Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what consultation her Department has undertaken with businesses and trade bodies on the establishment of the Clean Steel Fund.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
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.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her timeframe is for the establishment of the Clean Steel Fund; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
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.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to provide specific support maritime manufacturing and assembly companies involved in (a) offshore wind, (b) business construction, (c) vessels and (d) UK ports.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government published the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh in 2022 which sets out the steps Government will take to create a globally successful, innovative, and sustainable shipbuilding enterprise that works for all parts of the UK.
The Government will continue to work in partnership with industry to deliver economic benefit for local areas, helping create well-paid jobs for people living in and around the UK’s coastal communities.
For further information, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Kieran Mullan) on 14 December 2022, UIN 104345, which outlines in further detail government support to the shipbuilding sector.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the Government's procurement policy is on the use of UK manufactured products to build an automotive vehicle.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The driving principle behind public procurement policy is to award contracts on the basis of value for money, which means the optimum combination of cost and quality over the lifetime of a project.
We 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 key sectors such as the automotive industry within many international free trade agreements.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report of the Federation of Small Businesses' entitled Customs Clearance, published 28 March 2023, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of that reports findings on the importance of small firms in boosting exports.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to Written PQ 174283 on 4 April.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to increase the proportion of exports from small and medium-sized business.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK’s 5.4 million SMEs are at the centre of our ambition to reach £1 trillion in exports annually by 2030. Our Export Strategy, ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ focuses on the barriers SMEs face, helping them at every stage of exporting.
Additionally, we offer SMEs a range of support services. Including ‘Help to Grow,’ which is a unique new proposition from the Department, targeted at helping SMEs from start-ups to scaling-up then exporting across the globe, and The British Business Bank has provided over £12.2bn of finance to over 96,000 small businesses including over 100,000 Start Up loans since 2012.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure Export Support Service is adequately resourced to support small businesses.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As set out in the Export Strategy, the Export Support Service (ESS) is integral to how we support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and ensuring it is adequately funded and resourced is our priority. The Department for Business and Trade is planning to spend over £200 million, over the Spending Review period, to support SMEs.
The ESS provides a range of support and guidance to help SMEs with on-the-ground ex-perts across the globe, and together with our innovative Export Academy, we are ensuring businesses have the knowledge to thrive in international markets.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she will take to support (a) investment in and (b) exports growth from the maritime sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
My department is committed to supporting maritime exports and investment, which represent key pillars of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy launched last year and support Government objectives on Levelling Up, Net Zero and security.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) established the Maritime Capability Campaign Office (MCCO), an integral part of UK Defence and Security Exports, to lead cross-Government work in this area in close collaboration with the National Shipbuilding Office and industry. The MCCO takes a strategic approach to its work, focusing on intelligence and global relationships while also supporting the Export Academy and an enhanced presence at major maritime events.
Since its launch, the 10-year pipeline of maritime exports and investment opportunities being actively managed by the DBT has grown by more than 15%; growth in the civil maritime pipeline has been particularly strong growing by more than £5bn across vessels, technology, ports and services.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support maritime companies on attracting investment which helps transform UK ports into centres for manufacturing and assembly.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As an island nation, the UK’s Ports are a critical element of our national infrastructure. They facilitate the movement of 95% of all seaborne import and export tonnage, simultaneously aiding UK companies to achieve more sustainable, efficient and resilient supply chains, and driving coastal regeneration.
We recognise and welcome existing investment flows into the sector. For example, Teesport’s deal to become home to the UK’s first green lithium refiner which will help enable a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles and sustainable energy storage. Investments like these will create new jobs across the country and increase supply chain resilience.
As Government we are considering with industry and across departments how to enhance these important contributions through inward investment into new projects; with an emphasis on decarbonisation, and driving prosperity, in line with our commitments to Levelling Up, Freeports and Clean Growth.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department plans to take to address (a) skill and (b) labour shortages following the Budget 2023.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At Spring Budget, the Government announced a wide-ranging package to break down barriers to work, unshackle business investment and tackle labour shortages head on. It included a new ‘Returnerships’ apprenticeship targeted at the over 50s, refining existing skills programmes to enable older workers to find a recognisable path back into work. The Chancellor also announced expansions to Sector-Based Work Academies and Skills Bootcamps, both existing and highly-successful skills programmes.
The Government is also backing six Private Members Bills to help new parents, unpaid carers, hospitality workers, giving all employees easier access to flexible working, and giving workers’ a right to request a more predictable working pattern.