Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
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 paragraph 3.36 of the Autumn Statement 2016, if his Department will support firms specialising (a) in video and mobile game development and (b) on artificial intelligence, data analytics and virtual reality.
Answered by Margot James
At the Autumn Statement 2016, the British Business Bank was provided with £400m of additional funding to unlock up to £1 billion of new investment in innovative firms planning to scale up.
This will primarily be achieved by broadening the mandate of Bank’s Venture Capital Catalyst programme. The programme is able to invest across a wide range of sectors, including businesses which specialise in video, mobile game development, artificial intelligence, data analytics and virtual reality.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2016, whether his Department has set a timetable to review the current tax system for research and development support.
Answered by David Gauke
As announced in November 2016, the government is reviewing the tax environment for Research and Development (R&D) to look at how to make the UK an even more competitive place to do R&D. The review is due to conclude at the Spring Budget.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2016, which business sectors his Department is encouraging to raise their research and development investment.
Answered by David Gauke
The government is committed to supporting innovative businesses and research across all sectors, and supporting technologies where the UK has a strong scientific and commercial advantage.
At the Autumn Statement, the government announced a significant increase in public R&D spending, rising to an extra £2 billion a year by 2020-21. This will include an Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which will support collaborations between businesses and the UK’s world-leading science base.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to consult with representatives of the higher education sector as part of his Department's preparations for the development and delivery of its industrial strategy.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Higher education has a key role to play in industrial strategy. A high productivity, high wage economy that works for all depends on our workforce having access to the skills they need.
We will be seeking views on Industrial Strategy, including from Higher education stakeholders, through a discussion paper to be published shortly.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
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 potential role of the part-time higher education sector in delivering his Department's industrial strategy.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Higher education has a key role to play in industrial strategy. A high productivity, high wage economy that works for all depends on our workforce having access to the skills they need.
We will be seeking views on Industrial Strategy, including from Higher education stakeholders, through a discussion paper to be published shortly.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government has taken to set out its industrial strategy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Clark
We are developing an Industrial Strategy that will embrace the opportunities of our new global role and upgrade our economy so it works for everyone. We intend to work with the breadth of British industry, local leaders, innovators, employees and consumers to deliver a successful strategy and create the conditions for future success. We will seek views on our plans in a discussion paper in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy on Yemen of the airstrike in Sanaa on 8 October 2016.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I visited Riyadh on 13 October and met with Saudi Foreign Minister Al Jubeir to discuss the airstrike on a funeral hall and efforts to revive the stalled political process in Yemen. I welcome the release of the report by the Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team into the incident. This will be used to contribute to our overall view on the approach and attitude of Saudi Arabia to international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent the small hive beetle from affecting the UK's bee population.
Answered by George Eustice
A Contingency Plan for England and Wales and a Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) have been published for the small hive beetle. Elements of the Contingency Plan were tested during 2016 with the completion of two field exercises in England. Such exercises have been carried out annually since 2005 on a four year rolling regional cycle ensuring that all National Bee Unit field inspectors and support staff are trained in Contingency Planning and Operational Preparedness.
Since the first detection in Italy in September 2014 UK bee inspectors have enhanced our inspection services and surveillance by:
Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between India and the UK.
Answered by Lord Swire
The UK and India have a broad and deep friendship symbolised by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit last month and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United Kingdom in November 2015. The UK is the largest G20 investor in India and Indian companies invest more in the UK than the rest of the EU combined.Asked by: Chris White (Conservative - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the rollout of superfast broadband in (a) Warwick and (b) the Warwick and Leamington constituency.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Current estimates suggest that almost 90% of premises in the Warwick and Leamington constituency are subject to commercial rollout, and a further 5% of premises (2,369) now have coverage as a result of the Government's Superfast Broadband programme.
Based on DCMS modelled estimates and current delivery plans, 96% of premises in the Warwick and Leamington constituency will have access to superfast broadband by December 2017. Early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, could help extend coverage further.