Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has held discussions with trade unions on the potential impact of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) automation on workers.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
New technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation have the potential to transform businesses of all sizes, supporting productivity and growth.
The government's approach is to protect good jobs, enable good future jobs, ensure rights and protections keep pace with technological change and to safeguard against discrimination.
As the Plan to Make Work Pay makes clear, workers' interests will need to inform the digital transformation that is taking place in the workplace.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) ministers continue to engage positively with all relevant stakeholders in relation to the potential impacts of new technologies on the workplace, including trade unions and business.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Office for Product Safety and Standards has made an estimate of the number of constructions using (a) Mica, (b) Pyrite and (c) other defective building materials in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Office for Product Safety and Standards was appointed by MHCLG in April 2021 as the national regulator of construction products, overseeing conformity of construction products with designated standards under the Construction Products Regulations 2013. In this role, OPSS has not made any estimates of the number of constructions in Northern Ireland using Mica, Pyrite or defective materials.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for Government policy on arms export licenses to Israel of the decision of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Israel.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government assesses export licences against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will continue to monitor developments as part of the assessment process. The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish eligibility criteria for funding artists under the Music Export Growth Scheme; whether the political (a) beliefs and (b) activities of applicants are taken into consideration; and for what reason the band Kneecap has not been granted funding.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Applicants for the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) must confirm they meet the minimum criteria. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) acting as our delivery partner convenes an independent Selection Panel which then makes recommendations to the Department for Business and Trade on MEGS grant awards.
Subsequently, the BPI, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS), as MEGS co-funder, all carry out due diligence on recommended grant recipients. Following this, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade makes the final grant decisions, in consultation with DCMS. "Kneecap" did not pass the due diligence process. A Pre-Action Protocol letter has been received and no further comment will be made at this time.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with her Irish counterpart on promoting resilient supply chains across the island of Ireland.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Ministers and officials regularly engage with counterparts in Ireland to discuss a range of issues.
The Department for Business and Trade works to strengthen the long-term resilience of the UK’s international critical supply chains, including through international discussions to collaborate on economic resilience, bringing partners and allies together and share expertise.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason Northern Ireland is not covered on her Department's webpage under the stated responsibility to advise, support and promote British businesses to grow and export.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Department for Business and Trade’s export support services are available free of charge to businesses across all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland. Full details about these services are available at www.great.gov.uk. My officials in the DBT Northern Ireland team are also working closely with businesses and stakeholders to promote these services across all parts of Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department has taken to increase opportunities for economic growth in (a) Foyle constituency and (b) Northern Ireland in the last three years.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
At Spending Review 2021, the government announced a £1.6 billion commitment to the nations and regions including £70m to provide a new Investment Fund for Northern Ireland, delivered by the British Business Bank. Other British Business Bank programmes are demand-led, without any geographical allocation.
Government supports early-stage entrepreneurs from all areas of the UK through the Start Up Loans Company. As of August 2023, 87 loans were issued to SMEs in Foyle, with a total value of £609,680.
Department for Business and Trade officials based in Northern Ireland also support local businesses to export and expand internationally.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Press Release entitled Government action to supercharge competitiveness in key British industries and grow economy, published on 23 February 2023, what discussions her Department has had with its counterparts in Northern Ireland on the (a) design of and (b) inclusion of Northern Ireland businesses in that scheme.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Press Release entitled Government action to supercharge competitiveness in key British industries and grow economy, published on 23 February 2023, what steps she is taking to help ensure equal support for businesses in Northern Ireland in the context of that announcement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Press Release entitled Government action to supercharge competitiveness in key British industries and grow economy, published on 23 February 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the potential effect of those measures on the Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.