Live Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions House of Commons


Live Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions

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Good morning and welcome to BBC

Parliament's live coverage of the

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House of Commons. In an hour's time

the Labour MP Harriet Harman will

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ask an urgent question about the

resignation of the Chairman of Kings

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College Hospital NHS Foundation

Trust. Lord Kerslake resigned at the

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weekend, criticising what he called

the unrealistic approach to NHS

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finances. If you're counting, you

will know that today is day six of

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detailed consideration of the

European Union withdrawal bill. The

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focus will be on so-called Henry

VIII powers which will allow people

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to marry six times... I'm which will

allow ministers to change aspects of

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EU law as they are incorporated into

EU law. The government have accepted

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a proposal for MPs to scrutinise the

executive powers granted by the

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legislation. Join me and Mandy

Bakker for a round-up of the day at

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11pm. First, questions to the

Business Secretary, Greg Clark.

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With your permission, Mr Speaker, I

will answer this question together

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with questions 11, 12 and 13. Almost

all will melt's 142,000 staff are on

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permanent contracts -- Royal Mail's.

And earn above the living wage.

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Employees owns 12% of its shares and

at times it has been the times top

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employer for women for four

consecutive years. The government

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will protect workers are rights to

make sure that it will keep pace

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with the changing labour markets.

Today's postal workers, I'm sure

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this House will like to thank all

postal workers. For the good work

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they do all year round, six days a

week and all kinds of weather across

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the UK. Royal Mail was not for sale.

The privatisation, they face worst

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pay and conditions and attacks on

pensions with the threat of more job

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losses. Will the Minister

renationalise the Royal Mail?

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I would like to start by hardly

agreeing with the Right honourable

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gentleman, the honourable

gentleman's celebration of our

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postal workers today. They will

deliver, as he says, in all weather,

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229 million addresses across the

country over the festive season. I

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can't agree with that

renationalisation is the answer. --

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to 29 million. Royal Mail are in

negotiations with the CWU. I can

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assure him that it would be a great

loss to the postal workers, let's

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not forget, they own 12%...

We have

a lot to get through, please be more

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brisk.

I refer to my registered

members interest. Does the Minister

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accept that as postal workers drudge

through the snow this morning they

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have a right to be aggrieved at

losing their pension? Moira Greene

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gets paid £1.9 million and three

flights paid by the Royal Mail to

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Canada.

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I disagree with the honourable

gentleman. The pension scheme, if it

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were left unchanged, would result in

virtual bankruptcy for the Royal

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Mail. It would require injections of

£1.3 billion annually. Against

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profitability of approximately 700

million. I think it can do the maths

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himself.

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The Royal Mail is paying out over

200 million dividends every year to

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private shareholders, last year the

chief executive saw her pay increase

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by 23%, how can this government

stand by a model of ownership that

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sees postal workers pay being frozen

and pensions unaffordable.

In fact,

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I understand that the Royal Mail's

offer of pay increases to their

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workforce is far from frozen. I

don't really propose to comment much

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further than to say that the figures

that the honourable gentleman refers

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to are misleading. Because they go

way beyond the base salary of the

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Chief Executive. They include

performance related benefits. Which

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are in line with a position of that

stature.

The Minister may judge that

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the figures are misleading but I am

sure she wouldn't suggest that the

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honourable gentleman would

deliberately mislead the house.

I

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certainly wouldn't.

In a privatise

Royal Mail we have seen 500 jobs

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lost while at the same time the

Royal Mail has dished out close to

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700 million in dividends to private

shareholders. Is this privatisation

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the Minister is proud of?

As I said

earlier, the Royal Mail contribute

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£400 million a year to the pension

scheme. They have provided access to

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capital, following privatisation of

1.5 billion. They have converted

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losses of 49 million into profits of

over 700 million, I would say that

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is a pretty successful record.

Does

the Minister agree that regardless

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of ownership, Royal Mail me to

continue to modernise and become

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more efficient because it operates

in a competitive marketplace.

