Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department will ensure that the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund complements existing initiatives in Scotland to deliver an holistic approach to innovation.
Answered by Claire Perry
We have announced the first six challenges of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) that will bring together the world leading research from across the UK with business to meet major industrial and societal challenges. The ISCF is a UK wide fund so its competitions for funding, and the programmes it will deliver, will be open to businesses and researchers across the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the Scottish Government on his Department's Industrial Strategy green paper.
Answered by Claire Perry
This Government is committed to building an Industrial Strategy that works for all of the UK, to drive growth and prosperity across the country.
In the green paper my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued an invitation to Ministers in the Devolved Administrations to take part in Ministerial forums to address productivity barriers and to ensure that economic plans and strategies closely align to benefit citizens in the devolved nations. The first of these forums with the Scottish Government took place on the 11th April and has been supported by a series of ongoing discussions at official level.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what strategy his Department has to support a growth pipeline to help small businesses in Scotland expand.
Answered by Margot James
Small businesses play a central role in driving economic growth across the UK and this Government is committed to supporting their continued success.
The industrial strategy will build on this to make the most of the diverse strengths of all of Britain’s cities and regions including Scotland, and grasp the opportunities that could drive faster growth in each of them.
Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness City Deals have seen £702m of additional funding from the UK government flow into Scotland. Projects and programmes agreed are helping businesses by: establishing new incubation and innovation hubs; improving local infrastructure; extending and improving the quality of broadband; and tackling key barriers to growth in certain sectors.
Moving forward we are committed to working with the Scottish Government and local communities to agree further deals with: Edinburgh and South East Scotland; Stirling and Clackmannanshire; Tay Cities; and Borderlands.