Oral Answers to Questions
Claire Perry Excerpts(6 years, 8 months ago)
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Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
1. What steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of carbon emission measurements.
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
The UK’s measurement of carbon emissions is considered among the best in the world, with a 97% accuracy rate. Indeed, our inventory of carbon emissions is among the world’s most comprehensive, covering all sectors of the economy. However, we are always looking to improve our accuracy in this area, and that work is guided by the National Inventory Steering Committee, which meets twice a year.
Sir Desmond Swayne
Excellent! Are we on track to meet our fourth carbon budget from 2023 to 2027?
Claire Perry
I hope that my right hon. Friend will also consider excellent the fact that we overachieved against our first carbon budget to 2012 and that we are on track to over-achieve by 5% and 4% respectively against our second and third carbon budgets. However, I am afraid that he is being his usual mischievous self in asking about the fourth carbon budget, which is something that I shall be talking more about when we launch our clean growth strategy, so he will have to be patient just a little bit longer.
Albert Owen (Ynys Môn) (Lab)
The Minister’s response is simply not good enough. We have waited for report after report, and these carbon budgets have been delayed time and again. I know that we have had an unnecessary and uncosted election, but even the United Nations is saying that our air is not clean. It is time that the Government took this seriously, acted and told the House the exact figures.
Claire Perry
I think the hon. Gentleman is showing the effect of our late sitting hours with his grumpiness. He should be celebrating the fact that Britain has led the world in decarbonising our economy, while growing the economy at a greater rate than any other G7 country. If he wants more affirmation, he should read the PwC report on that. What we have to do now is set out a very difficult and long-term plan to meet the fourth and fifth carbon budgets and to go beyond. As always, that requires all of us to support this difficult progress right across the economy. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will have a cup of coffee and cheer up.
Barry Gardiner (Brent North) (Lab)
The Minister is right to say that we have an excellent method of calculating our emissions, but she might have pointed out that other countries do not, and that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is currently preparing updated guidelines on how best to account for emissions. Will she confirm that, for that vital work to proceed, the UK Government will be one of those who increase their financial contribution to the IPCC to make good the shortfall left by President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris agreement? Does she also agree, now that the cost of offshore wind energy has fallen by a half in just two years, that those are the easiest emissions to calculate, because they are zero?
Claire Perry
I hope that the hon. Gentleman will celebrate the fact that we entirely agree and have committed to increasing our contribution to the funding of that agency, directly as a result of the pull-out of the USA from the Paris agreement—although technically it cannot withdraw until 2020.
Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)
2. To ask the Secretary of State what progress he has made on assessing the recommendations of the Taylor review of modern working practices.
Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)
5. What recent assessment he has made of the UK’s manufacturing capacity.
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
I am delighted that my hon. Friend has asked that question, as we often hear that Britain does not make things anymore. In fact, Britain is the ninth largest manufacturing nation. The sector contributes £168 billion to the national economy and employs more than 2.5 million people directly, and its output has grown by 3.2% in real terms since 2010.
Mr Robertson
I thank the Minister for that very upbeat response. I, too, get frustrated when I hear people say that we do not make things in this country anymore. My constituency is living testimony to the fact that we do. We have world-leading, cutting-edge companies, particularly in the aerospace and defence industries, but also in other areas of engineering. Should we not paint a rosier picture, not least to help people who are leaving school decide to follow careers in manufacturing? We often forget that many valuable, excellent careers are available in manufacturing, and if we put forward a more rosy picture, people might be attracted into the industry.
Claire Perry
I agree entirely. My hon. Friend makes a good case for manufacturers such as GE Aviation and Moog Industrial in his constituency. Productivity, which is the way we drive up earning power across the country, has increased three times faster in manufacturing than in the rest of the economy in the past 10 years. There is much more to do, which is why we have committed to the biggest increase in public science and innovation funding for nearly 40 years; invested nearly £300 million in the high-value manufacturing Catapult; brought forward almost 3 million apprenticeship starts, many of which are in these valuable industries; and increased the permanent level of the annual investment allowance almost tenfold, starting on 1 January last year. We want to help businesses export and thrive across the world, and to support them every step of the way.
