Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Tuesday 11th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Greg Clark)]

In May I announced an additional £28 million, from the £250 million Faraday challenge, for the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, where industry will test next generation world-leading technologies.

[Antoinette Sandbach]

Does the Secretary of State agree that for electric vehicles to thrive additional capacity will be required, and that energy efficiency measures to bring every home to an energy performance certificate C standard are vital in delivering that, as they will reduce energy consumption by 25% and free that capacity for electric vehicle use?

[Greg Clark]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. She is right to point out the connections between our energy systems and the future of mobility in how we drive cars. That is why the industrial strategy sets up both as grand challenges and why the Faraday Challenge addresses both of them.

Leaving the EU: Airbus Risk Assessment

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Monday 25th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

I think the hon. Gentleman would be more productive if he engaged with the substance of the negotiation. We are leaving the European Union, and what is required is to reach an agreement that avoids frictions and tariffs. It is perfectly possible to agree such an accord with the European Union. That is our purpose, and we will faithfully implement it.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

Thousands of jobs in the north-west depend on Airbus and its supply chain there. Does the Secretary of State agree that close regulatory alignment is also a requirement to help to ensure that trade is as frictionless as possible?

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend is right in alluding to the fact that an aeroplane, which is what we are talking about, is a combination of products from different countries. They need to come together—this is inherently international—so to have standards for wings that are different from standards for engines and parts of the fuselage would clearly be incompatible with having a plane that flies. There is good sense in having an agreement that brings coherence to what is a single product manufactured in different parts of Europe.

Energy Policy

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Monday 25th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The Swansea city deal, to name one case in point, will be welcomed by the hon. Gentleman. In terms of planning for the future, making commitments that put on bill payers or taxpayers costs that are three times higher than are justified is no strategy for the long term. To saddle businesses and industries with such costs is a strategy for uncompetitiveness.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State for his very sensible decision. Will he confirm that it would have put an additional 31p on every household’s bill in my constituency every year for up to 65 years, leading to £370,000 a year flowing out of my constituency on energy bills to pay for this uneconomic project?

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend is right that £700 per household across the UK cannot be justified, either for consumers in Wales or in any of our constituencies.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Tuesday 12th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

We work very closely with the industry with great success. Engine production in this country was up over 17% last year, reaching 1 million engines. That is a record. Never in the history of the British motor industry were more engines produced than last year. Over the past year, the net number of jobs that are being created—note the word “created”—in the automotive sector in this country is 9,000.We have a very good record of working closely with the industry to support an industry that is not only very successful today, but will continue to flourish in the future.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

5. What steps he is taking to support vulnerable consumers with their energy bills.

[John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)]

20. What steps he is taking to tackle rising energy prices.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Greg Clark)]

The Government are committed to helping energy consumers. We have brought forward the price cap Bill, and more than 2 million low-income households receive £140 a year through the warm home discount.

[Antoinette Sandbach]

Does the Secretary of State agree that a wide-reaching energy efficiency programme would help vulnerable customers in Eddisbury and elsewhere, as well as helping the UK meet its climate change targets?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Tuesday 30th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Sir Robert Syms—where is the fellow? I call Antoinette Sandbach.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

The local authority pension fund forum has called for a review of accounting standards, having received opinion that there are substantial legal flaws in international reporting standards. The opinion states that the standards do not enable anyone to make a meaningful assessment of a going concern, which is a highly relevant issue for Carillion. Will the Secretary of State support such a review?

[Greg Clark]

The day that Carillion went into insolvency I wrote to the Financial Reporting Council, and I spoke to its chairman, to ask it to investigate the auditors and those who are regulated as accountants. The FRC has agreed to do that, and it announced yesterday that the investigation is under way. I would expect it to learn the lessons for any changes to the regulations that it applies.

Budget Resolutions

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

1st reading: House of Commons
Tuesday 28th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

Green growth is clearly part of our future as we move forward in the economy. Does my right hon. Friend agree that hydrogen batteries are as important as electric vehicles?

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that hydrogen offers big advantages. It is a clean fuel, and this country has great expertise in developing and applying it.

Let me say something about business finance, which has already come up in the debate. In a strategy that connects our areas of strength, it is essential that we allow the businesses that are growing across our country to benefit much more than previously from our financial services sector, which is one of the most significant in the world. The deep pool of capital that we have should be available to growing companies up and down the country. The Budget therefore includes a new £2.5 billion investment fund, incubated in the British Business Bank, to drive forward more investment into growing companies across the country. The British Business Bank will establish a network of regional managers by autumn next year, ensuring that it is not just in London and the south-east that these sources of finance and advice are available, as it is essential that they are in place right across the UK.

Magnox: Early Contract Terminations

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Monday 27th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

I will certainly meet the hon. Lady. I am glad that she has given me the opportunity to emphasise that the work will continue as planned at all the sites. As she will know, work is ahead of schedule in the plant she mentioned. In the light of that, I will meet her to update her on the latest timings.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

This was clearly a defective procurement with quite serious financial consequences. I welcome the Secretary of State’s determination that the reasons will be exposed, but will he assure the House that people found to be responsible or at fault will be brought to account?

[Greg Clark]

I can confirm that the terms of reference make it very clear that the inquiry can make any recommendations that it sees fit, including as to any disciplinary investigations or proceedings that may, in its view, be appropriate as a result of its findings.

Industrial Strategy Consultation

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Monday 23rd January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The steel industry is already embarking on a consideration of how it can plan out its future. I have encouraged it to do that—although it needed no encouragement, because it is keen to do so—and I look forward to seeing the fruits of that during the weeks ahead.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

I welcome the recognition that rural broadband is particularly important for increased GDP growth. Will the Secretary of State make a commitment that no small rural business will be left behind when it comes to digital connectivity?

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We want to help everywhere to achieve its potential. We know that the prosperity of many rural areas is held back if they do not have good digital connectivity, so that is one of the ambitions that we set out in the Green Paper.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Antoinette Sandbach

Monday 8th February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

Over the last five years, home ownership, and particularly house building, has been revived from the crash that happened under Labour. The hon. Gentleman should welcome the planning reforms that we made, which have increased planning permissions by 50%. He should welcome the introduction of starter homes to give first-time buyers a foot on the housing ladder. He should welcome the extension of Help to Buy, which has helped so many people to achieve their dream of a home of their own.

[Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury) (Con)]

Right to Buy does not apply to rural exception sites. Does the Secretary of State therefore agree that affordable housing in rural areas is absolutely key?

[Greg Clark]

I do agree with my hon. Friend. In providing homes in all communities for all types of people we need to make sure that we have diversity of tenure, especially in rural areas. My hon. Friend is right.