Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2022, HCWS 376 on Programmes: Announcement of £484 million immediate investment for the UK R&D and fusion sectors, which body will decide (a) eligibly for and (b) which organisations will receive that funding.
Answered by George Freeman
As announced on 21st November, £484 million in targeted investment will provide immediate funding to the UK R&D sector whilst UK association to European Research Programs continues to be blocked. The Government’s preference remains association to Horizon Europe and we continue to do everything we can to achieve this, but we cannot stand by and allow UK research to suffer.
The package aims to target support at universities and research organisations affected by the EU’s continued refusal to finalise the UK’s association to EU programmes. All aspects of the programme will be delivered by existing trusted and experienced UK delivery partners, such as UKRI who are experienced at delivering R&D funding at scale.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by the Step Fusion Project in Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme is currently expected to create over 3000 jobs during the construction phase in the 2030s at the site in West Burton in Nottinghamshire, as well as support thousands of high-skilled jobs in the UK’s fusion supply chain. These estimates will be refined over the coming years as the programme progresses.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with those in charge of laboratories in Oxford who are working on the generation of electricity from nuclear fusion; and what resources they are making available to accelerate this research and its practical application.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government works closely with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the UK’s fusion research organisation based in Oxfordshire. UKAEA is widely recognised as a global leader in fusion R&D and is critical to the delivery of the UK’s Fusion Strategy, which was published last year. Since 2017 the Government has committed around £500m towards new UKAEA research programmes and facilities and will continue to support fusion research over the new Spending Review period with £708m allocated to UKAEA within the Government’s £39.8bn R&D budget for 2022-2025. This will help to keep the UK in pole position to commercialise fusion energy, which would be low-carbon, sustainable and secure.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s budget in 2021-2022 has been allocated to nuclear fusion.
Answered by George Freeman
In this financial year almost 95% of the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s £216m budget was for fusion projects and programmes. This includes fusion enabling technologies such as robotics, as well as the infrastructure and facilities.
The remainder was allocated to the Shareholder Programme Agreement, which pays for historical legal commitments relating to the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s predecessor bodies, or improving accessibility to apprenticeships.
Asked by: Ben Everitt (Conservative - Milton Keynes North)
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 support the Government’s ambition to become a global science superpower.
Answered by George Freeman
We are funding the fastest increase in R&D spending ever to cement our position as a Global Science Superpower, driving economy-wide R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and priming the UK to take advantage of huge opportunities in emerging technologies like AI, Quantum computing and Fusion.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 157278, on EU Grants and Loans, what progress has been made on ensuring that UK entities are able to (a) participate in and (b) bid for EU funds for EU programmes between 2021-2027, including (i) the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), (ii) Horizon Europe, (iii) Euratom Research and Training and (iv) Copernicus; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Simon Clarke
As part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK and the EU agreed the terms for our association to Horizon Europe, Euratom Research & Training (R&T), Fusion for Energy and Copernicus for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. As the underpinning EU legislation was not yet adopted, a Joint Declaration set out the parties’ intention to formalise UK participation at the earliest opportunity.
Now that the EU legislation is in force, the UK has communicated to the EU that it stands ready to adopt the Protocols at the earliest opportunity. We want to strengthen the valuable and long-standing partnerships in place between British and European researchers. Frustratingly, there have been persistent delays from the EU, which we have sought to address through both formal and informal discussions, so far without result. As Lord Frost set out to the European Scrutiny Committee on 25 October, the Government sees no legal or practical reason why the UK should not be able to associate, and we cannot wait indefinitely.
Pending association being finalised, UK researchers, businesses and innovators have been able to apply to Horizon Europe and Euratom R&T calls as ‘associated candidates’ since early 2021.
To provide reassurance to UK-based applicants, my Right Honourable Friend, the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation set out, in a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS431), the Government’s intention to guarantee funding for those eligible who have successfully bid for Horizon Europe funded activities in the first wave of calls but are unable to sign grant agreements.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a planning framework to facilitate the adoption of new potential sites for nuclear reactors, including (1) small modular reactors, and (2) advanced modular reactors.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We stated in the 2020 Energy White Paper our intention to undertake a review of the energy National Policy Statement (NPS) suite. This review was published for consultation on 6th September 2021.
This consultation includes the revised overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1). The revised EN-1 sets out that a new technology specific NPS for nuclear electricity generation deployable after 2025 is proposed and will be developed to reflect the changing policy and technology landscape for nuclear and support the transition to net zero. This will be consulted on in the usual manner, in due course.
The revised EN1, also sets out that the need for nuclear could be met by large scale gigawatt nuclear, Small Modular Reactors, Advanced Modular Reactors and fusion technologies.
The publication of this consultation is a first step toward a planning framework to facilitate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an updated National Policy Statement for nuclear power to reflect the range of applications envisaged for nuclear technology set out in the Energy White Paper published on 14 December 2020.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We stated in the 2020 Energy White Paper our intention to undertake a review of the energy National Policy Statement (NPS) suite. This review was published for consultation on 6th September 2021.
This consultation includes the revised overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1). The revised EN-1 sets out that a new technology specific NPS for nuclear electricity generation deployable after 2025 is proposed and will be developed to reflect the changing policy and technology landscape for nuclear and support the transition to net zero. This will be consulted on in the usual manner, in due course.
The revised EN1, also sets out that the need for nuclear could be met by large scale gigawatt nuclear, Small Modular Reactors, Advanced Modular Reactors and fusion technologies.
The publication of this consultation is a first step toward a planning framework to facilitate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has a strategy to help ensure that the UK becomes a world leader in (a) research and development, (b) regulation and (c) safe adoption of artificial intelligence.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform our lives, unlock high-skilled jobs, and increase productivity. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced in his Ten Tech Priorities that the UK will be building on our work in AI and publishing our National AI Strategy later this year.
In particular, the AI Strategy will focus on
○ Growth of the economy through widespread use of AI technologies;
○ Ethical, safe and trustworthy development of responsible AI;
○ Resilience in the face of change through an emphasis on skills, talent and R&D.
The AI strategy will align with the Government’s plans to boost R&D investment, helping our AI pioneers to accelerate bringing new technologies to the market.
The independent Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) has been appointed to scan the horizon for new technological innovations and provide the Government with impartial, expert advice on the regulatory reform required to support its rapid and safe introduction, while protecting citizens and the environment.
The RHC is to provide recommendations for fusion energy; unmanned aircraft (incl. drones); gene-based technologies and medical devices and have identified provisional future work including AI in Healthcare and Space and Satellites.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What progress the UK Atomic Energy Authority is making in the delivery of the STEP programme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The STEP programme aims to develop and build a prototype fusion power plant in the UK by 2040. The UKAEA has made great progress and are on track to deliver a concept design by 2024, as planned.
The process to select a site for STEP is underway and there have been high levels of engagement from potential sites across the UK, including one in the constituency of my hon Friend.