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Written Question
Manufacturing Industries: Robots
Wednesday 6th March 2019

Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of UK factories that used robots in the manufacturing process in each year since 2010.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

The information requested is not available centrally from official sources. However, according to the International Federation of Robotics, the UK ranks 22nd in the world with a robot density of 71 units per 10,000 employees, slightly under the global average of 74 units.

The industry-led initiative, Made Smarter Review, has highlighted how UK manufacturing can be transformed through the adoption of industrial digital technology – including that of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence – boosting UK manufacturing by £455bn, reducing CO2 emissions by 4.5%, and creating a net gain of 175,000 jobs. Government has pledged to make the UK a global leader in industrial digitalisation, and has committed up to £141m to the Made Smarter programme.

Written Question
Manufacturing Industries: Hendon
Friday 22nd February 2019

Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the Industrial Strategy plans to support manufacturing business in Hendon constituency.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

Through our Industrial Strategy we continue to take actions to support manufacturing businesses in Hendon and across the country.

We are working closely with industry to secure a strong future for UK manufacturers through major new investment in research, as part of our commitment to increase total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. We have so far allocated £1.7 billion through Waves 1 and 2 of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, bringing together world class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies and industries of the future. We are working with industry on proposals for a future third wave. We have allocated £70 million of grant funding to projects in London under the ISCF to date. Of this figure, £537,812 was allocated to the constituency of Hendon to support innovation in the healthcare sector.

At Autumn Budget we announced up to £121 million of funding, subject to business case approval and industry co-investment, for the Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge. This will exploit the opportunities highlighted in the Made Smarter Review, which identifies significant benefits to the UK from integrating digital technology into manufacturing through a strong partnership between Government and industry. We also announced up to £66m for the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge at COP24 in December 2018, subject to business case and industry co-investment. This Challenge aims to transform the UK’s foundation industries (glass, steel, cement, ceramics, chemicals) to make them internationally competitive, securing more jobs and greater sector growth by 2025.

In addition, we are working in partnership with London to develop its Local Industrial Strategy, as part of our aim to create prosperous communities across the country. The Local Industrial Strategy will be long-term, based on clear evidence and aligned to the national Industrial Strategy, identifying local strengths and challenges, future opportunities and the action needed to boost productivity, earning power and competitiveness.

Through programmes operated by the Government-owned British Business Bank they are currently supporting over £5.5bn of finance to over 78,000 SMEs; and since its launch in 2012, the Start-Up Loans programme, part of the British Business Bank, has delivered more than 59,000 loans, totalling over £450m.

Written Question
Industry
Wednesday 30th January 2019

Asked by: Kirstene Hair (Conservative - Angus)

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 ensure that the industrial strategy supports (a) manufacturers of agricultural machinery, (b) textiles and (c) small-scale engineering.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

The Government’s Industrial Strategy supports manufacturing across many sectors in a number of ways through business support, skills and R&D.

Through Business Support:

  • The Government has undertaken a business productivity review and is currently looking at how to improve manufacturing processes with 3000 industries in the North West in the Pilot for Made Smarter. The learnings from this pilot, and the conclusions of the review will benefit industry in the future.
  • We are making sure small businesses across all sectors including agricultural machinery, textiles and engineering, can find the information they need on their finance options and additional support in information and guidance:
  • The British Business Bank publishes (in partnership with industry) the Business Finance Guide, which also has an interactive online version.
  • The Business Support Helpline and the network of 38 Growth Hubs also provide advice and signpost businesses to sources of information and guidance. We would encourage the industries to take advantage of this resource.
  • 78,000 SMEs have been supported in various way by the British Business Bank. The Small Business Commissioner helps with payment issues, dispute resolution and sourcing advice across the UK.

Through developing Skills:

  • The Government has developed a wide range of manufacturing apprenticeships. There are now specific apprenticeships for textile manufacturing, at both intermediate and advanced levels and a significant number of engineering apprenticeships across a range of sectors.
  • The Government has introduced the apprenticeship levy across the UK to encourage sustained employer investment in high quality apprenticeships. By 2020 the total annual apprenticeship investment in England will be almost £2.45bn (in 2019/20); double what was spent in 2010-11. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive £460m, as their fair share of the apprenticeship levy, in 2019/20. This will allow businesses to develop workforces that have the skills they need for the future.

Through supporting R&D:

  • The Government has increased the rate of R&D tax credit to 12% to encourage businesses to invest in the future and as a step towards meeting the 2.4% target. As we try to put the UK at the forefront of advanced sustainable agriculture, this tax credit will provide opportunities for both manufacturers of agricultural machinery and small-scale engineering firms to invest in innovation.

We are open to having discussions with all sectors of business and industry to discuss how we can support them and would welcome the engagement from manufacturers of agricultural machinery, textile industry and small-scale engineering firms.

Written Question
Production: Location
Thursday 18th October 2018

Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to encourage businesses to retain production in the UK.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

Through our ambitious Industrial Strategy, we are working with industry to create the right conditions for manufacturing businesses to continue investing in the UK. That means using our record investments in infrastructure to unlock growth in every part of the country; using the major new investment in research. This includes a commitment to increase total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 to support innovative manufacturing businesses across the country; and encouraging inward investment.

We are:

  • • Investing £1bn through the ambitious new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, bringing together world class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies and industries of the future;
  • • Reforming our technical education system to achieve a world-class status;
  • • Developing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults to upskill and reskill throughout their career as the economy changes;
  • • Creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a domestic programme of investment to boost productivity and reduce economic inequality across the country following our departure from the European Union;
  • • Working with industry to exploit opportunities highlighted in the Made Smarter Review, which identifies significant benefits to the UK from integrating digital technology into manufacturing through a strong government and industry partnership.
Written Question
Manufacturing Industries
Thursday 18th October 2018

Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to encourage businesses to retain production in the UK.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

Through our ambitious Industrial Strategy, we are working with industry to create the right conditions for manufacturing businesses to continue investing in the UK. That means using our record investments in infrastructure to unlock growth in every part of the country; using the major new investment in research. This includes a commitment to increase total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 to support innovative manufacturing businesses across the country; and encouraging inward investment.