A good

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point. When it was privatised,

Amazon was one of Royal Mail's

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biggest customers. Amazon now is one

of its biggest competitors. My

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honourable friend is absolutely

right. More investment required in

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technology and in modernisation. For

Royal Mail to maintain its market

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share.

The posties in Kettering

worked extremely hard all year round

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and do a tremendous job, especially

at Christmas. For your average

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postal worker, what is the value of

their individual stake in the Royal

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Mail now worth?

I can confirm to my

honourable friend that the workforce

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owns 12% of the Royal Mail. By

Factor that the leadership of the

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party opposite should consider as it

contemplates a round of

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nationalisation.

Thank you Mr

Speaker. All the evidence is that

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the employment standards in Royal

Mail add more widely have been

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driven down. Including job losses

and cuts to pensions. Is she

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seriously argue that employment

standards today are higher than they

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were at the point of privatisation?

The honourable gentleman should

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accept that Royal Mail needs to

maintain its position in the

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marketplace. It already has

employment conditions that are the

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envy of delivery workers for its

competition.

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Royal Mail employs a significant

number of people in the northern

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Scotland and protecting those jobs

and the universal service they is

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vital. Particularly when according

to citizens advice Scotland more

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than 1 million Scots face

surcharges, like delivery or refused

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delivery altogether when you buy

goods online. Will the Secretary of

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State committed to protecting those

Royal Mail jobs and confirm a review

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into de-radicalisation of prices for

parcels to support our rural

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communities?

-- into

renationalisation. Royal Mail is

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regulated by off, which is a benefit

to everybody involved in the

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service. -- Ofcom. Universal postal

service does provide a parcel

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service and companies have to have

regard to fairness in their delivery

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charges. Also, failure to be clear

to customers prior to booking --

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bookings also breach consumer

protection.

Mr Speaker, today marks

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postal workers' day when we thank

our posties for their hard work and

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determination in providing this key

public service. Not the party

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opposite will take notice, because

in a privatise Royal Mail service we

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have seen 12,000 job losses and

proposals to slash pensions by 45%.

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Such is a classic case of one rule

for the rich and one for the rest.

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Royal Mail has paid out 70 million

in evidence to private shareholders

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and that is only in the last six

months. Does the Minister stand by

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the government's decision to

privatise the Royal Mail? -- 70

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million in dividends.

I stand by it

100%. Royal Mail would have had no

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future had it not been privatised.

Number two Mr Speaker.

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Doctor Greg Clark.

Two weeks ago I

announced the location for the new

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national Faraday battery scaler

facility which will be built in

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Coventry. The same day, Jaguar Land

Rover announced their intention to

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produce battery electric vehicles in

the West Midlands, bringing the

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region to the forefront of modern

mobility in the United Kingdom.

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Autonomous vehicles, electric

vehicles, public trust in this

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exciting technology is key to making

the most of the opportunities it

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presents. Can my right honourable

friend therefore tell me what

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discussions he has had with industry

to combat the Luddites and dispel

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the mythical fears that are being

promoted against this exciting

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technology?

My honourable friend

makes an excellent point, a part of

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the programme is to have test-beds

to demonstrate these new

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technologies. They will be open to

the public to see for themselves.

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They will begin in Milton Keynes,

Greenwich, Bristol and in Coventry.

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I would say that people are

experiencing these technologies

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through sat nav, cruise control,

automatic parking. The increasing

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exposure to these technologies, I

hope, will demonstrate their

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benefits.

The Secretary of State

mentioned Jaguar Land Rover, he will

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be aware that Bridgend, which

neighbours my constituency, are

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pulling out of their contract early.

As he had conversations with Ford

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about possibly looking at, versions

of airlines to produce electric

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batteries for electric cars?

I am

seeing the European head of Ford

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immediately after the these

questions and it is to discuss the

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fact that they have based their new

developments of electric and

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autonomous vehicles in Britain.

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But has the potential to be a world

leader in developing the new

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regulatory standards that will

govern electric and autonomous

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vehicles, will you work with

industry and other departments to

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make sure that Britain leads the

world to adopt our standards?

