Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and James Morris

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

13. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government’s industrial strategy on the west midlands.

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

Last week, we published the midlands engine strategy. It is further demonstration that this Government are committed to investing in the midlands, a region that has seen over 180,000 more people in employment since 2010.

[Greg Clark]

I will indeed. My hon. Friend’s constituency, which includes Coalbrookdale, has a good claim to be the cradle of the first industrial revolution—[Interruption.] It is perhaps a disputed claim, but I think Abraham Darby, in 1709, was fairly early. However, now, Telford is at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution, as my hon. Friend says. The T54 site is proving to be a very important location for automotive sector supply chain.

[James Morris]

Does the Secretary of State agree that one pivotal thing that needs to be in an industrial strategy for the west midlands is closing the skills gap that has held back the west midlands for too long, so that areas such as the black country can continue to work to become leading specialists in things such as aerospace, automotive and advanced manufacturing, which are critical to the agenda of the Conservative candidate for west midlands Mayor, Andy Street?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and James Morris

Tuesday 13th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

Of course steel is incredibly important, and it is important that it should have a bright future—we all want to see that. One thing I have been doing with the Minister for Climate Change and Industry, working closely with the steel industry on both the employer and trade union side, is to fund and bring together a strategic review, and the whole industry is coming together to work on it. That is expressly designed to inform our industrial strategy, so that we can look forward with confidence to a very successful steel industry.

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

14. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local enterprise partnerships.

Local Growth Deals

Debate between Greg Clark and James Morris

Monday 7th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I would like to extend more broadly the next phase of negotiations and discussions, so that where local authorities and businesses can make a real difference to some of our intractable social problems they will be given the chance to show that they can do that.

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

I welcome the black country local growth deal announced today, particularly the new advanced science and technology centre at Halesowen college, which will allow us to upskill local people in the black country to get the jobs that are available. Does the Minister agree that this type of initiative is crucial to areas such as the black country, where we need to increase skills and generate growth?

[Greg Clark]

I certainly do agree with my hon. Friend. “Made in the black country” is a brand that is proudly marketed around the world, and people have confidence in the quality that that implies, but it is important that the next generation of people in the area are trained in those skills so that that reputation for quality can continue. The investment will help with that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and James Morris

Tuesday 29th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

Unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds in my constituency is 15% lower than it was in December 2011, but does the Chancellor agree that we still need to do more to improve young people’s skills, especially in the context of the black country city deal, which is focusing on skills in advanced manufacturing? May I commend that proposal to the Treasury team?

[Greg Clark]

I was in Wolverhampton recently, meeting business and civic leaders from the black country. The proposals to increase skills to help the advanced manufacturing sector in the area to expand are well under way, and I look forward to responding to the bid very soon.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and James Morris

Monday 30th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

I think it is fair to say that there has been a healthy debate about the contents of the national policy planning framework, but does the Minister agree that there is an urgent need to press ahead with simplification of the framework so that we can secure the sustainable development and economic growth that we desperately need in this country?

[Greg Clark]

I do agree with that. My hon. Friend is a member of the Select Committee on Communities and Local Government, which considered the matter, and it concurred that it was necessary and desirable to simplify the planning system that has grown to such an extent that it holds back growth and gets in the way of local people participating in the future of their neighbourhood.