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Good morning and welcome to BBC
Parliament's live coverage of the | 0:00:08 | 0:00:12 | |
House of Commons. In an hour's time
the Labour MP Harriet Harman will | 0:00:12 | 0:00:16 | |
ask an urgent question about the
resignation of the Chairman of Kings | 0:00:16 | 0:00:20 | |
College Hospital NHS Foundation
Trust. Lord Kerslake resigned at the | 0:00:20 | 0:00:25 | |
weekend, criticising what he called
the unrealistic approach to NHS | 0:00:25 | 0:00:29 | |
finances. If you're counting, you
will know that today is day six of | 0:00:29 | 0:00:33 | |
detailed consideration of the
European Union withdrawal bill. The | 0:00:33 | 0:00:36 | |
focus will be on so-called Henry
VIII powers which will allow people | 0:00:36 | 0:00:41 | |
to marry six times... I'm which will
allow ministers to change aspects of | 0:00:41 | 0:00:47 | |
EU law as they are incorporated into
EU law. The government have accepted | 0:00:47 | 0:00:50 | |
a proposal for MPs to scrutinise the
executive powers granted by the | 0:00:50 | 0:00:56 | |
legislation. Join me and Mandy
Bakker for a round-up of the day at | 0:00:56 | 0:01:00 | |
11pm. First, questions to the
Business Secretary, Greg Clark. | 0:01:00 | 0:01:05 | |
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I
will answer this question together | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
with questions 11, 12 and 13. Almost
all will melt's 142,000 staff are on | 0:01:14 | 0:01:22 | |
permanent contracts -- Royal Mail's.
And earn above the living wage. | 0:01:22 | 0:01:28 | |
Employees owns 12% of its shares and
at times it has been the times top | 0:01:28 | 0:01:34 | |
employer for women for four
consecutive years. The government | 0:01:34 | 0:01:36 | |
will protect workers are rights to
make sure that it will keep pace | 0:01:36 | 0:01:41 | |
with the changing labour markets.
Today's postal workers, I'm sure | 0:01:41 | 0:01:45 | |
this House will like to thank all
postal workers. For the good work | 0:01:45 | 0:01:50 | |
they do all year round, six days a
week and all kinds of weather across | 0:01:50 | 0:01:54 | |
the UK. Royal Mail was not for sale.
The privatisation, they face worst | 0:01:54 | 0:02:03 | |
pay and conditions and attacks on
pensions with the threat of more job | 0:02:03 | 0:02:06 | |
losses. Will the Minister
renationalise the Royal Mail? | 0:02:06 | 0:02:11 | |
I would like to start by hardly
agreeing with the Right honourable | 0:02:13 | 0:02:18 | |
gentleman, the honourable
gentleman's celebration of our | 0:02:18 | 0:02:23 | |
postal workers today. They will
deliver, as he says, in all weather, | 0:02:23 | 0:02:28 | |
229 million addresses across the
country over the festive season. I | 0:02:28 | 0:02:32 | |
can't agree with that
renationalisation is the answer. -- | 0:02:32 | 0:02:39 | |
to 29 million. Royal Mail are in
negotiations with the CWU. I can | 0:02:39 | 0:02:47 | |
assure him that it would be a great
loss to the postal workers, let's | 0:02:47 | 0:02:53 | |
not forget, they own 12%... We have
a lot to get through, please be more | 0:02:53 | 0:02:59 | |
brisk. I refer to my registered
members interest. Does the Minister | 0:02:59 | 0:03:03 | |
accept that as postal workers drudge
through the snow this morning they | 0:03:03 | 0:03:06 | |
have a right to be aggrieved at
losing their pension? Moira Greene | 0:03:06 | 0:03:10 | |
gets paid £1.9 million and three
flights paid by the Royal Mail to | 0:03:10 | 0:03:14 | |
Canada. | 0:03:14 | 0:03:16 | |
I disagree with the honourable
gentleman. The pension scheme, if it | 0:03:18 | 0:03:23 | |
were left unchanged, would result in
virtual bankruptcy for the Royal | 0:03:23 | 0:03:28 | |
Mail. It would require injections of
£1.3 billion annually. Against | 0:03:28 | 0:03:36 | |
profitability of approximately 700
million. I think it can do the maths | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
himself. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:40 | |
The Royal Mail is paying out over
200 million dividends every year to | 0:03:42 | 0:03:47 | |
private shareholders, last year the
chief executive saw her pay increase | 0:03:47 | 0:03:51 | |
by 23%, how can this government
stand by a model of ownership that | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
sees postal workers pay being frozen
and pensions unaffordable. In fact, | 0:03:55 | 0:04:00 | |
I understand that the Royal Mail's
offer of pay increases to their | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
workforce is far from frozen. I
don't really propose to comment much | 0:04:04 | 0:04:08 | |
further than to say that the figures
that the honourable gentleman refers | 0:04:08 | 0:04:13 | |
to are misleading. Because they go
way beyond the base salary of the | 0:04:13 | 0:04:19 | |
Chief Executive. They include
performance related benefits. Which | 0:04:19 | 0:04:25 | |
are in line with a position of that
stature. The Minister may judge that | 0:04:25 | 0:04:29 | |
the figures are misleading but I am
sure she wouldn't suggest that the | 0:04:29 | 0:04:33 | |
honourable gentleman would
deliberately mislead the house. I | 0:04:33 | 0:04:35 | |
certainly wouldn't. In a privatise
Royal Mail we have seen 500 jobs | 0:04:35 | 0:04:42 | |
lost while at the same time the
Royal Mail has dished out close to | 0:04:42 | 0:04:47 | |
700 million in dividends to private
shareholders. Is this privatisation | 0:04:47 | 0:04:55 | |
the Minister is proud of? As I said
earlier, the Royal Mail contribute | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
£400 million a year to the pension
scheme. They have provided access to | 0:04:59 | 0:05:05 | |
capital, following privatisation of
1.5 billion. They have converted | 0:05:05 | 0:05:10 | |
losses of 49 million into profits of
over 700 million, I would say that | 0:05:10 | 0:05:13 | |
is a pretty successful record. Does
the Minister agree that regardless | 0:05:13 | 0:05:18 | |
of ownership, Royal Mail me to
continue to modernise and become | 0:05:18 | 0:05:21 | |
more efficient because it operates
in a competitive marketplace. A good | 0:05:21 | 0:05:27 | |
point. When it was privatised,
Amazon was one of Royal Mail's | 0:05:27 | 0:05:32 | |
biggest customers. Amazon now is one
of its biggest competitors. My | 0:05:32 | 0:05:36 | |
honourable friend is absolutely
right. More investment required in | 0:05:36 | 0:05:41 | |
technology and in modernisation. For
Royal Mail to maintain its market | 0:05:41 | 0:05:44 | |
share. The posties in Kettering
worked extremely hard all year round | 0:05:44 | 0:05:49 | |
and do a tremendous job, especially
at Christmas. For your average | 0:05:49 | 0:05:52 | |
postal worker, what is the value of
their individual stake in the Royal | 0:05:52 | 0:05:57 | |
Mail now worth? I can confirm to my
honourable friend that the workforce | 0:05:57 | 0:06:03 | |
owns 12% of the Royal Mail. By
Factor that the leadership of the | 0:06:03 | 0:06:08 | |
party opposite should consider as it
contemplates a round of | 0:06:08 | 0:06:11 | |
nationalisation. Thank you Mr
Speaker. All the evidence is that | 0:06:11 | 0:06:18 | |
the employment standards in Royal
Mail add more widely have been | 0:06:18 | 0:06:20 | |
driven down. Including job losses
and cuts to pensions. Is she | 0:06:20 | 0:06:24 | |
seriously argue that employment
standards today are higher than they | 0:06:24 | 0:06:27 | |
were at the point of privatisation?