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab)
The truth is that UK manufacturing capacity has languished at too low a level for many years. However, the depreciation of sterling to a more sensible parity has seen a number of companies, including Rolls-Royce and Nissan, boost their investment. Now that we are leaving the EU, will the Government look to use state aid and public procurement programmes to further boost British manufacturing?
Claire Perry
The hon. Gentleman points to one of the impacts of the referendum result, which is that many industries have had a substantial currency tailwind, which has helped sectors such as aerospace and steel to deliver rather impressive results this year. He is right that we need to keep those sectors thriving. We need not only to get the most frictionless and wide-ranging trade deal that we can with the EU, but to export right across the world, where British goods and products are very well regarded.
Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)
Minister, 3,500 people in my constituency are employed in the manufacturing sector. Does she welcome the investment in Winsford by Tiger Trailers, a company with 200 employees that started three years ago, which plans to invest £22 million in a new building, doubling the size of its workforce, and exporting to Europe and elsewhere?
Claire Perry
I am delighted to welcome, and indeed celebrate, that investment. There has been a series of such announcements in the automotive manufacturing sector—it has been confirmed that the electric Mini will be built in the UK. It is clear that British industry is investing, growing and thriving in the UK. We will do all we can to ensure that that continues.
Sir Vince Cable (Twickenham) (LD)
Given the importance of the aerospace sector in manufacturing capacity and the rather non-committal reply to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), will the Government commit themselves to standing very firmly, alongside the Canadian Government, behind Bombardier and its workers in resisting bullying from Boeing and its friends in the United States Administration?
Claire Perry
I am sure the right hon. Gentleman would agree that it is vital the dispute is settled, and that we create the environment for many manufacturers in this vital sector to thrive and grow.
Alan Mak (Havant) (Con)
7. What steps he has taken to support the development of electric and autonomous vehicles.
Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) (Con)
16. What steps the Government are taking to meet their renewable energy and carbon budget targets.
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
As I have mentioned several times, the UK has led the world in introducing legally binding carbon budgets with cross-party support, and we have exceeded our budgets to date. We are also on track to exceed our ambition to generate 30% of our power from renewables by 2021—it is looking like we will deliver 35%. However, all that has not been done at the expense of economic growth and productivity. Indeed, yesterday’s PwC report says that Britain is leading the world in clean growth and is reducing emissions while growing the economy.
Zac Goldsmith
Millions of tonnes of wood pellets from clear felling biodiverse forests in the US, Canada and the Baltic states are burned to make electricity for the UK every year. In the light of clear evidence from the old Department—what used to be called the Department of Energy and Climate Change—that that results in carbon emissions at least equal to those of coal, will my hon. Friend reconsider the huge annual subsidies for large-scale, inefficient biomass electricity generation?
Claire Perry
My hon. Friend’s question demonstrates his deep knowledge in this area, but I am happy to reassure him that my Department’s follow-up, which was published in February this year, to the biomass energy counterfactual study that he references showed that the UK’s imported biomass is both sustainable and carbon beneficial. Although there is a risk of non-sustainable practices, they are not happening thanks to our strict sustainability criteria, and we continue to monitor the situation, because we are determined to maintain our global reputation for clean growth.
Clive Lewis (Norwich South) (Lab)
19. Pope Francis warned yesterday that history will judge adversely politicians who do not act on climate change, so when will the Government heed his words and publish their long overdue report and fifth carbon budget emissions reduction plan?
Claire Perry
Again, I refer back to the fact that politicians, led by the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues and with cross-party support, published in 2008 the world’s first legally binding plan to reduce emissions. We also led the world in the Paris agreement that out set long-term, binding targets for the rest of the world. He should be proud of what we have achieved in this House and should join us in spreading the word that the UK is a leader in clean growth. Given the results of yesterday’s auctions, there is no longer a trade-off to be made between the cost of energy production and clean growth. We can both decarbonise and grow the economy, and he should be jolly well proud of that.
