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.

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.