The honourable gentleman should | 0:06:27 | 0:06:33 | |
accept that Royal Mail needs to
maintain its position in the | 0:06:33 | 0:06:36 | |
marketplace. It already has
employment conditions that are the | 0:06:36 | 0:06:41 | |
envy of delivery workers for its
competition. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:45 | |
Royal Mail employs a significant
number of people in the northern | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
Scotland and protecting those jobs
and the universal service they is | 0:06:50 | 0:06:52 | |
vital. Particularly when according
to citizens advice Scotland more | 0:06:52 | 0:06:58 | |
than 1 million Scots face
surcharges, like delivery or refused | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
delivery altogether when you buy
goods online. Will the Secretary of | 0:07:01 | 0:07:06 | |
State committed to protecting those
Royal Mail jobs and confirm a review | 0:07:06 | 0:07:09 | |
into de-radicalisation of prices for
parcels to support our rural | 0:07:09 | 0:07:12 | |
communities? -- into
renationalisation. Royal Mail is | 0:07:12 | 0:07:18 | |
regulated by off, which is a benefit
to everybody involved in the | 0:07:18 | 0:07:23 | |
service. -- Ofcom. Universal postal
service does provide a parcel | 0:07:23 | 0:07:29 | |
service and companies have to have
regard to fairness in their delivery | 0:07:29 | 0:07:33 | |
charges. Also, failure to be clear
to customers prior to booking -- | 0:07:33 | 0:07:44 | |
bookings also breach consumer
protection. Mr Speaker, today marks | 0:07:44 | 0:07:48 | |
postal workers' day when we thank
our posties for their hard work and | 0:07:48 | 0:07:53 | |
determination in providing this key
public service. Not the party | 0:07:53 | 0:07:57 | |
opposite will take notice, because
in a privatise Royal Mail service we | 0:07:57 | 0:08:01 | |
have seen 12,000 job losses and
proposals to slash pensions by 45%. | 0:08:01 | 0:08:06 | |
Such is a classic case of one rule
for the rich and one for the rest. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:12 | |
Royal Mail has paid out 70 million
in evidence to private shareholders | 0:08:12 | 0:08:17 | |
and that is only in the last six
months. Does the Minister stand by | 0:08:17 | 0:08:22 | |
the government's decision to
privatise the Royal Mail? -- 70 | 0:08:22 | 0:08:25 | |
million in dividends. I stand by it
100%. Royal Mail would have had no | 0:08:25 | 0:08:32 | |
future had it not been privatised.
Number two Mr Speaker. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:38 | |
Doctor Greg Clark. Two weeks ago I
announced the location for the new | 0:08:41 | 0:08:46 | |
national Faraday battery scaler
facility which will be built in | 0:08:46 | 0:08:48 | |
Coventry. The same day, Jaguar Land
Rover announced their intention to | 0:08:48 | 0:08:53 | |
produce battery electric vehicles in
the West Midlands, bringing the | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
region to the forefront of modern
mobility in the United Kingdom. | 0:08:56 | 0:09:00 | |
Autonomous vehicles, electric
vehicles, public trust in this | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
exciting technology is key to making
the most of the opportunities it | 0:09:07 | 0:09:10 | |
presents. Can my right honourable
friend therefore tell me what | 0:09:10 | 0:09:13 | |
discussions he has had with industry
to combat the Luddites and dispel | 0:09:13 | 0:09:18 | |
the mythical fears that are being
promoted against this exciting | 0:09:18 | 0:09:23 | |
technology? My honourable friend
makes an excellent point, a part of | 0:09:23 | 0:09:26 | |
the programme is to have test-beds
to demonstrate these new | 0:09:26 | 0:09:30 | |
technologies. They will be open to
the public to see for themselves. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
They will begin in Milton Keynes,
Greenwich, Bristol and in Coventry. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:39 | |
I would say that people are
experiencing these technologies | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
through sat nav, cruise control,
automatic parking. The increasing | 0:09:43 | 0:09:48 | |
exposure to these technologies, I
hope, will demonstrate their | 0:09:48 | 0:09:50 | |
benefits. The Secretary of State
mentioned Jaguar Land Rover, he will | 0:09:50 | 0:09:56 | |
be aware that Bridgend, which
neighbours my constituency, are | 0:09:56 | 0:09:59 | |
pulling out of their contract early.
As he had conversations with Ford | 0:09:59 | 0:10:03 | |
about possibly looking at, versions
of airlines to produce electric | 0:10:03 | 0:10:07 | |
batteries for electric cars? I am
seeing the European head of Ford | 0:10:07 | 0:10:11 | |
immediately after the these
questions and it is to discuss the | 0:10:11 | 0:10:15 | |
fact that they have based their new
developments of electric and | 0:10:15 | 0:10:19 | |
autonomous vehicles in Britain. | 0:10:19 | 0:10:22 | |
But has the potential to be a world
leader in developing the new | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
regulatory standards that will
govern electric and autonomous | 0:10:27 | 0:10:30 | |
vehicles, will you work with
industry and other departments to | 0:10:30 | 0:10:33 | |
make sure that Britain leads the
world to adopt our standards? I will | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
indeed. The Industrial Strategy
makes clear that being at the | 0:10:36 | 0:10:40 | |
forefront of the regular tree
standards for these new technologies | 0:10:40 | 0:10:43 | |
gives us a big advantage. --
regulatory standards. We have this | 0:10:43 | 0:10:47 | |
bill before Parliament to establish
before most other countries to make | 0:10:47 | 0:10:51 | |
sure we can progress with these
technologies. Does the Secretary of | 0:10:51 | 0:10:56 | |
State know there has been no impact
assessment on this sector by anyone | 0:10:56 | 0:11:01 | |
apart from the Rand Corporation that
tells us that this sector and every | 0:11:01 | 0:11:05 | |
other sector is going to be deeply
harmed by Brexit even for Europe, | 0:11:05 | 0:11:10 | |
what does he say to that very
important thorough investigation? | 0:11:10 | 0:11:15 | |
The honourable gentleman knows I
have constant continuous discussions | 0:11:15 | 0:11:19 | |
for the sectors that I am
responsible including the automotive | 0:11:19 | 0:11:23 | |
sector. As part of our negotiating
mandate, we will get the best | 0:11:23 | 0:11:27 | |
possible deal. What we saw in the
agreement that was achieved in | 0:11:27 | 0:11:32 | |
Brussels last week, including the
transitional phase, was something | 0:11:32 | 0:11:38 | |
that automotive sector pressed for
in particular. That has now been | 0:11:38 | 0:11:41 | |
agreed by both parties. Question
number three, Mr Speaker. Secretary | 0:11:41 | 0:11:47 | |
of state. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:48 | |
We know the best way to improve our
productivity is by investing in | 0:11:50 | 0:11:55 | |
research and develop it, proving the
level of skills in our workforce, | 0:11:55 | 0:11:59 | |
upgrading our infrastructure,
creating an attractive environment | 0:11:59 | 0:12:01 | |
for new and growing businesses and
making sure that every grace in the | 0:12:01 | 0:12:06 | |
-- every place in the country can
prosper. That is what the Industrial | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
Strategy does. Given our
productivity has been far worse than | 0:12:10 | 0:12:14 | |
any other G-7 country apart from
Italy, does the secretary of state | 0:12:14 | 0:12:19 | |
admit that the public investment
figures in the revised Industrial | 0:12:19 | 0:12:23 | |
Strategy is far below leading OECD
nations? | 0:12:23 | 0:12:30 | |
If the honourable gentleman reads
the strategy, he will see that there | 0:12:31 | 0:12:33 | |
is a commitment to have the biggest
increase in research and development | 0:12:33 | 0:12:38 | |
with private sector and public
sector that we've ever had in this | 0:12:38 | 0:12:42 | |
country. It's been the foundation of
our success and I hope he will join | 0:12:42 | 0:12:46 | |
me in welcoming the progress we are
making. Productivity in the | 0:12:46 | 0:12:55 | |
construction industry is a key
requirement of building houses. How | 0:12:55 | 0:12:59 | |
will the Secretary of State ensure
quality in on and off site bills for | 0:12:59 | 0:13:03 | |
the 1.7 billion investment for
construction? I'm glad my honourable | 0:13:03 | 0:13:12 | |
friend mentions that because
construction is one of the areas in | 0:13:12 | 0:13:15 | |
which there are big opportunities
and as part of the industrial | 0:13:15 | 0:13:19 | |
strategy it has a sector deal which
has been concluded and | 0:13:19 | 0:13:23 | |
representatives of the sector have
said that this is a major | 0:13:23 | 0:13:28 | |
opportunity, especially in off-site
manufacturing. The Secretary of | 0:13:28 | 0:13:33 | |
State has just touched on the sector
deals that the Government and | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
agreeing with different sectors of
the economy. Some of the sectors of | 0:13:36 | 0:13:41 | |
the economy with the laws
productivity Lake regional, | 0:13:41 | 0:13:43 | |
hospitality and social care don't
have a sector deals yet if we closed | 0:13:43 | 0:13:48 | |
the productivity gap in those
sectors, we would boost productivity | 0:13:48 | 0:13:52 | |
overall compared with our main
competitors. What is the Government | 0:13:52 | 0:13:57 | |
doing to obtain sector deals in
those sectors? She is right that the | 0:13:57 | 0:14:03 | |
opportunity for sector deals goes to
many sectors of the economy | 0:14:03 | 0:14:07 | |
including those that she mentioned
will stop we had already in | 0:14:07 | 0:14:10 | |
discussions with many of these
sectors like food and drink and the | 0:14:10 | 0:14:15 | |
hospitality sector. We expect to see
every sector deals included. -- | 0:14:15 | 0:14:24 | |
early sector deals. The life science
sector deal has already triggered 1 | 0:14:24 | 0:14:29 | |
billion of new investment. Would you
agree the key is to negotiate a | 0:14:29 | 0:14:34 | |
Brexit deal that avoids a cliff edge
but gives us the regulatory freedom | 0:14:34 | 0:14:39 | |
that allows us to continue in the
data of tomorrow's medicine? I do | 0:14:39 | 0:14:44 | |
agree and I would like to
congratulate my honourable friend as | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
the life sciences minister who saw
the opportunities for this strategic | 0:14:48 | 0:14:52 | |
approach and I think he is being
honoured this week for his | 0:14:52 | 0:14:56 | |
contribution to promoting science in
Parliament so I can graduate him on | 0:14:56 | 0:15:00 | |
that. He is absolutely right, we do
need to build on these successes. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:06 | |
The life sciences sector deal is an
indication that a long-term strategy | 0:15:06 | 0:15:11 | |
can have immediate benefits and we
have had over £1 billion of | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
investment on the basis of the
confidence that the sector has in | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
the strategy we have set out. With a
few notable exceptions, we would | 0:15:18 | 0:15:30 | |
agree technology has improved the
productivity of this House but the | 0:15:30 | 0:15:34 | |
same is not true of the country.
