Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the press release published 14 December 2022 on global science partnership with Japan, whether that announcement is part of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission.
Answered by George Freeman
The press release announced the launch of the first phase of the new International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF), underpinned by £119m of funding. This is non-ODA funding for R&D-eligible activity, supporting our ambition to spend £20 billion on R&D per annum by 2024/25. The specific collaboration with Japan on neuroscience, neurodegenerative diseases and dementia is also non-ODA funding for R&D-eligible activity. Relevant funding will count towards the overall spend on dementia research.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Answer 6 December 2022 to Question 97528 on Research: Finance and with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, page 6 stating that 40 per cent increase in R&D pledged for outside of the Greater South East, which R&D spending assessment methodology will this use.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government has pledged to increase domestic public investment in R&D outside the Greater South East by at least 40% by 2030. This increase in R&D spending will be measured by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Government Research and Development (GovERD) survey of government departments. The ONS, which is an independent body, is currently in the process of improving the GovERD survey to ensure data is collected on a regional level, with estimates for public R&D spend for each of the 12 nations and regions of the UK. ONS will publish baseline estimates from this work detailing public funded R&D expenditure at International Territorial Level 1 in January 2023.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the freezing of tuition fees for domestic students on the funding available from universities for scientific research.
Answered by George Freeman
University research is funded by government via a variety of funding sources. Universities also cross subsidise research activity, including from international student fee income. Government monitors the impact of financial pressures on university research. Universities in England receive Quality Related Research Funding which underpins research and which increased by 10.4% to £1,974 million in 2022-23 from 2021-22.
Government has frozen maximum tuition fees for seven years up to and including the 2024/25 academic year. As well as reducing debt levels for students, the fee freeze will help to ensure that our higher education system remains sustainable while also promoting greater efficiency amongst providers.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2022 to Question 82299 on Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Departmental Responsibilities, for what reason there are differences in the roles and responsibilities between the Minister for Investment and Minister for Investment Security.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Minister for Investment Security, my noble Friend Lord Johnson of Lainston, and my roles are based in different departments and have different responsibilities in line with their departmental remits. Details of our respective portfolios can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--103.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of green jobs in Newcastle Central constituency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is providing significant investment for the offshore renewable and electric vehicle industries across North East England.
The Getting Building Fund is supporting construction of Equinor's new Operations and Maintenance base at the Port of Tyne, which will serve the world’s biggest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank. This is expected to generate over 200 direct jobs in the region.
Construction has started this week on EV 36 Zero – a new £1 billion Electric Vehicle Hub near to Nissan’s Sunderland plant, with significant support coming from the Government, which will create around 1,000 jobs.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Horizon scandal compensation schemes at restoring affected postmasters to the financial position they would otherwise be in were it not for that scandal.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government wants to see all postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal receive the compensation they deserve as quickly as possible. As part of normal processes, the Government regularly monitors its programmes to ensure they are effective. We provide regular updates to the BEIS Select Committee on spend on compensation.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to make Fujitsu accountable for the monies lost to the public purse as part of the Horizon Post Office scandal.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has set up a statutory inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal. Collective and individual accountability for the scandal can only be considered when the Inquiry has reviewed all of the evidence.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the business case for the Government's investment in Oneweb is affected by the decision to choose Starlink to trial broadband satellite connectivity.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The business case for the Government’s investment in OneWeb is not affected by the recent Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announcement regarding some initial limited satellite broadband trials in the UK. The decision was based on the immediate availability of equipment that had a suitably unobtrusive size for the first trial sites and could be deployed quickly at low cost. DCMS remain in discussions with OneWeb on supporting more complex trial sites and expect that OneWeb equipment will be tested as part of this trial in the future.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many SMEs in Newcastle Central constituency received Government funding for supporting 2022.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses.
Businesses in Newcastle Central will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, the cut to fuel duty for 12 months and raising the Employment Allowance to £5,000. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. In addition, at the Autumn Statement, my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.
The Government is also providing financial support through the Start Up loan scheme - 231 SMEs in Newcastle Central have received loans to the value of £2,593,220 as of October 2022.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with businesses in Newcastle Central constituency on the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on those businesses.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Newcastle Central, and is engaging with businesses across the UK to understand these challenges and explore ways to mitigate them.
The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and raised the Employment Allowance to £5,000. In addition, we have brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is shielding businesses across the country from soaring energy prices, saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs.
We have also announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.