Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether investment to support the manufacture of wind turbine jackets will be included in the Green Industries Growth Accelerator.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has committed £1.1 billion to the Green Industries Growth Accelerator to support the expansion of domestic green manufacturing capacity and strengthen clean energy supply chains. At Spring Budget, we announced provisional allocations of up to £390 million for offshore wind and networks, up to £390 million for carbon capture, utilisation and storage and hydrogen and up to £300m to support domestic production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for nuclear fuel.
The Government is conducting engagement with industry on the design of the Accelerator and more detail on eligibility and how to apply for funding will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help support research into cell and gene therapy in Scotland.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK is a world-leader in the development and manufacture of cell and gene therapies thanks to government investment in innovation and skills, including through the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC).
DSIT also invested £10 million - alongside £10 million from Scottish Enterprise – to support a new Oligonucleotide Manufacturing Innovation Centre of Excellence in Glasgow.
The Vaccine Taskforce provided funding for a state-of-the art CGTC facility in Braintree to accelerate the development and manufacturing of advanced therapies at clinical and commercial scale.
My department also supported CGTC to establish apprenticeships and training programmes to upskill people across the UK.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to increase Scotland’s (a) manufacturing capacity for and (b) delivery of cell and gene therapies.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is investing significantly to support manufacturing and delivery of cell and gene therapies.
Since 2021, government has launched three UK-wide capital grant schemes – up to £118 million of funds – to incentivise manufacturing investments, including in advanced therapies. Last year, government announced a further £520 million to increase investment in Life Sciences manufacturing.
The UK is a world-leader in the development and manufacture of cell and gene therapies thanks to government investment in innovation and skills, including through the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult which also coordinates the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre network.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what their policy is on enforcing the size requirements for signage in paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003; and, in particular, under what circumstances a vehicle would be stopped from being used on roads under this provision.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA), as amended, allows the Secretary of State to make regulations generally as to the use of motor vehicles and trailers on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be so used.
Section 41(2)(b) permits the regulations to make provisions concerning the particulars to be marked on motor vehicles and trailers by means of the fixing of plates or otherwise and the circumstances in which they are to be marked.
Existing requirements for the size tolerance for signage under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 is considered appropriate for standard manufacturing techniques and adequate to facilitate good visibility for road safety and enforcement purposes, although these are kept under constant review.
In common with other road traffic laws, enforcement of these requirements is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the size tolerance for signage in paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 in the interests of simplifying transportation for industry.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA), as amended, allows the Secretary of State to make regulations generally as to the use of motor vehicles and trailers on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be so used.
Section 41(2)(b) permits the regulations to make provisions concerning the particulars to be marked on motor vehicles and trailers by means of the fixing of plates or otherwise and the circumstances in which they are to be marked.
Existing requirements for the size tolerance for signage under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 is considered appropriate for standard manufacturing techniques and adequate to facilitate good visibility for road safety and enforcement purposes, although these are kept under constant review.
In common with other road traffic laws, enforcement of these requirements is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to implement third-party certification to ensure e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries are approved by an independent body before being available for sale.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government takes consumer protection very seriously and is concerned about the frequency of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries found in e-bikes and e-scooters. Products must be safe before being placed on the UK market.
Working across Government we are taking action against unsafe products and have issued guidance on the safe use of these products. We are also seeking to better understand the root causes of these incidents and have commissioned research from the Warwick Manufacturing Group (part of Warwick University).
This research will help inform the position moving forward including the interaction between batteries and chargers, and the suitability of third-party conformity assessment to tackle this complex issue.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the electric car manufacturing industry on (a) incentives and (b) infrastructure development to support the decarbonisation of commercial fleets.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DfT Ministers have regular engagement with individual automotive manufacturers and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), to discuss the Government’s plans to reduce potential barriers to the adoption of zero emission vehicles.
The Government recognises the challenge of decarbonising car fleets, and the charging requirements of fleets. It has invested significant funding in the rollout of charging infrastructure, including £381m through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and the £70m Rapid Charging Fund pilot. The Plug-in Van Grant also remains in place to support the uptake of vans, which can be used to support commercial fleets.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Alstom on their factory in Derby.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State and I have held frequent discussions with Alstom UK’s senior management to help them find a sustainable long-term solution for the Derby site. Rail manufacturing plays an important role in growing the UK economy and there is a strong pipeline of future orders for UK rail manufacturers.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to expand support available through Jobcentres in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The local Jobcentre team are collaborating with a range of partners to support people into work and employers fill vacancies. In addition to hosting jobs fairs and delivering sector-based work academy programmes (SWAPs), the Jobcentre is working with Bournemouth and Poole College, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Citizens Advice, Faithworks, Seetec Plus, Aspire Training, Skills & Learning, International Care Network, Parks in Mind, the Boscombe Towns Fund and many other partners and organisations to provide an employment and skills offer to help meet the recruitment needs of local employers..
SWAPs are either active or planned in Facilities Management, Hospitality, IT and Communications, Education, Construction, Security, Manufacturing, Administration and the Civil Service through a range of local providers and these are being promoted through both Bournemouth Jobcentres closest to this Ward.
Disability Employment Advisers are supporting the Community Support Hub at a Health and Support Pop-Up: Community Wellness Event between the 18th and 28th March at the Bournemouth Arts Depot in Boscombe, where local people can access high-quality health services completely free of charge. This is in collaboration with BEAF Arts Co, Boscombe Innovation Hub, Help & Care, Community Action Network (CAN), and Healthwatch.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the fall in the UK goods trade on national productivity, particularly in sectors affected by any barriers to trade resulting from Brexit.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since leaving the EU, the Department for Business and Trade has secured free trade deals with 73 countries in addition to our EU partners, which accounted for £1.1 trillion UK trade in 2022, and simplified import tariffs to lower costs for businesses and households.
The UK’s total trade with the world (including goods and services) increased by £36bn (inflation adjusted) in 2023 compared to 2018. Productivity in the UK's Manufacturing sector grew by 10% between 2016 and 2022, the highest manufacturing productivity growth in the G7.