Productivity has stagnated since | 0:15:34 | 0:15:39 | |
2010 and Burgess 25% less in an hour
than the Germans and French -- 20 -- | 0:15:39 | 0:15:48 | |
we produce 25% less. Last week the
Chancellor tried to blame disabled | 0:15:48 | 0:15:52 | |
workers but it is as one budget
which feels to invest in science and | 0:15:52 | 0:15:57 | |
productivity until 2021 so will the
Secretary of State and that it is | 0:15:57 | 0:16:02 | |
his ideological austerity which
fails to invest in our engines of | 0:16:02 | 0:16:05 | |
economic growth, which is the real
handicap here? I don't agree with | 0:16:05 | 0:16:11 | |
the honourable lady and if she reads
the industrial strategy she will see | 0:16:11 | 0:16:13 | |
the biggest increase in investment
in science and innovation has been | 0:16:13 | 0:16:19 | |
triggered by this. It has been
welcomed by all parties across the | 0:16:19 | 0:16:25 | |
country and it would be helpful if
she would recognise what many other | 0:16:25 | 0:16:30 | |
countries have benefited from, which
is a strong national commitment to | 0:16:30 | 0:16:37 | |
improving investment in productivity
such as size and investment and | 0:16:37 | 0:16:41 | |
overseas investments. Question four,
Mr Speaker. With your permission, I | 0:16:41 | 0:16:53 | |
will ask this with question 18. Over
one third of projects are located in | 0:16:53 | 0:17:00 | |
Scotland. In October we announced
plans to allow wind projects from | 0:17:00 | 0:17:04 | |
the remote Islands of Scotland to
compete in the next auction. We have | 0:17:04 | 0:17:09 | |
submitted a notification to the
European Union of our plans. My | 0:17:09 | 0:17:15 | |
constituency has much going for it
including an abundance of wind and | 0:17:15 | 0:17:19 | |
water making it ideal for renewable
projects so what will the Government | 0:17:19 | 0:17:23 | |
do to provide revenue support to
renewable energy companies during | 0:17:23 | 0:17:26 | |
the innovation period while they
work to bring down costs? I'm sure | 0:17:26 | 0:17:34 | |
the honourable gentleman has read
the industrial strategy but if he | 0:17:34 | 0:17:37 | |
hasn't I would recommend he does so.
This is covered extensively. In the | 0:17:37 | 0:17:45 | |
EU, we have benefited from funding
from the European investment bank | 0:17:45 | 0:17:48 | |
which has contributed to the
development of renewable energy in | 0:17:48 | 0:17:54 | |
Scotland including £525 billion for
wind farm projects in Caithness. Can | 0:17:54 | 0:18:00 | |
the Secretary of State we are sure
that the UK will continue to | 0:18:00 | 0:18:02 | |
participate and have access to the
capital provided by the European | 0:18:02 | 0:18:06 | |
investment bank after Brexit?
As the honourable lady said, the | 0:18:06 | 0:18:15 | |
Government is totally committed to
renewables and overall investment in | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
getting a carbon free environment
and it has been very successful over | 0:18:19 | 0:18:24 | |
the last few years. Can the Minister
confirm that up to £570 million will | 0:18:24 | 0:18:30 | |
be made available for less
established new electricity project | 0:18:30 | 0:18:34 | |
as part of the clean growth strategy
and that projects in Scotland will | 0:18:34 | 0:18:37 | |
be able to compete for the shin of
this fund? -- share of this fund. My | 0:18:37 | 0:18:45 | |
honourable friend is right in what
he says and it is an important part | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
of the industrial strategy. Does my
honourable friend agree that key to | 0:18:48 | 0:18:55 | |
this is policy settings it so that
our green companies can finance this | 0:18:55 | 0:19:04 | |
themselves rather than relying on
Government subsidy? I agree with my | 0:19:04 | 0:19:08 | |
honourable friend and I am impressed
with the way the finance industry is | 0:19:08 | 0:19:11 | |
adapting towards the clean projects
ahead of us. In order to get green | 0:19:11 | 0:19:22 | |
renewables, it will require support
from the Government. Renewables UK | 0:19:22 | 0:19:27 | |
have but power purchase agreements.
What viewed as the Government take | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
of that? We are studying this
proposition very carefully. Question | 0:19:29 | 0:19:41 | |
five, it is important that this
much-needed report gets the | 0:19:41 | 0:19:46 | |
consideration it deserves and that
we take action when needed. In the | 0:19:46 | 0:19:50 | |
industrial strategy, the Secretary
of State took responsibility of | 0:19:50 | 0:19:54 | |
improving quality of work in the UK
and continued an important dialogue | 0:19:54 | 0:19:58 | |
on this issue. We will publish our
full response shortly. The TUC | 0:19:58 | 0:20:06 | |
report for 3.2 million people are
now insecure work, an increase of | 0:20:06 | 0:20:10 | |
more than a quarter over the last
five years, will the Minister accept | 0:20:10 | 0:20:15 | |
Martin Taylor's recommendation
endorsed by the select committee | 0:20:15 | 0:20:19 | |
that a longer break in service, a
month rather than a week as a | 0:20:19 | 0:20:24 | |
present, should be allowed before
there is any loss of employment | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
rights? That'll be something that we
consult on as we will be consulting | 0:20:28 | 0:20:33 | |
on the vast majority of other
proposals in the Taylor review. It | 0:20:33 | 0:20:37 | |
does acknowledge the excellent track
record of employment in terms of new | 0:20:37 | 0:20:43 | |
jobs but as he rightly points out
and the TUC endorses, there is an | 0:20:43 | 0:20:49 | |
issue with insecure work and far too
much risk being transferred to the | 0:20:49 | 0:20:55 | |
employee. The Taylor review says the
same basic principles should apply | 0:20:55 | 0:21:00 | |
to all forms of employment in the UK
but does my honourable friend see | 0:21:00 | 0:21:05 | |
page time off for women attending
antenatal appointments as a basic | 0:21:05 | 0:21:10 | |
principle and does she agree that
for health reasons the law needs to | 0:21:10 | 0:21:14 | |
clearly extend that principle to all
female workers? I thank the | 0:21:14 | 0:21:20 | |
honourable lady for her question,
excellent question. We will review | 0:21:20 | 0:21:23 | |
the matter as she raises in tandem
with the rest of the review of | 0:21:23 | 0:21:28 | |
Taylor's recommendations but she
does make a very good point indeed. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:32 | |
I welcome the Government last week
having their latest round of naming | 0:21:32 | 0:21:38 | |
and shaming employers that had
failed to properly pay the minimum | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
wage. One area were state
enforcement has had some success. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:45 | |
Can I urge her to respond positively
to the Taylor review recommendations | 0:21:45 | 0:21:50 | |
that says it should be enhanced
beyond just the minimum wage? | 0:21:50 | 0:21:55 | |
Indeed, we will consult on the
remainder of those recommendations | 0:21:55 | 0:22:00 | |
and in particular the
recommendations Taylor made with the | 0:22:00 | 0:22:04 | |
enforcement of awards that go
unpaid. Insecure working practices | 0:22:04 | 0:22:16 | |
at Uber enabled companies to engage
in a pricing policy which drove out | 0:22:16 | 0:22:21 | |
competition. What can the Government