Mr Speaker
The Minister clearly leads a joyous existence. We have again received evidence of that today, for which we are grateful. We will take one further question.
Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab)
The growth of new and renewable technologies presents a huge opportunity for the north-east economy but, given the continued uncertainty about the clean growth plan and our membership of and access to the single market, what are the Government doing to encourage business investment in this area?
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
We will publish the clean growth strategy very shortly, but it is not just a question of simple decarbonisation; we have to decarbonise right across the economy and maximise the economic opportunities for doing that throughout the UK. We also have to ensure that we are not putting a high energy-cost burden on consumers and business and that all parts of Government are committed to the strategy for the long term. When we are able to publish the plan, which will be very shortly, I look forward to debating the issue further with the hon. Lady.
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)
T7. The results of yesterday’s renewables sector auction were very beneficial for my constituency. Will the Minister outline what further developments he has in mind to encourage and support the construction of turbines in the UK? How will we ensure, particularly in northern Lincolnshire, that the skills are there to meet the demands?
Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
Smulders in North Tyneside is a fine example of a company that is already advanced in its own low-carbon growth strategies. What direct support will the Minister give to businesses such as Smulders under the delayed clean growth plan?
Claire Perry
I am sure that the hon. Lady will welcome the fact that we have made available more than £2 billion to support innovation and research and development in the sector. If a company in her constituency has specific projects that it would like to bring forward, I would be delighted to meet her to consider them.
Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con)
T8. Now that it is autumn, many of our constituents are concerned about the cost of fuel and energy this winter. What can the Secretary of State say to reassure all our constituents that fuel and energy will be accessible for all this winter?
Green Investment Bank: Employee Indemnity
Claire Perry Excerpts(6 years, 8 months ago)
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The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
The Government completed the sale of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) to Macquarie on 18 August 2017. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided an indemnity for GIB employees in relation to a specific diligence and disclosure exercise conducted as part of the sale process. This indemnity created a notifiable contingent liability.
On 7 March 2017, Government notified the Chairs of the PAC and BEIS Committees of their intention to enter into this contingent liability in accordance with the non-standard notification procedure set out in “Managing Public Money” because the GIB sale process was subject to strict commercial confidentiality agreements that limited the information that could be disclosed publicly by either bidders or the Government. The indemnity was then entered into on 19 April 2017, the date on which the Government signed an agreement to sell GIB to Macquarie.
The indemnity is for GIB employees who were involved in a specific diligence and disclosure exercise, in their personal capacity and not for GIB as an organisation, as it was never intended that any individual GIB employee would assume personal liability for claims made as a result of the support that they have provided the Secretary of State, except where there has been fraud, wilful default or bad faith. The indemnity is uncapped and not time-limited. The prospect of a claim is assessed as remote and that of a claim against the Government’s indemnity very remote. This indemnity cannot be called upon by any of the parties to the sale as they have waived the right to bring a claim against GIB employees. A claim can only be brought by a third party.
If the liability is called upon, provision for payment will be made through the normal Supply procedure. The Treasury approved the proposal in principle prior to the then Chairs of the PAC and BEIS Committees being notified.
As a matter of record, I have today laid a copy of a departmental minute for both Houses explaining the procedure followed and containing a description of the liabilities undertaken.
[HCWS114]
Contingent Liability: Microgeneration Certification Scheme
Claire Perry Excerpts(6 years, 9 months ago)
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The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
The microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) is a scheme that certifies products and installers of renewable technologies to provide assurance to consumers about the quality and standard of their installation.
My Department is going through the process of transferring the assets comprising the MCS to the MCS charitable foundation, as part of establishing the MCS as independent of Government. This will help contribute to a renewable technology market that is sustainable in the long term, and will limit the Government’s liabilities in relation to the scheme.