I will

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indeed. The Industrial Strategy

makes clear that being at the

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forefront of the regular tree

standards for these new technologies

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gives us a big advantage. --

regulatory standards. We have this

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bill before Parliament to establish

before most other countries to make

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sure we can progress with these

technologies.

Does the Secretary of

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State know there has been no impact

assessment on this sector by anyone

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apart from the Rand Corporation that

tells us that this sector and every

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other sector is going to be deeply

harmed by Brexit even for Europe,

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what does he say to that very

important thorough investigation?

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The honourable gentleman knows I

have constant continuous discussions

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for the sectors that I am

responsible including the automotive

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sector. As part of our negotiating

mandate, we will get the best

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possible deal. What we saw in the

agreement that was achieved in

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Brussels last week, including the

transitional phase, was something

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that automotive sector pressed for

in particular. That has now been

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agreed by both parties.

Question

number three, Mr Speaker.

Secretary

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of state.

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We know the best way to improve our

productivity is by investing in

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research and develop it, proving the

level of skills in our workforce,

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upgrading our infrastructure,

creating an attractive environment

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for new and growing businesses and

making sure that every grace in the

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-- every place in the country can

prosper. That is what the Industrial

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Strategy does.

Given our

productivity has been far worse than

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any other G-7 country apart from

Italy, does the secretary of state

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admit that the public investment

figures in the revised Industrial

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Strategy is far below leading OECD

nations?

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If the honourable gentleman reads

the strategy, he will see that there

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is a commitment to have the biggest

increase in research and development

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with private sector and public

sector that we've ever had in this

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country. It's been the foundation of

our success and I hope he will join

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me in welcoming the progress we are

making.

Productivity in the

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construction industry is a key

requirement of building houses. How

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will the Secretary of State ensure

quality in on and off site bills for

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the 1.7 billion investment for

construction?

I'm glad my honourable

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friend mentions that because

construction is one of the areas in

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which there are big opportunities

and as part of the industrial

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strategy it has a sector deal which

has been concluded and

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representatives of the sector have

said that this is a major

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opportunity, especially in off-site

manufacturing.

The Secretary of

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State has just touched on the sector

deals that the Government and

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agreeing with different sectors of

the economy. Some of the sectors of

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the economy with the laws

productivity Lake regional,

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hospitality and social care don't

have a sector deals yet if we closed

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the productivity gap in those

sectors, we would boost productivity

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overall compared with our main

competitors. What is the Government

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doing to obtain sector deals in

those sectors?

She is right that the

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opportunity for sector deals goes to

many sectors of the economy

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including those that she mentioned

will stop we had already in

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discussions with many of these

sectors like food and drink and the

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hospitality sector. We expect to see

every sector deals included. --

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early sector deals.

The life science

sector deal has already triggered 1

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billion of new investment. Would you

agree the key is to negotiate a

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Brexit deal that avoids a cliff edge

but gives us the regulatory freedom

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that allows us to continue in the

data of tomorrow's medicine?

I do

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agree and I would like to

congratulate my honourable friend as

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the life sciences minister who saw

the opportunities for this strategic

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approach and I think he is being

honoured this week for his

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contribution to promoting science in

Parliament so I can graduate him on

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that. He is absolutely right, we do

need to build on these successes.

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The life sciences sector deal is an

indication that a long-term strategy

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can have immediate benefits and we

have had over £1 billion of

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investment on the basis of the

confidence that the sector has in

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the strategy we have set out.

With a

few notable exceptions, we would

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agree technology has improved the

productivity of this House but the

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same is not true of the country.

Productivity has stagnated since

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2010 and Burgess 25% less in an hour

than the Germans and French -- 20 --

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we produce 25% less. Last week the

Chancellor tried to blame disabled

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workers but it is as one budget

which feels to invest in science and

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productivity until 2021 so will the

Secretary of State and that it is

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his ideological austerity which

fails to invest in our engines of

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economic growth, which is the real

handicap here?