We are:

  • • Investing £1bn through the ambitious new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, bringing together world class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies and industries of the future;
  • • Reforming our technical education system to achieve a world-class status;
  • • Developing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults to upskill and reskill throughout their career as the economy changes;
  • • Creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a domestic programme of investment to boost productivity and reduce economic inequality across the country following our departure from the European Union;
  • • Working with industry to exploit opportunities highlighted in the Made Smarter Review, which identifies significant benefits to the UK from integrating digital technology into manufacturing through a strong government and industry partnership.
Written Question
Manufacturing Industries
Monday 24th September 2018

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to implement a long-term strategy to help boost growth in the manufacturing sector.

Answered by Lord Henley

Britain has a proud manufacturing heritage currently supporting 2.7 million jobs across the country. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are creating opportunities for UK manufacturing to build on its strengths and continue to grow.

We are working closely with industry to secure a strong future for UK manufacturers through major new investment in research, with a commitment to increase total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. In addition, we are:

  • Investing £1bn through the ambitious new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, bringing together world class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies and industries of the future;
  • Reforming our technical education system to achieve a world-class status;
  • Developing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults to upskill and reskill throughout their career as the economy changes;
  • Creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a domestic programme of investment to boost productivity and reduce economic inequality across the country following our departure from the European Union;
  • Working with industry to exploit opportunities highlighted in the Made Smarter Review, which identifies significant benefits to the UK from integrating digital technology into manufacturing through a strong government and industry partnership.
Written Question
Artificial Intelligence and Automation
Tuesday 31st July 2018

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits and costs of artificial intelligence and automation for the British economy.

Answered by Lord Bates

Artificial intelligence and automation present enormous opportunities for our economy. Some studies suggest that artificial intelligence could add 10% to UK GDP by 2030. Other studies highlight the benefits that artificial intelligence and automation could bring to specific sectors.

For example, the independent “Made Smarter” review, published in October 2017, estimated that digital technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and additive manufacturing, could add £455 billion to the UK manufacturing economy over the next decade.

This would represent an increase in manufacturing sector growth of between 1.5 and 3 percent per annum, creating an estimated net gain of 175,000 jobs throughout the economy.

Written Question
Made Smarter Review
Monday 14th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Myners (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their timetable for implementing the recommendations of the Made Smarter Review.

Answered by Lord Henley

We have been working hard with Industry and Whitehall colleagues to consider how to build on existing pilot activities and align programmes in areas such as skills, and research and development. We are also exploring how to better coordinate institutions, such as Catapults and research bodies, to help realise the opportunities Made Smarter highlights for manufacturing across the UK.

These discussions will continue throughout 2018/19. In February, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced two developments:

  • He asked Sir Mark Walport to work with Juergen Maier on the development of an Industrial Strategy Challenge on the digitalisation of our manufacturing industry. Successful proposals will be announced later in the year.
  • The Made Smarter Commission, an industry/government collaboration to lead on the future of UK manufacturing and provide governance for a future sector deal. Membership is currently being considered and we anticipate further announcements in the coming weeks.
Written Question
Made Smarter Review
Monday 14th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the industry led Made Smarter Review, published on 30 October 2017.

Answered by Lord Henley

We have been working hard with Industry and Whitehall colleagues to consider how to build on existing pilot activities and align programmes in areas such as skills, and research and development. We are also exploring how to better coordinate institutions, such as Catapults and research bodies, to help realise the opportunities Made Smarter highlights for manufacturing across the UK.

These discussions will continue throughout 2018/19. In February, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced two developments:

  • He asked Sir Mark Walport to work with Juergen Maier on the development of an Industrial Strategy Challenge on the digitalisation of our manufacturing industry. Successful proposals will be announced later in the year.
  • The Made Smarter commission, an industry/ government collaboration to lead on the future of UK manufacturing and provide governance for a future sector deal. Membership is currently being considered and we anticipate further announcements in the coming weeks.
Written Question
Environmental Health
Thursday 15th March 2018

Asked by: Lord Krebs (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the withdrawal and archiving of guidance by Defra, as part of its Smarter Guidance Review, on the ability of local authority environmental health officers to deal effectively and appropriately with statutory nuisances.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Issues that could be ‘statutory nuisances’ are local issues best dealt with at a local level. The Government believes that current legislation provides local authorities with the necessary powers to deal with statutory nuisances and does not consider it appropriate to provide ‘best practice’ guidance to local authorities. Local authorities need to be able to take account of local circumstances when determining how best to apply the powers available to them.

Detailed guidance was withdrawn under the 2010-2015 government’s Smarter Guidance review and replaced with user-friendly general guidance setting out the duties of local authorities under the statutory nuisance regime. The Smarter Guidance review was part of the Red Tape Challenge and was launched in response to a detailed review that found a lack of clarity between legal obligation and an accumulation of ‘best practice’ guidance which, in many cases, could be better provided by other bodies.

The Smarter Guidance review therefore consulted on proposals to simplify guidance to focus on legal obligations. This consultation process sought views on user needs, including those of environmental health officers (EHOs). EHOs therefore had an opportunity to express any views about the impact of the guidance changes on their ability to perform their role before a final decision was taken on whether or not to revise or archive specific documents.