Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure successful partnerships between civic museums and industry to address the skills gap.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is committed to making sure that cultural venues up and down this country are supported to reach their full potential.
That is why the Secretary of State announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund on the 20th February, to support museums, arts venues, libraries, and heritage sites nationwide. This major investment will create jobs, boost local economies, and expand access to arts and culture for communities.
As part of this package, £45 million will be going to local and civic museums through the Museum Renewal Fund and Museum Estate and Development Fund to help tackle urgent infrastructure issues, preserve community programmes and protect these treasured institutions for generations to come. This is a major step being taken by this Government to support regional museums.
The large, diverse collections held by civic museums serve as a rich source of creativity and inspiration, fuelling our Creative Industries ecology and inspiring the creatives of tomorrow. Museum and industry partnerships can be hugely beneficial. To give a local example, Derby’s Museum of Making has a well-established partnership with Rolls Royce, supporting its ‘Institute of Steam’ learning programme, aiming to equip young people with crucial design, technology and engineering skills.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report on Major Projects 2023-24, published on 16 January 2025, what progress has been made with the Core Production Capability programme since 31 March 2024.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Department is working closely with Rolls-Royce Submarines (RRS) to improve delivery confidence for the Core Production Capability programme. This has included increasing production rates and improving manufacturing resilience. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has confirmed these ongoing actions are appropriate.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much money has been allocated from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio on the economy.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of Net Zero Innovation Portfolio funding has been allocated to small businesses.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the spend per grant recipient is from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of how many jobs the Unity Contract with Rolls Royce will create in (a) Cardiff and (b) Glasgow.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd estimate the Unity contract will create at least 200 new jobs in Glasgow and Cardiff providing the company with longer-term contractual security to plan and develop their existing and future workforce.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Landmark £9 billion contract for British business to boost jobs, growth and nuclear deterrent, published on 24 January 2025, how many of the jobs in (a) Cardiff and (b) Glasgow are already in existence working on elements of defence nuclear power.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd indicate that at the end of January 2025 there are currently three posts filled in Cardiff with plans to recruit up to an additional 127 posts in the next 14 months. There are 64 posts filled in Glasgow with plans to recruit up to an additional 56 posts over the next 14 months.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which companies have applied to operate a small modular reactor.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I understand the Right Honourable Member is asking about small modular reactor technology vendors down-selected to negotiate with Great British Nuclear as part of its ongoing competition. The vendors are: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC; Holtec Britain Ltd; Rolls Royce SMR Ltd; and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Ltd. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of small modular reactors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) could play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. The Department has provided funding of up to £210m to support the development of the Rolls Royce SMR design. The Future Nuclear Enabling Fund is currently awarding grants of up to £67m to support advanced nuclear designs through UK regulation, including SMRs.
Separately, Great British Nuclear is continuing to deliver the live SMR Technology Selection Process for UK deployment.