do to improve working practices for | 0:22:21 | 0:22:25 | |
Uber and ensure further competition
between taxis and private hire | 0:22:25 | 0:22:31 | |
vehicles? It is important to
maintain decent standards of | 0:22:31 | 0:22:38 | |
employment and also to offer new
opportunities to the consumer and we | 0:22:38 | 0:22:42 | |
will be reviewing those proposals in
light of those. Recent report | 0:22:42 | 0:22:48 | |
uncovered that drivers on behalf of
hammers on were forced to deliver up | 0:22:48 | 0:22:52 | |
to 200 parcels a day -- on behalf of
Amazon. Faced with impossible | 0:22:52 | 0:22:59 | |
schedules that left little to no
time for breaks and with no access | 0:22:59 | 0:23:02 | |
to paid holiday or sick pay, many
drivers experienced conditions that | 0:23:02 | 0:23:08 | |
can only be described as Dickensian
saw as another high-profile | 0:23:08 | 0:23:13 | |
employment case emerges, why is the
Government not taking robust action | 0:23:13 | 0:23:17 | |
to crack down on bogus
self-employment and enforce | 0:23:17 | 0:23:19 | |
employment rights? The honourable
lady put her finger on precisely why | 0:23:19 | 0:23:25 | |
the Prime Minister commissioned the
Taylor review in the first place. | 0:23:25 | 0:23:30 | |
When employers are indulging in a
sort of practices that she has just | 0:23:30 | 0:23:35 | |
outlined, these practices will
definitely have an effect on | 0:23:35 | 0:23:39 | |
employees' health and they should be
roundly condemned. It keeps hiding | 0:23:39 | 0:23:48 | |
behind its forthcoming response to
the Taylor review, but Sir David | 0:23:48 | 0:23:52 | |
Metcalf, the Government's director
of Labour market enforcement stated | 0:23:52 | 0:23:56 | |
that even a Government's existing
powders have not been used to | 0:23:56 | 0:24:00 | |
protect workers despite numerous
official statements that the | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
Government has taken abuse by
employers seriously. Only last week, | 0:24:03 | 0:24:08 | |
the Government identified 16,000
workers pay below the minimum wage | 0:24:08 | 0:24:11 | |
yet the low pay commission believes
that the true peat figure is between | 0:24:11 | 0:24:17 | |
300000 and 580,000 -- peat figure. I
asked the minister, does she agree | 0:24:17 | 0:24:23 | |
with Sir David Metcalfe that the
Government's enforcement of basic | 0:24:23 | 0:24:26 | |
employment rates is wholly
inadequate? I await the publication | 0:24:26 | 0:24:32 | |
of Sir David's strategy for dealing
with Labour market enforcement which | 0:24:32 | 0:24:36 | |
we expect in the first quarter of
next year. He is doing a great job | 0:24:36 | 0:24:41 | |
so far in ringing together the
enforcement agencies that the | 0:24:41 | 0:24:45 | |
Government has at its disposal to
make sure that they were even more | 0:24:45 | 0:24:50 | |
effectively -- work even more
effectively in the pursuit of | 0:24:50 | 0:24:53 | |
noncompliance with law. We are
leading the world by ending unabated | 0:24:53 | 0:24:59 | |
coal generation in Great Britain by
2025 and a consultation document | 0:24:59 | 0:25:05 | |
last year set out on estimates that
this could guarantee savings up to | 0:25:05 | 0:25:11 | |
124 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
between 2016 and 2030. Further | 0:25:11 | 0:25:18 | |
exploration of the North Sea for oil
gas which was given a boost in the | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
budget, gas is a law emitter of
greenhouse gases and is a better | 0:25:22 | 0:25:26 | |
alternative to call. Will the
Minister give oil and gas particular | 0:25:26 | 0:25:29 | |
focus in developing the industrial
strategy? Absolutely, the White | 0:25:29 | 0:25:37 | |
Paper sets out that oil and gas
remain one of the most productive | 0:25:37 | 0:25:41 | |
sets of the economy and it's the
intelligent use of the sector's | 0:25:41 | 0:25:45 | |
assets and expertise and we would
like to thank my honourable friend | 0:25:45 | 0:25:47 | |
for joining me in a visit to
Aberdeen where we saw exactly what | 0:25:47 | 0:25:52 | |
the prospects were for the green
economy that this kind of sweating | 0:25:52 | 0:25:59 | |
assets that have but started -- that
have already started. The lack of | 0:25:59 | 0:26:08 | |
ambition shown by this UK Government
is starting. Can I ask whether the | 0:26:08 | 0:26:14 | |
Secretary of State will confirm that
Welsh wind projects will be eligible | 0:26:14 | 0:26:18 | |
for any future contracts for
difference in the same way he has | 0:26:18 | 0:26:23 | |
confirmed this for Scotland? Yes,
the honourable lady should be aware | 0:26:23 | 0:26:29 | |
that this country is leading the
world in the development of clean | 0:26:29 | 0:26:32 | |
energy. The good people of Froome in
my constituency are leading the way | 0:26:32 | 0:26:46 | |
for a carbon free economy, we have
plans for 2026 with all the energy | 0:26:46 | 0:26:53 | |
provided by renewable sources so can
I invite the Minister Secretary of | 0:26:53 | 0:26:57 | |
State to Froome in Somerset to hear
this story first-hand and see how | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
these being realised. The honourable
gentleman, my honourable friend, | 0:27:00 | 0:27:06 | |
should be reassured nothing would
please me more than coming to | 0:27:06 | 0:27:09 | |
Somerset to see the work that he has
done locally, but the clean growth | 0:27:09 | 0:27:14 | |
sector sets out how the UK is
leading the world in carbon | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
emissions and we have set out £2.5
billion to be invested by the | 0:27:17 | 0:27:23 | |
Government for no carbon innovation
between 2015 and 2021. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:30 | |
We very much hope the red carpet
will be rolled out. Major banks have | 0:27:30 | 0:27:39 | |
lent a £630 billion to build new
coal power stations across the | 0:27:39 | 0:27:42 | |
world. Many of them in our
competitor countries. What | 0:27:42 | 0:27:44 | |
assessment has key made of the cost
of electricity for businesses in the | 0:27:44 | 0:27:51 | |
UK and their competitiveness and
does he not recognise that our | 0:27:51 | 0:27:55 | |
attempts to save the world while the
rest of the world is building power | 0:27:55 | 0:27:59 | |
stations fuelled by coal only
damages our own economy? The | 0:27:59 | 0:28:04 | |
honourable gentleman is probably
aware that we commissioned the helm | 0:28:04 | 0:28:07 | |
review to look at the different
costs of energy. We believe in a | 0:28:07 | 0:28:10 | |
mixed strategy for energy. He must
also understand the employment and | 0:28:10 | 0:28:17 | |
economic advantages that the
development of alternative energy | 0:28:17 | 0:28:22 | |
sources develops quite apart from
the actual carbon free advantages of | 0:28:22 | 0:28:25 | |
them. Would my honourable friend
agree that notwithstanding his | 0:28:25 | 0:28:32 | |
comments, wind energy requires a
subsidy, it also requires the | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
National Grid to be realigned. And
it also requires extra money for | 0:28:35 | 0:28:40 | |
back-up sources when the wind isn't
blowing. Does this not actually mean | 0:28:40 | 0:28:43 | |
that the electricity will be far
more expensive than that which is | 0:28:43 | 0:28:47 | |
produced by gas or coal? | 0:28:47 | 0:28:50 | |
The actual facts are that the...