The operation of the MCS brings with it an existing contingent liability which has been previously covered under the annually disclosed overarching BEIS contingent liability for potential liabilities relating to claims from suppliers and third parties.
In relation to this, I wish to inform Parliament of a departmental minute which will be presented to Parliament today, giving notice of the Department retaining this contingent liability for which we would issue indemnity provisions to the MCS charitable foundation and the MCS service company. This contingent liability relates to the risk of potential complaints from affected parties regarding events which occurred during the period prior to the transfer, when BEIS held a position of responsibility for the MCS.
We believe it is appropriate to retain this existing contingent liability, even as we transfer the assets to the MCS charitable foundation. By offering this indemnity and enabling the transfer to proceed, the Department benefits from ceasing to take on further liabilities from the point of transfer onwards. The indemnity would be uncapped and last for a period of six years from the date of transfer.
We believe that the risk of any successful claim is low in relation to this contingent liability.
[HCWS82]
Environmental Council: June
Claire Perry Excerpts(6 years, 10 months ago)
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The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
I attended the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg on 19 June along with the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk Coastal (Dr Coffey).
I wish to update the House on the matters discussed.
The Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation (LULUCF)
The Maltese presidency introduced an exchange of views on these two regulations which, alongside the EU emissions trading system, will implement the EU’s 2030 emissions reduction target under the Paris agreement. On the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), views were sought on the idea of a safety reserve put forward by the presidency to address concerns from some member states on the starting point for the 2021-2030 emissions trajectory. On the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation, views were sought on how to account for forest reference levels. Member state views remain divided on the best way to balance fairness, environmental integrity and cost efficiency across the dossiers. However, delegations reiterated the importance of making progress in order to reach agreement at October’s Environment Council. This in turn would help reinforce EU climate leadership ahead of the next UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the parties in November.
On both dossiers, the UK spoke in support of the Commission’s original proposals, highlighting the importance of environmental integrity and appropriate flexibility, but recognised the concerns of other member states and indicated a willingness to work constructively with others to reach an agreement. On the ESR, the UK noted some concerns with the current design of the proposed safety reserve, but was open to it in principle. On LULUCF, we spoke alongside several other member states in expressing a preference for forest reference levels to be based on historic policies, to help ensure biomass emissions are fully reflected in LULUCF accounting.
US decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement
Environment Ministers debated the United States’ announcement of its intention to withdraw from the Paris agreement, noting that the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) had adopted Council conclusions on the same subject earlier in the day. There was full support of the FAC position, with many member states, including the UK expressing deep regret at the US decision and reaffirming that the Paris agreement cannot be renegotiated. While underscoring that the Paris agreement was irreversible, the UK also noted that the EU should leave the door open for the US to review its decision.
The Netherlands called on member states to provide funding to make up the shortfall in funding to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UK, along with other member states, responded positively towards this suggestion.
EU Action Plan for Nature, People and the Economy
Council adopted Council conclusions on the Action Plan, which seeks to improve the practical implementation of the habitats and birds directive and boost their contribution towards reaching the EU’s biodiversity targets for 2020.
AOB items
AOB—waste package—state of play
The presidency updated Council on the waste (circular economy) package. Many member states, UK included, noted that further discussion on the file would be welcome, particularly on the achievability of targets across all member states. The UK highlighted the variance of current municipal recycling rates across England, the challenge faced in urban areas and recognised the success in Wales.
AOB—urban adaptation plans for cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Poland—Information
The Polish delegation presented information on the climate implications of their urban adaptation plans.
AOB—Member state ratification of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal protocol—information
The Commission presented information on the Kigali amendment to the Montreal protocol.
AOB—Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conferences of the Parties—information
The presidency and the Commission together updated the Council on the outcomes of the international meeting on the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
AOB—Role of women in mountain regions—information
The Austrian delegation presented information on the role of women in mountain regions.
AOB—UN oceans conference—information
The Swedish delegation presented information on the outcome of the UN oceans conference.