I don't agree with

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the honourable lady and if she reads

the industrial strategy she will see

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the biggest increase in investment

in science and innovation has been

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triggered by this. It has been

welcomed by all parties across the

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country and it would be helpful if

she would recognise what many other

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countries have benefited from, which

is a strong national commitment to

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improving investment in productivity

such as size and investment and

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overseas investments.

Question four,

Mr Speaker. With your permission, I

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will ask this with question 18. Over

one third of projects are located in

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Scotland. In October we announced

plans to allow wind projects from

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the remote Islands of Scotland to

compete in the next auction. We have

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submitted a notification to the

European Union of our plans.

My

0:17:090:17:15

constituency has much going for it

including an abundance of wind and

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water making it ideal for renewable

projects so what will the Government

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do to provide revenue support to

renewable energy companies during

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the innovation period while they

work to bring down costs?

I'm sure

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the honourable gentleman has read

the industrial strategy but if he

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hasn't I would recommend he does so.

This is covered extensively.

In the

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EU, we have benefited from funding

from the European investment bank

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which has contributed to the

development of renewable energy in

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Scotland including £525 billion for

wind farm projects in Caithness. Can

0:17:540:18:00

the Secretary of State we are sure

that the UK will continue to

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participate and have access to the

capital provided by the European

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investment bank after Brexit?

As the honourable lady said, the

0:18:060:18:15

Government is totally committed to

renewables and overall investment in

0:18:150:18:19

getting a carbon free environment

and it has been very successful over

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the last few years.

Can the Minister

confirm that up to £570 million will

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be made available for less

established new electricity project

0:18:300:18:34

as part of the clean growth strategy

and that projects in Scotland will

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be able to compete for the shin of

this fund? -- share of this fund.

My

0:18:370:18:45

honourable friend is right in what

he says and it is an important part

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of the industrial strategy.

Does my

honourable friend agree that key to

0:18:480:18:55

this is policy settings it so that

our green companies can finance this

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themselves rather than relying on

Government subsidy?

I agree with my

0:19:040:19:08

honourable friend and I am impressed

with the way the finance industry is

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adapting towards the clean projects

ahead of us.

In order to get green

0:19:110:19:22

renewables, it will require support

from the Government. Renewables UK

0:19:220:19:27

have but power purchase agreements.

What viewed as the Government take

0:19:270:19:29

of that?

We are studying this

proposition very carefully.

Question

0:19:290:19:41

five, it is important that this

much-needed report gets the

0:19:410:19:46

consideration it deserves and that

we take action when needed. In the

0:19:460:19:50

industrial strategy, the Secretary

of State took responsibility of

0:19:500:19:54

improving quality of work in the UK

and continued an important dialogue

0:19:540:19:58

on this issue. We will publish our

full response shortly.

The TUC

0:19:580:20:06

report for 3.2 million people are

now insecure work, an increase of

0:20:060:20:10

more than a quarter over the last

five years, will the Minister accept

0:20:100:20:15

Martin Taylor's recommendation

endorsed by the select committee

0:20:150:20:19

that a longer break in service, a

month rather than a week as a

0:20:190:20:24

present, should be allowed before

there is any loss of employment

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rights?

That'll be something that we

consult on as we will be consulting

0:20:280:20:33

on the vast majority of other

proposals in the Taylor review. It

0:20:330:20:37

does acknowledge the excellent track

record of employment in terms of new

0:20:370:20:43

jobs but as he rightly points out

and the TUC endorses, there is an

0:20:430:20:49

issue with insecure work and far too

much risk being transferred to the

0:20:490:20:55

employee.

The Taylor review says the

same basic principles should apply

0:20:550:21:00

to all forms of employment in the UK

but does my honourable friend see

0:21:000:21:05

page time off for women attending

antenatal appointments as a basic

0:21:050:21:10

principle and does she agree that

for health reasons the law needs to

0:21:100:21:14

clearly extend that principle to all

female workers?

I thank the

0:21:140:21:20

honourable lady for her question,

excellent question. We will review

0:21:200:21:23

the matter as she raises in tandem

with the rest of the review of

0:21:230:21:28

Taylor's recommendations but she

does make a very good point indeed.