Tell him his role! There is lots of | 0:28:52 | 0:29:00 | |
chuntering from a sedentary
position, Mr Speaker. I will not | 0:29:00 | 0:29:04 | |
take any notice of it. LAUGHTER
I will like to answer the question | 0:29:04 | 0:29:07 | |
if you will allow me. Yes. The
honourable gentleman should know | 0:29:07 | 0:29:12 | |
that the cost of renewable energy is
coming down and down. Offshore wind | 0:29:12 | 0:29:17 | |
farms, for example, have halved in
price since the first... The | 0:29:17 | 0:29:21 | |
opposition may interpret this to
mean that my honourable friend is | 0:29:21 | 0:29:24 | |
wrong. I would say he is not wrong
but he needs further education on | 0:29:24 | 0:29:28 | |
this subject. LAUGHTER
I would be delighted to meet with | 0:29:28 | 0:29:30 | |
him at any time to discuss it. What
an enticing prospect for the | 0:29:30 | 0:29:35 | |
honourable member for Monday. Number
seven. -- honourable member for | 0:29:35 | 0:29:41 | |
Monmouth. Through the Industrial
Strategy we will drive over £20 | 0:29:41 | 0:29:45 | |
billion worth of investment in
innovative and high-growth | 0:29:45 | 0:29:48 | |
businesses. We will increase the
national productivity investment | 0:29:48 | 0:29:53 | |
fund to £31 billion. We are working
to ensure that SMEs win more public | 0:29:53 | 0:29:59 | |
sector contracts to enjoy the
benefits of this investment. | 0:29:59 | 0:30:02 | |
She will know that many local
authorities have small-business | 0:30:04 | 0:30:07 | |
relief, which could be used. Not all
of them are using them. Could the | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
minister say what the government
could do to encourage these local | 0:30:11 | 0:30:16 | |
authorities to benefit? The
Department for Communities and Local | 0:30:16 | 0:30:22 | |
Government have issued clear advice
to councils that will enable them to | 0:30:22 | 0:30:24 | |
calculate the relief that he refers
to. That is payable in the current | 0:30:24 | 0:30:29 | |
year to businesses. I urge them to
pay heed to that advice and | 0:30:29 | 0:30:34 | |
implement it. You may be interested
to know that Merton Council has been | 0:30:34 | 0:30:41 | |
allocated £459,000 worth of business
rates discretionary relief in the | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
current year. Many small businesses
have been in catering and | 0:30:44 | 0:30:51 | |
hospitality, we wish them well. When
we leave a tip, we expect it to be | 0:30:51 | 0:30:55 | |
paid to them, when will the Minister
published the report on fair tips, | 0:30:55 | 0:30:59 | |
so we can ensure that their workers
get paid properly? | 0:30:59 | 0:31:03 | |
Following the commissioning of the
work we have done on tipping, an | 0:31:05 | 0:31:09 | |
important issue, she rightly raises,
we have put guidance out. We have | 0:31:09 | 0:31:14 | |
publicised the issue. It is grossly
unfair what is happening. I am glad | 0:31:14 | 0:31:18 | |
to report their has been a
significant improvement since we | 0:31:18 | 0:31:23 | |
commissioned the review -- that
there has been. Unfair trading | 0:31:23 | 0:31:26 | |
practices used by big retailers have
been identified as a factor in | 0:31:26 | 0:31:31 | |
limiting the growth of small and new
businesses, sublime to the groceries | 0:31:31 | 0:31:36 | |
sector. Could the Minister reassure
me. -- supplying to the. That the | 0:31:36 | 0:31:41 | |
government will bring in proposals
widening the remit of the | 0:31:41 | 0:31:45 | |
adjudicator in response to this
year's consultation. We will be | 0:31:45 | 0:31:50 | |
publishing our response to this
year's consultation on the future of | 0:31:50 | 0:31:56 | |
the groceries trade adjudicator. I
have committed to meeting my | 0:31:56 | 0:31:58 | |
honourable friend to discuss it with
the farming Minister and I look | 0:31:58 | 0:32:02 | |
forward to that meeting. What
business growth has been made | 0:32:02 | 0:32:06 | |
difficult due to the decision of the
Royal Bank of Scotland to close 269 | 0:32:06 | 0:32:10 | |
branches and has been described as a
hammer blow by the FSB policy | 0:32:10 | 0:32:15 | |
convenient in Scotland, saying this
will make it more difficult to run a | 0:32:15 | 0:32:18 | |
business in much of Scotland. Will
the to working with the bank and her | 0:32:18 | 0:32:25 | |
colleagues the Treasury to ensure
that those businesses and the | 0:32:25 | 0:32:27 | |
communities they serve are not left
without the banking services they | 0:32:27 | 0:32:30 | |
require? The honourable gentleman
raises a crucial point. It is of | 0:32:30 | 0:32:34 | |
concern to communities across the
country. Whilst there is limited | 0:32:34 | 0:32:38 | |
action the government can take about
how banks run their businesses, what | 0:32:38 | 0:32:42 | |
we have done is to work with the
Post Office to enable the post | 0:32:42 | 0:32:46 | |
office, through its national 11,600
branches to run a full complement... | 0:32:46 | 0:32:53 | |
Despite having the fifth biggest
economy in the world, soon to be the | 0:32:56 | 0:33:00 | |
sixth, the UK is ranked only 48th in
the global enterprise league. 48 out | 0:33:00 | 0:33:07 | |
of five takes some doing. But it
isn't just the lack of support for | 0:33:07 | 0:33:10 | |
start-ups. Among SMEs, business
confidence of falling and costs are | 0:33:10 | 0:33:17 | |
rising. The Bank of England figures
shows, access to finance is still at | 0:33:17 | 0:33:21 | |
its lowest level since 2010. Does
the government have any excuse for | 0:33:21 | 0:33:27 | |
its woeful failure to support our
smallest businesses? The honourable | 0:33:27 | 0:33:32 | |
gentleman really should stop talking
small businesses down. Absolutely | 0:33:32 | 0:33:37 | |
wrong in his estimate. You are
running them down. We are not the | 0:33:37 | 0:33:41 | |
four in the world for the best place
to start a business in the UK. Look | 0:33:41 | 0:33:46 | |
at the OECD figures, you will find
we score very highly on enterprise. | 0:33:46 | 0:33:52 | |
He does raise a valid point about
the growth. We need to improve our | 0:33:52 | 0:33:58 | |
record in supporting small
businesses to grow, which is | 0:33:58 | 0:34:01 | |
precisely why the Chancellor has
made available a vast amount of | 0:34:01 | 0:34:04 | |
money in this year's budget to
support the growth of small | 0:34:04 | 0:34:08 | |
businesses. Number eight, Mr
Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The | 0:34:08 | 0:34:13 | |
UK's automotive industry is a great
British success story and building | 0:34:13 | 0:34:17 | |
on the success of institutes like
the advanced propulsion centre, we | 0:34:17 | 0:34:20 | |
have agreed and automotive sector
deal to continue to reap benefits | 0:34:20 | 0:34:26 | |
from the transition to ultralow and
a zero emission vehicles. Our | 0:34:26 | 0:34:30 | |
ambition is to build innovative and
competitive supply chains, to | 0:34:30 | 0:34:33 | |
increase the value of UK content.
From one third in 2011 to over a by | 0:34:33 | 0:34:40 | |
20 22. What more is the department
doing to encourage further | 0:34:40 | 0:34:45 | |
investment in UK car plants? In
particular in my constituency with | 0:34:45 | 0:34:49 | |
Honda and BMW. Both Honda and BMW
have been part of the sectoral | 0:34:49 | 0:34:55 | |
Council that has helped create
institutions together but have | 0:34:55 | 0:34:59 | |
trained people, that have developed
RND. They are a valued part of the | 0:34:59 | 0:35:05 | |
sector deal that has been so warmly
welcomed by the industry. My | 0:35:05 | 0:35:11 | |
constituency has many small
businesses involved in the supply | 0:35:11 | 0:35:13 | |
chains for the motor industry. These
chains stretch right across Europe | 0:35:13 | 0:35:20 | |
and are largely ventilated by EU
law. Can the Secretary of State | 0:35:20 | 0:35:26 | |
commit that these will not be
disrupted by Britain's exit from the | 0:35:26 | 0:35:29 | |
EU? -- largely regulated by. I hope
the honourable gentleman will | 0:35:29 | 0:35:36 | |
welcome the supply chain initiative
which is at the heart of the sector | 0:35:36 | 0:35:39 | |
deal to increase the level of UK
content. One way or another, the | 0:35:39 | 0:35:44 | |
motor industry, like so many others,
is based on its good relations | 0:35:44 | 0:35:50 | |
across not just the continent of
Europe but around the world. It is | 0:35:50 | 0:35:53 | |
absolutely essential that the deal
that we do allow that to continue | 0:35:53 | 0:35:56 | |
and indeed to prosper in the future. | 0:35:56 | 0:35:59 | |
The Minister has a proud heritage in
the automotive sector and I welcome | 0:36:01 | 0:36:05 | |
the government's recent
announcements which will see the | 0:36:05 | 0:36:08 | |
region be a global leader in the
sector. Does he agree with me that | 0:36:08 | 0:36:13 | |
supporting innovation and new
technologies is key to addressing | 0:36:13 | 0:36:16 | |
productivity and creating a higher
skilled and well-paid jobs? My | 0:36:16 | 0:36:21 | |
honourable friend is absolutely
right. The commitment that we have | 0:36:21 | 0:36:27 | |
made to being the world centre for
research in new battery technology | 0:36:27 | 0:36:32 | |
through the Faraday challenge is
already commanding attention right | 0:36:32 | 0:36:36 | |
around the world. The investment in
skills that accompany this strategy | 0:36:36 | 0:36:42 | |
will make sure that her constituents
and others in the region will | 0:36:42 | 0:36:45 | |
benefit from the jobs that result. | 0:36:45 | 0:36:47 | |
Every day, about £35 million worth
of components are imported from the | 0:36:50 | 0:36:53 | |
EU to the UK. For just-in-time
delivery to plants. Many of which | 0:36:53 | 0:36:59 | |
then go to help build over 6500 cars
and nearly 10,000 engines to be | 0:36:59 | 0:37:06 | |
re-exported back into the European
Union. It doesn't take much, as we | 0:37:06 | 0:37:10 | |
saw from the operational department
a couple of years ago, for the | 0:37:10 | 0:37:13 | |
Channel ports to completely clog up
the South East, losing millions and | 0:37:13 | 0:37:19 | |
millions of pounds. What guarantee
can the Secretary of State give to | 0:37:19 | 0:37:24 | |
the automotive sector that Brexit
will not allow any extra customs | 0:37:24 | 0:37:28 | |
checks that will clog up that
industry? The honourable gentleman | 0:37:28 | 0:37:33 | |
is right in describing the
importance of ensuring that the | 0:37:33 | 0:37:36 | |
agreement that we reach will not
just be free of tariffs, but will be | 0:37:36 | 0:37:41 | |
free of the types of frictions that
he describes. It is very important | 0:37:41 | 0:37:45 | |
for our successful industry, not
just in this sector, but that is the | 0:37:45 | 0:37:49 | |
deal that we conclude. I hope he
will welcome the progress that has | 0:37:49 | 0:37:53 | |
been made towards that last week.
