Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether funding programmes are available to support inclusive founding teams in (a) technology, (b) creative industries, (c) green energy and (d) other high‑growth sectors.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government provides a range of available funding programmes to support inclusive founding teams across high-growth sectors. For example, Innovate UK provides specialised funding through initiatives such as its £101 million Clean Growth Fund, and other sector-specific grant giving competitions for technology, and creative innovation.
Other programmes include the British Business Bank’s Future Fund for investment in Life Science and Deep Tech, and its Start Up Loans programme which has supported a high proportion of inclusive founding teams (with around 40% of its beneficiaries being women, and around 20% from ethnic minority backgrounds).
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of industrial electricity prices on inward investment in AI data centres since OpenAI’s decision to pause its UK Stargate project.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is focused on continuing to create the right conditions for investment in the UK’s AI and data centre infrastructure.
Through the AI Energy Council, it is already bringing together energy system bodies and leading technology companies, including NESO, EDF, Microsoft and Google, to address the energy implications of AI growth and ensure the system is ready to support future demand.
Alongside this, the Government is bringing forward a consultation on discounting data centres' energy costs for eligible projects in areas with excess electricity supply, including Scotland, Cumbria and the North East.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the total untapped offshore wind generating capacity in the North Sea; and what proportion of that capacity could be brought forward through future Crown Estate leasing rounds.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In January 2026 the UK signed a clean energy pact with Germany, France, Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway. This noted that 300GW of offshore wind could be built across the North Sea by 2050. The Crown Estate has said publicly that they could bring 20-30GW of new offshore wind capacity to market by 2030.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using generative AI to assist people making benefit claims.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are adopting artificial intelligence in the Department for Work and Pensions to help colleagues deliver better outcomes for customers and to improve productivity and efficiency. While generative artificial intelligence is not currently used to assist people directly in making benefit claims, the Department continues to explore how digital tools, including artificial intelligence, could improve and enhance the claimant journey and make it easier for people to access support.
This work is focused on improving access, usability and overall user experience. Any future use of artificial intelligence would be subject to robust safeguards and appropriate ethical, legal and governance controls.