AOB—11th Nano-authorities dialogue—information
The Luxembourg, Austrian and German delegations together presented information on the recommendations adopted at the 11th Nano-authorities dialogue.
AOB—Estonian presidency work programme—information
The incoming Estonian presidency set out the Council work programme for the next six months.
[HCWS33]
Oral Answers to Questions
Claire Perry Excerpts(6 years, 10 months ago)
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Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)
4. What steps he is taking to ensure that the electric grid is able to support the charging of the number of electric cars estimated to be in use by 2020.
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
I congratulate my hon. Friend on his pathfinding work in this area. I understand he is a proud owner of a Nissan Leaf—an electric vehicle made in the UK. He will therefore know that this is an exceptionally important point for us. I am very proud of the Government’s ambition for almost all cars on our roads to be zero-emissions by 2050, and also of our success in positioning the UK as a leading destination for the manufacture of and research into these vehicles. He will be reassured to know that good progress is being made with grid-readiness, and the upcoming smart systems plan and the automated and electric vehicles Bill will ensure that electric vehicle demands are managed efficiently, and the roll-out of electric vehicles is accelerated.
Jeremy Lefroy
I thank the Minister for her response, and I am glad to hear that, because a study of the impact of electric vehicles on the UK’s distribution network has estimated that
“voltage imbalances, coupled with overloaded distribution transformers could…impair power lines.”
How quickly can we have a report on that, given that the usage of such vehicles is likely to rise substantially in the coming years?
Claire Perry
I think my hon. Friend is right. With policies to really accelerate the usage of electric vehicles, this is a critical thing. He will know that Ofgem has approved business plans for the local network companies, which already bake in billions of pounds of investment, to ensure that the expected demands on the grid can be met. But, equally, it is not just about raw investment in cables; it is actually about changing consumers’ behaviour to ensure they can charge their vehicles at a time that puts least demand on the grid and perhaps saves them money. I refer back to our plan and to the Bill, which will enable smart charging and help people to charge their vehicles at a time when it puts least demand on the network.
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)
Does the Minister ever worry that the country looks like investing £100 billion in High Speed 2, which will open at the earliest in 2033, but that, by that time, we will be able to use our phone to call to our home a driverless Uber-type vehicle powered by electricity that can take us anywhere in the country? Is that £100 billion not wasted money?
Claire Perry
I would define seeing you in an electric vehicle, Mr Speaker, as a success in my new role. We can have a conversation afterwards.
The hon. Gentleman will know that I think that upgrading our rail and road networks is one way to reduce congestion on the roads and to open up business opportunities and create potential new capacity for things such as electric rail freight, which has been severely neglected by successive Governments over many years. That is why we want to position ourselves not only as a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles—one in five electric vehicles sold in the EU are made in Britain—but as a hub for innovation. We are putting millions of pounds into innovation studies and research, to see how those new technologies can work together to ultimately achieve the aim of zero emissions by 2050.
Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)
Electric vehicles are a vital part of meeting our climate change commitments. Can the Minister update us on further action to tackle climate change after the USA’s repudiation of the Paris agreement?
Claire Perry
I thank my hon. Friend for that valuable question. I was delighted to be sent, on almost the first day in the job, to Luxembourg to meet our EU counterparts to discuss the fact that we are all very disappointed with Mr Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement, and accept that more work needs to be done by the remaining countries to emphasise that Paris is non-negotiable, although we would like him to come back to the agreement. I was also personally able to increase the level of UK funding for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change trust fund, across the board with other European friends and neighbours, to ensure that any reduction of USA funding can be met.
Albert Owen (Ynys Môn) (Lab)
May I welcome the hon. Lady to her new position and, indeed, Front-Bench Members, new and old, to their roles? Can we have proper local accountability and ownership of local community grids, so that we break the monopolies of the distribution companies, which make masses of money and do not always reinvest?
Claire Perry
The hon. Gentleman raises an incredibly valuable point about how we start to move ourselves away from generating emissions in the heating and lighting sector. He will be pleased to know that I was able to put more innovation funding into trials that are doing exactly that.
