Oral Answers to Questions

Kevin Foster Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

6. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the industrial strategy benefits Wales.

[Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)]

11. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the industrial strategy benefits Wales.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns)]

There are significant opportunities for Wales from the industrial strategy, particularly in relation to innovation, where there is a commitment to raise the total research and development spend to 2.4% of the economy. This is already benefiting Wales, with almost £6 million committed to 17 Welsh partner projects.

[Alun Cairns]

My hon. Friend is a key campaigner for the steel industry, and I draw his attention to the Swansea bay city deal and the industrial strategy, which has established a new national Steel and Metals Institute, not only offering long-term viability to the industry in Wales, but complementing his constituency’s interests.

[Kevin Foster]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answers so far. Does he agree that the combination of scrapping the Severn tolls and the cross-border commitment to the industrial strategy represents a significant boost for south Wales, mid-Wales and even south-west England?

[Alun Cairns]

My hon. Friend rightly draws attention to our commitment to scrap the Severn tolls by the end of this year, which will benefit south-west England and his constituency, as well as the south Wales economy. We are developing a new economic region and the industrial strategy commits to cross-border growth corridors. There is a great deal of excitement in south Wales and the south-west.