Oral Answers to Questions
Frank Roy Excerpts(10 years, 1 month ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Vince Cable
I will certainly look at that—indeed, we already are. The hon. Gentleman will be aware of the more general issue of energy-intensive industries, and we have sought to achieve relief through compensation under the European Union emissions trading system and the carbon price floor. We have recently consulted on how to extend that relief in respect of renewable obligations and the feed-in tariff. That consultation has just ended and will incorporate industries depending on their energy intensity and trading capacity. We will announce the results shortly.
Mr Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
The steel industry is vital to manufacturing in the United Kingdom. Will the Secretary of State take the opportunity to tell the House exactly what has been happening with Tata Steel’s proposed sale of its long products division?
Oral Answers to Questions
Frank Roy Excerpts(10 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Vaizey
We had an extremely good meeting with my hon. Friend and her East Anglian colleagues, and we are looking carefully at the proposals they made. Norfolk, Suffolk and many other counties in East Anglia are great examples of counties that do not just sit back but take the lead and come up with interesting initiatives and proposals.
Mr Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
The Minister will know that it is not just rural areas that suffer from poor mobile phone coverage. For example, mobile phone coverage is not available in many areas in the town of Wishaw. What assessment has been made of towns such as Wishaw?
Mr Vaizey
As I say, we continue to work with Ofcom to identify not-spots, but at the moment the mobile phone companies are undertaking a rapid roll-out of 4G technology. Originally the licences would have required only one operator to provide full 4G to 98% of premises by the end of 2017. We expect EE to have achieved that by the end of 2014 and the rest of the mobile operators to have achieved it by the end of 2015.