Oral Answers to Questions

Sam Gyimah Excerpts

Tuesday 1st May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Colin Clark (Gordon) (Con)]

17. What steps the Government are taking to support the growth of the agri-tech sector.

[The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Mr Sam Gyimah)]

The £160 million agri-tech strategy, which was launched five years ago, has proved a success. We are building on that strong track record through our industrial strategy, including a further £90 million of funding announced in February to bring the UK’s world-class agri-food sector together with expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence and data science. This will make it easier for farmers and agricultural supply chains to embrace new technology, enhancing their competitiveness and improving productivity.

[Daniel Kawczynski]

My hon. Friend will know the importance of the agri-tech sector to the county of Shropshire. Can he give more details of how the transforming food production challenge will support our agri-tech sector in Shropshire?

[Mr Gyimah]

The transforming food production investment combines UK academic and industrial strengths, taking a whole system approach, to integrate world-leading research, advanced technologies and farming practices. It will support the development and deployment of precision agricultural technologies and solutions.

[Colin Clark]

The campus of Scotland’s Rural College in Gordon and local agri-food business Harbro are playing a key role in agri-tech. Does the Minister agree that continued funding for agri-tech, and the resulting big data, is essential to developing opportunities for global Britain?

[Mr Gyimah]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. We recognise the excellent contribution that Scotland’s Rural College and Harbro have made to developing agri-tech through partnering with the centres for agricultural innovation, where they are aiding the adoption of data-driven products. As I have said, we are investing £90 million in the transforming food production challenge, which will really help the UK to capture significant global challenge.

[Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab)]

The agri-tech sector has tremendous potential in this country, but if we are to get all the manufacturing jobs out of it, as well as the innovation, we need to do something about the most expensive corporate property tax in the entire EU. Will the Minister tell us whether the Government are still sticking to their manifesto commitment to have a wholesale review of the business rates system, so we can have a competitive system for the agri-tech sector?

[Mr Gyimah]

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that, in the Budget, the Chancellor announced that he will be bringing forward proposals on that manifesto commitment in due course.

[John Mc Nally (Falkirk) (SNP)]

What proportion of all biomass used to produce energy in the last year came from wood, and what proportion of that came from domestic wood? Will he follow Scotland’s example of good practice?

[Mr Gyimah]

The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point, and one that we will follow up with detailed statistics.

[Angela Smith (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

12. What assessment his Department has made of the value of the industrial opportunity presented by the Swansea bay tidal lagoon.

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[Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con)]

21. What plans his Department has to develop innovative projects through public-private partnerships.

[The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Mr Sam Gyimah)]

The Department has no current plans to develop projects through public-private partnerships. There are a number of areas where the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy co-funds projects with businesses, including in the areas of innovation and skills.

[Robert Halfon]

Does my hon. Friend not agree that the public-private partnership between Harlow College and Stansted airport in building a skills academy is exactly the kind of public-private partnership that we should be following? Harlow will now be the skills capital of the east of England. Will he use the Harlow example for the rest of the country?

[Mr Gyimah]

My right hon. Friend is right: Harlow often leads the way in a number of areas, and I wish to congratulate him on the opening of the Stansted Airport College. The new apprenticeships build on the 1.3 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015.

[Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab)]

25. What steps he is taking to support the automotive sector to move from diesel to cleaner fuels.

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[Jeremy Quin (Horsham) (Con)]

T6. How are the Government supporting the growth and full geographic spread of degree-level apprenticeships?

[The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Mr Sam Gyimah)]

The Government have created the £10 million degree apprenticeship development fund to support the development of infrastructure across England and to raise awareness of apprenticeships, among other aims. A degree apprenticeships website has been created by the National Apprenticeship Service and UCAS to highlight vacancies.

[Ruth George (High Peak) (Lab)]

T10. Businesses in my constituency are extremely concerned that they will see more bureaucracy when we move out of the European Union. What is the Department doing to make sure that the UK will continue to be part of the single euro payments area, and also the VAT information exchange system, which my local businesses say is absolutely vital to keep them being able to pay and do business?

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[Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)]

T9. Post Brexit, if the European Union restricts access to the Galileo satellite project, will the Minister undertake for us to restrict its access to the communications infrastructure of the Falklands and Ascension Island?

[Mr Gyimah]

The Government have been clear that we are unconditionally committed to European security and want to continue working together to develop defence and space capabilities. We feel that the Commission’s approach runs counter to what has been agreed as part of article 50, where a shared intent was agreed for strong UK-EU co-operation on defence in the future.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

The Minister will know that I have Jaguar Land Rover in my constituency. What will be the impact on Jaguar Land Rover of the changes to tax on diesel engines?