Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that workplaces are safe during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We have published comprehensive guidance to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance has been developed with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations, and in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise industry to engage in the Industrial Cluster Mission challenge; and what financial mechanisms his Department is assessing to support the development low-carbon liquid fuels.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Department is engaging and working closely with industry partners on the delivery of the Industrial Clusters Mission. We are providing funding, through the £170 million Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, to support industry with the deployment of low carbon technologies in industrial clusters.
Through the BEIS Energy Innovation Programme the Department has committed £20 million towards assessing the opportunity for industry to switch to low carbon fuels. The Industrial Fuel Switching competition is supporting four projects based across the UK to trial these alternative fuels, improving our understanding on the impact they may have on industry.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Industrial Cluster Mission has made; and what further steps the Government is taking with industry to attract the investment required to make industrial clusters effective.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Industrial Clusters Mission is supported through the £170 million Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge (IDC). This funding is expected to be matched by up to £261 million from industry.
Phase 1 of the IDC is now underway, in which industrial clusters will develop plans for the deployment of low carbon technologies and ‘roadmaps’ for achieving net zero. Under Phase 2, up to £131 million will be awarded for projects that will help deliver significant emissions reductions. Up to £8 million will be awarded for the development of the roadmaps.
The IDC will also support the establishment of the £20m Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre, which will carry out research and cross-cutting activities to further support decarbonisation efforts in industrial clusters and delivery of the Mission.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to ensure the continuation of the Single Electricity Market on the island of Ireland in the event that the UK leaves the EU Internal Energy Market.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government is committed to facilitating the continuation of the Single Electricity Market in any scenario. We are developing plans for EU Exit for the Single Electricity Market with Northern Ireland institutions, and these plans are being designed to provide the flexibility to respond to different negotiated outcomes, as well as the unlikely event of no agreement being reached.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the possibility of the UK remaining a member of the EU Internal Energy Market but not sharing a common rule-book with other members.
Answered by Claire Perry
The UK is exploring with the EU the options for our future energy relationship. One option would be for the UK to participate in the Internal Energy Market (IEM). In this case, the UK proposes a common rulebook with the EU on the technical rules for electricity trading, such as the market coupling mechanism.