Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Vaizey of Didcot Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

13. What steps he is taking to support the technology cluster in Cambridge.

[The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

We are doing an enormous amount but, as I know you want Ministers to be brief, Mr Speaker, I shall simply highlight the £500 million Greater Cambridge city deal; the £71 million local enterprise partnership growth deal, which is investing in a biomedical innovation centre and agri-tech growth initiative; and, of course, the research partnership investment fund, which is investing £25 million in a therapeutic immunology and infectious disease institute.

[Dr Huppert]

I thank the Minister for all that. The Cambridge tech sector is doing well, directly employing 53,000 people and bringing in £13 billion, but we could contribute much more to the UK if given further support. May I press him to support our call for more localised power and funding towards a Cambridge promotions agency, and to implement the recommendations in Sherry Coutu’s scale-up report, which came out this week and contained advice for the whole country?

[Mr Vaizey]

The hon. Gentleman can always press me on those issues, and he rightly highlights the extraordinary success of technology in Cambridge, with 1,500 companies, two $10 billion companies and 10 $1 billion companies. Of course, we will look at Sherry Coutu’s report with interest.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)]

14. What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships.

--- Later in debate ---

[Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD)]

15. What progress his Department has made on facilitating projects identified in the Swindon and Wiltshire strategic economic plan.

[The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

We are making great progress. I know you want Ministers to be brief, Mr Speaker, so I will simply highlight the £129 million we have invested in funding to support a number of projects, including the first phase of a new science park at Porton and a new service to help military service leavers.

[Duncan Hames]

That is very welcome indeed. Project 16 in the local enterprise partnership strategic economic plan is the reopening of Corsham station. How does the Minister see LEPs working with their neighbours, local authorities and industry on projects which, by their nature, require a solution that extends well beyond their boundaries?

[Mr Vaizey]

It is important for LEPs to work together, and that is why I was so pleased to attend a meeting along with my hon. Friend last night with the Secretary of State for Transport, to highlight the importance of a potential Oxford to Bristol rail link. I know that my hon. Friend disagrees with the Minister for consumer affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), on pub issues, but I will endeavour also to enlist her support for this important project.

[Mr Speaker]

Mr Ronnie Campbell. Not here.

--- Later in debate ---

[Greg Clark]

I will indeed do that. I had the great pleasure of visiting Stevenage earlier this week to congratulate in person many of the scientists and engineers who worked on that brilliantly successful Rosetta mission. They demonstrated the Mars Rover, which is going to be the next source of excitement.

[The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

And Harwell in my constituency!

[Greg Clark]

My ministerial colleague quite rightly calls on me to mention the signal role played by Harwell and, indeed, many other space and scientific establishments across the country. It was a great day for UK science.