Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sajid Javid and John Pugh

Tuesday 2nd February 2016 Commons Chamber

[John Pugh (Southport) (LD)]

1. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the British automotive industry is able to develop and benefit from evolving technologies.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade (Sajid Javid)]

The UK automotive industry is already a great success, but we want to make sure that it stays at the cutting edge. We are committing almost £l billion to help develop next-generation technologies. This will make the UK the go-to location for connected and autonomous vehicles, for example, and it will facilitate automotive research and development.

[John Pugh]

I thank the Secretary of State for his response. We read yesterday of his enthusiasm for driverless cars, but what specific encouragement and incentive will he provide for the more mature and greener technology of hydrogen fuel cells?

[Sajid Javid]

I am glad that the hon. Gentleman has raised the issue of driverless cars. Britain already leads in that area, and yesterday I announced some £20 million of awards. Green energy and greener cars are also important. That is why, in the spending review recently, we announced more funding for research from Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sajid Javid and John Pugh

Tuesday 30th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

Steel is a very important industry, employing thousands of people in Britain. It is important to see what we can do to help, so I or my right hon. Friend the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise will be more than happy to meet the hon. Gentleman.

[John Pugh (Southport) (LD)]

What plans, if any, do the Government have to make local enterprise partnerships more democratically accountable? They have more funds than the regional development agencies, but are less accountable.

[Sajid Javid]

It is right that LEPs are business-led, but it is also important that they include democratically elected people, and that is how they are working. It is important to review LEPs after a few years of operation and to ensure that they are truly accountable.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sajid Javid and John Pugh

Tuesday 25th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

My hon. Friend has raised the issue of interest rates. If we had not had a credible policy to deal with the record budget deficit that the previous Government left behind, interest rates would be a lot higher. In fact, in the last Budget delivered by them, interest payments on Government debt would have been £30 billion higher in this Parliament. If interest rates were just 1% higher, mortgages would rise by almost £1,000 a year for the average household.

[John Pugh (Southport) (LD)]

13. What assessment he has made of the role of community budgets in improving the efficiency of public expenditure; and if he will make a statement.