0:21:280:21:32

I welcome the Government last week

having their latest round of naming

0:21:320:21:38

and shaming employers that had

failed to properly pay the minimum

0:21:380:21:41

wage. One area were state

enforcement has had some success.

0:21:410:21:45

Can I urge her to respond positively

to the Taylor review recommendations

0:21:450:21:50

that says it should be enhanced

beyond just the minimum wage?

0:21:500:21:55

Indeed, we will consult on the

remainder of those recommendations

0:21:550:22:00

and in particular the

recommendations Taylor made with the

0:22:000:22:04

enforcement of awards that go

unpaid.

Insecure working practices

0:22:040:22:16

at Uber enabled companies to engage

in a pricing policy which drove out

0:22:160:22:21

competition. What can the Government

do to improve working practices for

0:22:210:22:25

Uber and ensure further competition

between taxis and private hire

0:22:250:22:31

vehicles?

It is important to

maintain decent standards of

0:22:310:22:38

employment and also to offer new

opportunities to the consumer and we

0:22:380:22:42

will be reviewing those proposals in

light of those.

Recent report

0:22:420:22:48

uncovered that drivers on behalf of

hammers on were forced to deliver up

0:22:480:22:52

to 200 parcels a day -- on behalf of

Amazon. Faced with impossible

0:22:520:22:59

schedules that left little to no

time for breaks and with no access

0:22:590:23:02

to paid holiday or sick pay, many

drivers experienced conditions that

0:23:020:23:08

can only be described as Dickensian

saw as another high-profile

0:23:080:23:13

employment case emerges, why is the

Government not taking robust action

0:23:130:23:17

to crack down on bogus

self-employment and enforce

0:23:170:23:19

employment rights?

The honourable

lady put her finger on precisely why

0:23:190:23:25

the Prime Minister commissioned the

Taylor review in the first place.

0:23:250:23:30

When employers are indulging in a

sort of practices that she has just

0:23:300:23:35

outlined, these practices will

definitely have an effect on

0:23:350:23:39

employees' health and they should be

roundly condemned.

It keeps hiding

0:23:390:23:48

behind its forthcoming response to

the Taylor review, but Sir David

0:23:480:23:52

Metcalf, the Government's director

of Labour market enforcement stated

0:23:520:23:56

that even a Government's existing

powders have not been used to

0:23:560:24:00

protect workers despite numerous

official statements that the

0:24:000:24:03

Government has taken abuse by

employers seriously. Only last week,

0:24:030:24:08

the Government identified 16,000

workers pay below the minimum wage

0:24:080:24:11

yet the low pay commission believes

that the true peat figure is between

0:24:110:24:17

300000 and 580,000 -- peat figure. I

asked the minister, does she agree

0:24:170:24:23

with Sir David Metcalfe that the

Government's enforcement of basic

0:24:230:24:26

employment rates is wholly

inadequate?

I await the publication

0:24:260:24:32

of Sir David's strategy for dealing

with Labour market enforcement which

0:24:320:24:36

we expect in the first quarter of

next year. He is doing a great job

0:24:360:24:41

so far in ringing together the

enforcement agencies that the

0:24:410:24:45

Government has at its disposal to

make sure that they were even more

0:24:450:24:50

effectively -- work even more

effectively in the pursuit of

0:24:500:24:53

noncompliance with law.

We are

leading the world by ending unabated

0:24:530:24:59

coal generation in Great Britain by

2025 and a consultation document

0:24:590:25:05

last year set out on estimates that

this could guarantee savings up to

0:25:050:25:11

124 million tonnes of carbon dioxide

between 2016 and 2030.

Further

0:25:110:25:18

exploration of the North Sea for oil

gas which was given a boost in the

0:25:180:25:22

budget, gas is a law emitter of

greenhouse gases and is a better

0:25:220:25:26

alternative to call. Will the

Minister give oil and gas particular

0:25:260:25:29

focus in developing the industrial

strategy?