Claire Perry
As the hon. Gentleman knows, I like to do these things seriously. We are already funding pilots to see how peer-to-peer exchange of power can work, and how further to improve community generation and storage of energy.
Gareth Johnson (Dartford) (Con)
5. What steps he is taking to support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in the Thames Gateway.
Ruth George (High Peak) (Lab)
13. What the reasons are for the time taken to publish the Government’s carbon reduction plan.
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Claire Perry)
I welcome the hon. Lady to her new job. I also have a new job, and, since taking on the role I have been incredibly impressed by the progress that the United Kingdom has made, both in meeting its own climate emissions targets and in exercising international leadership in that regard. I want the carbon growth plan to be as ambitious, robust and clear a blueprint as it can be, so that we can continue to deliver on this hugely vital piece of domestic and international policy. I am therefore taking the time to ensure that the draft could be extended to become more ambitious, and I intend to publish the plan when Parliament sits again after the summer recess.
Mr Speaker
Order. I have been on the edge of my seat while listening to the hon. Lady, as has always been the case, but I think I am right in surmising that she was seeking to group Question 13 with Questions 15 and 19. So carried away was she with the excitement of her new responsibilities that I think she neglected to inform us of that.
Claire Perry
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I shall group Question 13 with Questions 15 and 19.
Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)
15. What the reasons are for the time taken to publish the Government’s carbon reduction plan.
Ruth George
I thank the Minister for her words. Will she join me in commending the work of the Moors for the Future partnership in my constituency in the Peak District for the purpose of carbon reduction? It is revegetating the large areas of bare peat that exist there, thus fixing carbon emissions. Will the Minister also please let us know what effect the new timeframe of the carbon reduction plan, which was due in 2016, will have on industries and other partnerships that are relying on seeing the plan?
Claire Perry
I am, of course, delighted to welcome that incredibly innovative partnership, which was launched in 2002 and is making real progress in working out how we can naturally store carbon in the peat environment that the hon. Lady now represents. As I have said, I intend to publish the clean growth plan when Parliament returns from the summer recess. I look forward to cross-party discussion and, hopefully, consensus on a document that is hugely important both for Britain’s domestic future and for our international leadership.
Paul Blomfield
The publication date that the Minister mentions is almost a year after the date originally intended by the Government. Does not this reflect a lack of commitment to tackling climate change? What is she doing to engage with other Departments to ensure that they carry out emissions impact assessments so that we can see a real commitment to tackling climate change across the whole of the Government?
Claire Perry
May I gently say to the hon. Gentleman that, as the proud MP for the constituency that has Britain’s leading carbon capture and storage research facility, he ought to welcome the progress that successive Governments have made on this agenda? We were the first country in the world to set binding carbon budgets, and we have over-achieved on the first and second ones. Our full intention is to engage the whole of Government and industry in delivering on the upcoming budgets.
Mike Amesbury
Again, we do not seem to have a date for publication. The Minister talks about a date after the recess, but what specific date is that? Does she not agree that this delay is creating considerable uncertainty for the business community, and that it has the potential to increase energy bills?
Claire Perry
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. He will know that we are talking about setting a trajectory of budgets from 2022 and beyond. The progress we are making is absolutely exceptional, both domestically and internationally. Perhaps he is new in his place, but he could look in his diary and check when the House returns from the summer recess. My intention is to publish the plan when the House returns from the summer recess.
Several hon. Members rose—
Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
The Minister spoke of peer-to-peer exchanges of energy. I have no idea what they are, but given the enthusiasm she has brought to her brief I believe that we all deserve a tutorial. Could that be arranged?
Claire Perry
It would be a pleasure to educate my right hon. Friend. Let us think of it as a lot of hot air being generated by one particular point and being shared around many other data points. It is part of our future, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker
I am sure the hon. Lady’s ministerial peers in other countries—to whom I think she referred earlier—must have felt keenly conscious of their great privilege in meeting her.