Number nine, Mr Speaker. The | 0:37:53 | 0:38:00 | |
Industrial Strategy White Paper
highlighted the emphatic support for | 0:38:00 | 0:38:02 | |
sector deals, encouraging any sector
to come forward with proposals on | 0:38:02 | 0:38:08 | |
how working in partnership with the
government that sector can grow, | 0:38:08 | 0:38:12 | |
increase investment and their
productivity and earning power. A | 0:38:12 | 0:38:16 | |
number of sectors have signalled
their interest in developing a | 0:38:16 | 0:38:18 | |
sector deal, including, as my
honourable friend knows, the | 0:38:18 | 0:38:21 | |
ceramics sector. Thank you. I was
wondering if you could please update | 0:38:21 | 0:38:26 | |
this House in the progress that has
been made to develop the sector deal | 0:38:26 | 0:38:30 | |
for ceramics. Very good progress is
being made. With the leaders of the | 0:38:30 | 0:38:37 | |
sector. In North Staffordshire and
Stoke-on-Trent, there is a very | 0:38:37 | 0:38:40 | |
significant cluster. Doctor Laura
Cullinan leads the ceramics sector. | 0:38:40 | 0:38:46 | |
Contract Laura Cullinan. | 0:38:46 | 0:38:47 | |
We hope to can conclude a deal with
the sector in the months ahead which | 0:38:47 | 0:38:53 | |
will capitalise on the enormous
opportunity, especially in the new | 0:38:53 | 0:38:57 | |
uses of ceramics, for example in the
medical sector. | 0:38:57 | 0:39:01 | |
The government isn't just a funder
and regulator, it is also a | 0:39:03 | 0:39:05 | |
customer. Would it help if
government, nationally and locally, | 0:39:05 | 0:39:10 | |
acted like every other country and
actually bought vehicles built here | 0:39:10 | 0:39:15 | |
by British workers and actually
supported the companies and British | 0:39:15 | 0:39:21 | |
workers? The most important thing is
that we have excellent products | 0:39:21 | 0:39:24 | |
here. I am proud to say that we do
in the automotive sector. In times | 0:39:24 | 0:39:28 | |
of our procurement guidelines, he
will be aware that the procurement | 0:39:28 | 0:39:34 | |
guidelines were changed by this
government to allow the importance | 0:39:34 | 0:39:37 | |
of local impact to be taken into
account, I hope he welcomes it. This | 0:39:37 | 0:39:43 | |
government has rightly recognise the
UK now has the most fiscally | 0:39:43 | 0:39:46 | |
attractive regime for investment oil
and gas in the world. A good | 0:39:46 | 0:39:50 | |
sectoral deal will build on this.
The north-east of Scotland will look | 0:39:50 | 0:39:54 | |
forward to a future where it is not
only Europe's energy capital but the | 0:39:54 | 0:39:57 | |
world's. I agree. I have the
privilege of leading a trade | 0:39:57 | 0:40:03 | |
delegation to India, including many
companies from Aberdeen and the | 0:40:03 | 0:40:05 | |
north-east of Scotland who are
selling their wares and their | 0:40:05 | 0:40:10 | |
expertise right around the world.
That is one of the big opportunities | 0:40:10 | 0:40:14 | |
in the deal that is being
negotiated. The steel industry met | 0:40:14 | 0:40:19 | |
the criteria for sectoral deal, they
wanted one and apply for one but | 0:40:19 | 0:40:22 | |
they didn't get one, can you explain
why? The discussion with the steel | 0:40:22 | 0:40:27 | |
industry are continuing and I expect
to conclude a very important and | 0:40:27 | 0:40:32 | |
ambitious one in this very
foundational industry. Ten, Mr | 0:40:32 | 0:40:35 | |
Speaker. | 0:40:35 | 0:40:37 | |
Mr Speaker, the UK was the first
country to introduce the climate | 0:40:39 | 0:40:43 | |
change act and we have met our
targets, we met our first carbon | 0:40:43 | 0:40:50 | |
budget and are on track to exceed
the second and third. Does the | 0:40:50 | 0:40:55 | |
Minister agreed that the clean
growth plan will not, on its own, | 0:40:55 | 0:41:00 | |
meet the fifth carbon budget? Given
this, does the Minister agree that | 0:41:00 | 0:41:05 | |
this plan is wholly inadequate and
that, as the committee on climate | 0:41:05 | 0:41:09 | |
change has said, this should not be
the plan? | 0:41:09 | 0:41:13 | |
The clean growth strategy has been
broadly welcomed, warmly welcomed. | 0:41:15 | 0:41:19 | |
Low-carbon innovation is at the very
heart of our approach to our | 0:41:19 | 0:41:23 | |
Industrial Strategy with over £2.5
billion in government investment | 0:41:23 | 0:41:28 | |
from 2015-2021. A shy government
backbench member? Graham Jones. The | 0:41:28 | 0:41:36 | |
Labour manifesto in the summer
committed to heat and power to be | 0:41:36 | 0:41:42 | |
produced, 60%, by zero Carbon all
renewable energies. How will the | 0:41:42 | 0:41:46 | |
government matched that ambition? I
can tell the honourable gentleman | 0:41:46 | 0:41:51 | |
that our clean growth strategy is
rightly ambitious. The climate | 0:41:51 | 0:41:56 | |
change act allows us to be flexible
in our means of achieving the goals | 0:41:56 | 0:42:00 | |
that we have set out. As I said, we
are ahead of our targets on the | 0:42:00 | 0:42:04 | |
second and third carbon budget. In
the recent budget, the Treasury, | 0:42:04 | 0:42:15 | |
following consultation with the
Minister's department, will pull the | 0:42:15 | 0:42:19 | |
plug on all future support for
renewable energy deployment, except | 0:42:19 | 0:42:23 | |
for already allocated new term
support for offshore wind? Can the | 0:42:23 | 0:42:28 | |
Minister tell me whether he himself
supports this action? And whether it | 0:42:28 | 0:42:33 | |
helps or hinders the UK's progress
to meeting its carbon reduction | 0:42:33 | 0:42:36 | |
targets. As I have already said, we
are in a position where we met our | 0:42:36 | 0:42:42 | |
first carbon target and we are on
track to exceed the second and | 0:42:42 | 0:42:45 | |
third. This government is taking
this agenda exceptionally seriously | 0:42:45 | 0:42:49 | |
and is leading the world on it
having legislated with the climate | 0:42:49 | 0:42:52 | |
change act and putting clean growth
at the heart of this country's | 0:42:52 | 0:42:54 | |
Industrial Strategy. | 0:42:54 | 0:42:59 | |
In the last ten years, successive
Westminster Government... Number 14, | 0:42:59 | 0:43:05 | |
sorry. On industrial strategy is for
the whole United Kingdom. I was | 0:43:05 | 0:43:13 | |
pleased to hear from institutions in
Wales and colleagues in the Welsh | 0:43:13 | 0:43:16 | |
Government as we develop the
Saturday have held discussions with | 0:43:16 | 0:43:21 | |
a range of sectors including life
sciences, steel and nuclear. They | 0:43:21 | 0:43:26 | |
are well placed to benefit from the
second week on the industrial | 0:43:26 | 0:43:32 | |
strategy challenge fund. In the last
ten years of Government, | 0:43:32 | 0:43:37 | |
productivity has fallen by 10% in my
constituency and risen by 5% in | 0:43:37 | 0:43:43 | |
London. This regional inequality is
evidence that the Government is not | 0:43:43 | 0:43:48 | |
working for Wales. Will the Minister
agree we should be seeking the tools | 0:43:48 | 0:43:51 | |
to build our own future? The lady is
right that there are big disparities | 0:43:51 | 0:43:57 | |
in regional productivity and in the
long term we had to work with | 0:43:57 | 0:44:03 | |
leaders across the country,
industries and universities to make | 0:44:03 | 0:44:08 | |
sure that the drivers of improved
productivity are in place and I know | 0:44:08 | 0:44:13 | |
the Government in Wales have
participated and endorsed the | 0:44:13 | 0:44:19 | |
approach we are taking and I take on
endorsement for the direction as | 0:44:19 | 0:44:24 | |
further encouragement. The UK is the
world's largest offshore wind market | 0:44:24 | 0:44:32 | |
and will remain so for the
foreseeable future and the CFD | 0:44:32 | 0:44:36 | |
results in September will ensure
more offshore employment than | 0:44:36 | 0:44:45 | |
Denmark in the last four auctions
combined. Offshore wind has brought | 0:44:45 | 0:44:50 | |
then if it's to the Waverley
constituency but can the Minister | 0:44:50 | 0:44:53 | |
outline what the Government is doing
to make sure that you take companies | 0:44:53 | 0:45:02 | |
-- UK companies have the chance to
participate in this success story? I | 0:45:02 | 0:45:06 | |
am pleased that companies like that
are benefiting in projects off the | 0:45:06 | 0:45:11 | |
East Coast. I met several of them
this year at the east of England | 0:45:11 | 0:45:16 | |
energy group event in October and
they must submit a supply chain | 0:45:16 | 0:45:24 | |
planned before entering into option.
