announced regulatory measures that will reduce burdensome red tape and tailor rules to suit the UK economy, potentially saving employers around £1 billion yearly.