Rebecca Pow (Taunton Deane) (Con)
I would like to applaud this Government’s record on tackling carbon emissions. Our carbon reduction plan, alongside investment in new technologies and ratification of the Paris agreement, will make us world leaders in this field and create many more jobs—particularly, I hope, in Taunton Deane, with spin-offs from Hinkley Point, the lowest carbon energy development in Europe. Can the Minister give any further indications of how the Government are responding to the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement?
Claire Perry
Even those who do not think that this is a pressing international issue must surely welcome the fact that there are now more than 400,000 people employed in this industry—more than in the aerospace sector. Britain has shown, in the G7 and the Environment Council meetings, that we are absolutely prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with our European and international partners to make up any deficit caused by Mr Trump’s withdrawal.
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (Lab)
We were promised the publication of this report in the middle of 2016. In October 2016, the permanent secretary promised that it would be published by February 2017. In January 2017, the then Secretary of State promised that the report would be published in the first three months of this year. Now we hear that it might be published this autumn. A year and a half on from the original promise, we are now clearly defaulting on our commitment under the Climate Change Act 2008, which requires that the plan is published as soon as is reasonably practicable after the order has been laid. Is not the Minister ashamed of this lamentable failure to act on that legislative requirement to produce a report that is important to the future of climate change activity, and will she apologise to the House for the delay?
Claire Perry
I would have expected more from the hon. Gentleman. Let me just remind him what has happened since the Committee on Climate Change’s report was produced. We have had Brexit, we have had a general election and we have had the withdrawal of the USA from the Paris climate change agreement. I want to take the time to ensure that this report exceeds his expectations. I will take no lessons from those on the Opposition Front Bench, who have consistently failed to welcome this country’s progress, which the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband)—who is, sadly, not in his place—was sensible enough to kick off in 2009. I believe in delivery, not promises, unlike the Labour party’s manifesto.
Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
Industrial Strategy Consultation
Claire Perry Excerpts(7 years, 3 months ago)
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Greg Clark
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his thoughtful remarks. I am impressed that he has reached page 90 already, which shows his diligence. He says that we are brutally honest, but if we are to look forward and have an industrial strategy that reflects the challenges we face, we need to be clear-eyed. On technical education levels and the imbalances, some areas are prosperous and some can catch up, so it is right to be ambitious in that.
The research and development money that the Chancellor announced in the autumn statement is separate from whatever might be decided on the European funds. It was independently granted and is available to universities and research institutions. The consultation on how that money is spent is part of the consultation on this exercise, and the money is for research and development. One of the points we make is that we have often been excellent at producing brilliant new ideas but less successful at commercialising them. Pushing further on how we translate good ideas into practice is an important feature of addressing that.
The hon. Gentleman mentions renewables, which of course are important in Scotland. The emissions reduction plan, which is currently being prepared, will particularly address that but, on the green economy, a chapter of the Green Paper has a big commitment to doing what we can to make sure that we obtain industrial advantage from the investments we are making in green technology.
Finally, the hon. Gentleman says that the biggest threat to the economy is the exit from the European Union. The United Kingdom has been very successful in recent years, and I would say that the biggest threat to that is if the successful alliance of our nations in the United Kingdom were broken up by the independence of Scotland.
Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
There is so much to welcome in this very thoughtful report, and I congratulate my right hon. Friend and his team on delivering it. Will he say a little more about how the Government’s unprecedented investment in infrastructure will deliver export growth? I am sure he will not be surprised, but he may be disappointed, to know that our export potential, particularly from our rail industry, is far outstripped by that of our neighbours in continental Europe. We are spending a lot of money. How can we turn that money into exports and jobs?
Greg Clark
From her experience in the Department for Transport, my hon. Friend knows how important it is to make connections between places—it is an important means of underpinning growth. She will be aware that, through the national infrastructure fund, funding will rise by 60% from this year to 2022, which is a huge investment, and an appropriate one to make sure that the quality of our infrastructure keeps pace with the investments that our competitors are making.