Wales is one of the key offshore | 0:45:24 | 0:45:29 | |
sectors in the whole of the world.
The Minister has announced £570 | 0:45:29 | 0:45:37 | |
million for renewable energy. How
much of that is going towards | 0:45:37 | 0:45:41 | |
renewable offshore energy? As the
honourable gentleman will know, the | 0:45:41 | 0:45:45 | |
system of CFD options are very
efficient in allocating the money | 0:45:45 | 0:45:49 | |
and I believe the North Wales coast
will be a major beneficiary of this. | 0:45:49 | 0:45:57 | |
The pension age was agreed by
Parliament in 2013 and I have met | 0:45:57 | 0:46:05 | |
with both the chief constable and
the Journal of the civil nuclear | 0:46:05 | 0:46:09 | |
police authority to hear their
concerns about the planned increase | 0:46:09 | 0:46:12 | |
of the pension age and after
listening to their concerns, I have | 0:46:12 | 0:46:18 | |
arranged to meet the civil nuclear
peace Federation early in the New | 0:46:18 | 0:46:21 | |
Year. Stewart, a firearms officer in
my constituency, says why is he any | 0:46:21 | 0:46:33 | |
different to the police to protect
us from terrorists on the street | 0:46:33 | 0:46:37 | |
when he is protecting a cornerstone
of our power industry? I heard the | 0:46:37 | 0:46:42 | |
honourable gentleman's point before
and I am looking into it. Topical | 0:46:42 | 0:46:48 | |
questions. Since we last met,
ministerial colleagues and I have | 0:46:48 | 0:46:56 | |
launched the Industrial Strategy
White Paper and can already see it | 0:46:56 | 0:46:59 | |
in action. We launched the third
sector deal with the life sciences | 0:46:59 | 0:47:02 | |
sector which is attracting
significant investment in the UK | 0:47:02 | 0:47:07 | |
from companies including Glaxo Smith
Kline. We are determined to make the | 0:47:07 | 0:47:11 | |
UK the best place to start and grow
a business as many colleagues joined | 0:47:11 | 0:47:17 | |
us in celebrating small-business
Saturday on the 2nd of December. I'd | 0:47:17 | 0:47:20 | |
like to congratulate the organisers
on this great event which saw over | 0:47:20 | 0:47:30 | |
£75,000 -- 75 million -- a | 0:47:30 | 0:47:34 | |
a colleague of the energy industry
is attending Emmanuel Macron's | 0:47:43 | 0:47:47 | |
Summit in Paris. Does the Secretary
of State agree with me to make sure | 0:47:47 | 0:47:57 | |
that the electric arc remark is
proper | 0:47:57 | 0:48:00 | |
It is why we're taking a lead to
make sure we invest in research and | 0:48:05 | 0:48:09 | |
development but make sure we're
ahead of the world in having the | 0:48:09 | 0:48:12 | |
regulatory system. Recent Government
figures show that UK funding from | 0:48:12 | 0:48:22 | |
Horizon 2020 dropped significantly
last year so can the Secretary of | 0:48:22 | 0:48:25 | |
State tell us what he is going to do
to address that alarming fall in | 0:48:25 | 0:48:30 | |
funding and well he commits to
participating in Horizon 2020 beyond | 0:48:30 | 0:48:35 | |
March 2019 should the UK leave the
EU then? UK participation in Horizon | 0:48:35 | 0:48:43 | |
2020 have held up remarkably well
since June 2016 we remain one of the | 0:48:43 | 0:48:48 | |
strongest performers across the EU
system and as the honourable lady | 0:48:48 | 0:48:52 | |
will have seen last Friday, the
joint report between the commission | 0:48:52 | 0:48:55 | |
and the UK Government painted a very
positive outlook for our continued | 0:48:55 | 0:48:59 | |
participation in this valuable
programme. Given the importance of | 0:48:59 | 0:49:03 | |
the automotive industry to the UK
and West Midlands, does the Minister | 0:49:03 | 0:49:08 | |
agree with me that it is essential
to invest in testing environments | 0:49:08 | 0:49:12 | |
for self driving cars to ensure that
the UK can compete with other | 0:49:12 | 0:49:16 | |
countries who want to become the
world's test-bed for new vehicle | 0:49:16 | 0:49:21 | |
technologies? I agree with my
honourable friend and it is one of | 0:49:21 | 0:49:24 | |
the reasons we have established a
series of test-beds between London | 0:49:24 | 0:49:27 | |
and the West Midlands that include
the motorsports cluster. It is | 0:49:27 | 0:49:33 | |
already attracting huge interest
around the world and reinforcing our | 0:49:33 | 0:49:38 | |
reputation. Onshore wind has been
Scotland's success story with the | 0:49:38 | 0:49:43 | |
Scottish Government on track to meet
100% electricity generation by | 0:49:43 | 0:49:48 | |
renewables. The possible block is UK
Government. As we approach the point | 0:49:48 | 0:49:52 | |
of zero subsidy onshore
developments, while the Government | 0:49:52 | 0:49:55 | |
find a way to allow Scottish onshore
developments to bid in the next CFD | 0:49:55 | 0:49:59 | |
option? -- option auction. I do have
discussions with the Scottish | 0:49:59 | 0:50:16 | |
Government which resulted in the
remote islands policy that we have | 0:50:16 | 0:50:20 | |
adopted so I will continue to have
those discussions with his | 0:50:20 | 0:50:23 | |
colleagues. Does my honourable
friend that retaining full sovereign | 0:50:23 | 0:50:32 | |
control of our regulation is
essential to getting the most out of | 0:50:32 | 0:50:35 | |
our economy? 80% of which doesn't
relate to the EU. Regulation is | 0:50:35 | 0:50:45 | |
crucial to business workers and
consumers. Approximately 4 million | 0:50:45 | 0:50:53 | |
export directly to countries within
the EU and will have a keen interest | 0:50:53 | 0:50:57 | |
in the outcome of our trade
negotiations. Northern Ireland have | 0:50:57 | 0:51:01 | |
a very good basic digital skills
programme but with one quarter of | 0:51:01 | 0:51:13 | |
businesses lacking confidence in the
basic digital skills, what is the | 0:51:13 | 0:51:17 | |
department doing to provide help for
smaller businesses to fill this | 0:51:17 | 0:51:20 | |
skills gap on the UK mainland? We're
rocking with the Department for | 0:51:20 | 0:51:26 | |
Education who are investing hugely
in lifelong learning, skills, | 0:51:26 | 0:51:33 | |
employability and we're prioritising
the digital skills capability within | 0:51:33 | 0:51:36 | |
that commission and I'm sure that'll
be of great benefit. Recent report | 0:51:36 | 0:51:45 | |
identified £2 trillion of global
opportunities with AI and driverless | 0:51:45 | 0:51:50 | |
carders. Can the | 0:51:50 | 0:51:51 | |
I'm delighted my honourable friend
draws attention to this. He will | 0:51:56 | 0:52:00 | |
know that in the industrial
strategy, one of the grand | 0:52:00 | 0:52:06 | |
challenges in the analysis of big
data, a crucial part of that is to | 0:52:06 | 0:52:11 | |
make sure that young people and
people retraining at the skills to | 0:52:11 | 0:52:14 | |
take up those jobs. Rumours abound
that the Westminster Government is | 0:52:14 | 0:52:20 | |
seeking to changes policy on nuclear
decommissioning. Can the minister | 0:52:20 | 0:52:24 | |
explain if he has any plan to
introduce a policy of continuous | 0:52:24 | 0:52:28 | |
decommissioning for the ageing
nuclear state in the UK? I can | 0:52:28 | 0:52:33 | |
assure the honourable lady that
nuclear decommissioning is a very | 0:52:33 | 0:52:41 | |
important factor and will be for
many years to come. What recent | 0:52:41 | 0:52:46 | |
discussions as my honourable friend
had with the Secretary of State for | 0:52:46 | 0:52:49 | |
Transport about increased investment
in broad and rail projects to | 0:52:49 | 0:52:55 | |
improve drug activity, particularly
in the North of England? I have had | 0:52:55 | 0:53:00 | |
regular conversations with the
Transport Secretary. He will know | 0:53:00 | 0:53:04 | |
that in Greater Manchester there was
an investment of a quarter of £1 | 0:53:04 | 0:53:10 | |
billion in improving connections in
and around the city. Given the | 0:53:10 | 0:53:19 | |
amount of time that has already
passed since the promise of an | 0:53:19 | 0:53:23 | |
energy icecap, and the Secretary of
State confirm he remains committed | 0:53:23 | 0:53:26 | |
to implementing the cap and other in
the process by which his party is | 0:53:26 | 0:53:33 | |
expected to introduce it? We have
published an important bill and we | 0:53:33 | 0:53:36 | |
have requested Ofgem to develop
proposals as we progress with the | 0:53:36 | 0:53:42 | |
bill. The select committee are
scrutinising our draft legislation | 0:53:42 | 0:53:46 | |
which we intend to bring to the
House and the eldest opportunity. | 0:53:46 | 0:53:50 | |
Last week I was pleased to welcome a
delegation from Thailand to my | 0:53:50 | 0:53:55 | |
constituency to meet businesses in
the offshore renewables sector -- | 0:53:55 | 0:54:01 | |
Taiwan. They regard the UK one as a
model. What is available to small | 0:54:01 | 0:54:09 | |
and medium-sized businesses to those
in this country but want to extend | 0:54:09 | 0:54:14 | |
to businesses abroad? I can assure
my honourable friend that part of | 0:54:14 | 0:54:20 | |
the industrial strategy and part of
our discussions on the sector deal | 0:54:20 | 0:54:23 | |
have been based on Skilling up small
businesses with a view to export. | 0:54:23 | 0:54:33 | |
The Secretary of State may not that
officials from the Belfast | 0:54:33 | 0:54:38 | |
bombardier plant eyed in Montreal --
are in Montreal. Will he continue to | 0:54:38 | 0:54:50 | |
engage in this process? I certainly
am and as the honourable gentleman | 0:54:50 | 0:54:54 | |
knows, throughout this project,
process we have been determined to | 0:54:54 | 0:54:59 | |
send a clear message boards too --
to Boeing and it reflects badly on | 0:54:59 | 0:55:09 | |
Belfast and is unfair. I continue to
press it this week with all the | 0:55:09 | 0:55:16 | |
parties concerned. The Cambridge
biomedical campus brings together | 0:55:16 | 0:55:24 | |
academia, business and health care.
Does the Minister agree with me that | 0:55:24 | 0:55:26 | |
this is important collaboration that
will help boost productivity, | 0:55:26 | 0:55:31 | |
improve our economy and create jobs
for the future? Indeed, Cambridge is | 0:55:31 | 0:55:36 | |
leading the way in this regard. We
want to see more collaboration | 0:55:36 | 0:55:41 | |
between business and university to
drive commercialisation and to make | 0:55:41 | 0:55:44 | |
the most of what we had investing.
It is good news that the Prime | 0:55:44 | 0:55:50 | |
Minister is attending the summit in
Paris today but can I want the | 0:55:50 | 0:55:54 | |
Secretary of State that Emmanuel
Macron is positioning Paris as the | 0:55:54 | 0:55:57 | |
world's leading green finance and to
tackle the threat and protect | 0:55:57 | 0:55:59 | |
London, ministers must back the Bank
of England's task force on | 0:55:59 | 0:56:05 | |
disclosure and bring in new
corporate requirements on fossil | 0:56:05 | 0:56:08 | |
fuel assets. Britain leads the world
on climate finance so one of the | 0:56:08 | 0:56:13 | |
major contributions the Minister and
pray Minister of state is promoting | 0:56:13 | 0:56:20 | |
the availability of clean finance in
the UK, including Edinburgh and | 0:56:20 | 0:56:25 | |
London, and that is getting very
good reception. The Secretary of | 0:56:25 | 0:56:30 | |
State has already spoken about the
great news for the West Midlands on | 0:56:30 | 0:56:33 | |
electric vehicles. You will remember
the electric taxi being manufactured | 0:56:33 | 0:56:41 | |
which was certified for use in
London this week. Does he agree the | 0:56:41 | 0:56:45 | |
opportunity for a platform for a
delivery vehicle is also very | 0:56:45 | 0:56:49 | |
important? I agree with my
honourable friend and I would like | 0:56:49 | 0:56:52 | |
to congratulate the London taxi
company on having the first electric | 0:56:52 | 0:56:57 | |
taxi on the streets of London this
week, manufactured in the West | 0:56:57 | 0:57:01 | |
Midlands. A big vote of confidence
in our world beating water industry. | 0:57:01 | 0:57:08 | |
-- motor industry. Access to finance
is critical for small businesses but | 0:57:08 | 0:57:11 | |
that is the Government agreed the
protection in place when things go | 0:57:11 | 0:57:15 | |
wrong doesn't exist and other
Government look at extending the | 0:57:15 | 0:57:17 | |
role of the FCA in that? I will be
raising the very issue to the FCA of | 0:57:17 | 0:57:28 | |
unregulated small business lending. | 0:57:28 | 0:57:35 | |
Does the secretary of state agree
that the key to successful | 0:57:35 | 0:57:38 | |
industrial strategy is one that
focuses on all areas of the UK, | 0:57:38 | 0:57:45 | |
including North Warwickshire? I do
indeed. One of the features of this | 0:57:45 | 0:57:49 | |
industrial strategy which is an
approach that previous business | 0:57:49 | 0:57:53 | |
policies have not taken over many
decades sufficient account of is the | 0:57:53 | 0:57:58 | |
importance of local places. These
skills, clusters of industry they | 0:57:58 | 0:58:02 | |
have there. As he knows, it is at
the heart of industry. On the 8th of | 0:58:02 | 0:58:09 | |
March the Chancellor announced a
full review of business rates. On | 0:58:09 | 0:58:14 | |
the 14th of March they said that the
review would report in the not too | 0:58:14 | 0:58:20 | |
distant future. There is barely a
mention of the business rates having | 0:58:20 | 0:58:24 | |
an impact in York. When will the
review stop? The Chancellor has | 0:58:24 | 0:58:30 | |
announced business rate relief for
small businesses, including making | 0:58:30 | 0:58:35 | |
the relief permanent and
retrospective redress for SMEs. The | 0:58:35 | 0:58:43 | |
urgent question I have selected I
have selected because I judge it to | 0:58:43 | 0:58:46 | |
be urgent. But I should advise the
house that it is focused very much | 0:58:46 | 0:58:51 | |
on London and I have that in mind. I
am sensitive to the interest in the | 0:58:51 | 0:58:57 | |
subject, but I am conscious also
that we have other business that | 0:58:57 | 0:59:01 | |
will run for several hours and in
which there is intense interest. | 0:59:01 | 0:59:05 | |
That is a guide to the house that I
do not intend to run the urgent | 0:59:05 | 0:59:09 | |
question be half an hour. Urgent
question, Harriet Harman. | 0:59:09 | 0:59:22 |