Absolutely, the White

0:25:290:25:37

Paper sets out that oil and gas

remain one of the most productive

0:25:370:25:41

sets of the economy and it's the

intelligent use of the sector's

0:25:410:25:45

assets and expertise and we would

like to thank my honourable friend

0:25:450:25:47

for joining me in a visit to

Aberdeen where we saw exactly what

0:25:470:25:52

the prospects were for the green

economy that this kind of sweating

0:25:520:25:59

assets that have but started -- that

have already started.

The lack of

0:25:590:26:08

ambition shown by this UK Government

is starting. Can I ask whether the

0:26:080:26:14

Secretary of State will confirm that

Welsh wind projects will be eligible

0:26:140:26:18

for any future contracts for

difference in the same way he has

0:26:180:26:23

confirmed this for Scotland?

Yes,

the honourable lady should be aware

0:26:230:26:29

that this country is leading the

world in the development of clean

0:26:290:26:32

energy.

The good people of Froome in

my constituency are leading the way

0:26:320:26:46

for a carbon free economy, we have

plans for 2026 with all the energy

0:26:460:26:53

provided by renewable sources so can

I invite the Minister Secretary of

0:26:530:26:57

State to Froome in Somerset to hear

this story first-hand and see how

0:26:570:27:00

these being realised.

The honourable

gentleman, my honourable friend,

0:27:000:27:06

should be reassured nothing would

please me more than coming to

0:27:060:27:09

Somerset to see the work that he has

done locally, but the clean growth

0:27:090:27:14

sector sets out how the UK is

leading the world in carbon

0:27:140:27:17

emissions and we have set out £2.5

billion to be invested by the

0:27:170:27:23

Government for no carbon innovation

between 2015 and 2021.

0:27:230:27:30

We very much hope the red carpet

will be rolled out.

Major banks have

0:27:300:27:39

lent a £630 billion to build new

coal power stations across the

0:27:390:27:42

world. Many of them in our

competitor countries. What

0:27:420:27:44

assessment has key made of the cost

of electricity for businesses in the

0:27:440:27:51

UK and their competitiveness and

does he not recognise that our

0:27:510:27:55

attempts to save the world while the

rest of the world is building power

0:27:550:27:59

stations fuelled by coal only

damages our own economy?

The

0:27:590:28:04

honourable gentleman is probably

aware that we commissioned the helm

0:28:040:28:07

review to look at the different

costs of energy. We believe in a

0:28:070:28:10

mixed strategy for energy. He must

also understand the employment and

0:28:100:28:17

economic advantages that the

development of alternative energy

0:28:170:28:22

sources develops quite apart from

the actual carbon free advantages of

0:28:220:28:25

them.

Would my honourable friend

agree that notwithstanding his

0:28:250:28:32

comments, wind energy requires a

subsidy, it also requires the

0:28:320:28:35

National Grid to be realigned. And

it also requires extra money for

0:28:350:28:40

back-up sources when the wind isn't

blowing. Does this not actually mean

0:28:400:28:43

that the electricity will be far

more expensive than that which is

0:28:430:28:47

produced by gas or coal?

0:28:470:28:50

The actual facts are that the...

Tell him his role!

There is lots of

0:28:520:29:00

chuntering from a sedentary

position, Mr Speaker. I will not

0:29:000:29:04

take any notice of it. LAUGHTER

I will like to answer the question

0:29:040:29:07

if you will allow me. Yes. The

honourable gentleman should know

0:29:070:29:12

that the cost of renewable energy is

coming down and down. Offshore wind

0:29:120:29:17

farms, for example, have halved in

price since the first... The

0:29:170:29:21

opposition may interpret this to

mean that my honourable friend is

0:29:210:29:24

wrong. I would say he is not wrong

but he needs further education on

0:29:240:29:28

this subject. LAUGHTER

I would be delighted to meet with

0:29:280:29:30

him at any time to discuss it.

What

an enticing prospect for the

0:29:300:29:35

honourable member for Monday.

Number

seven.

-- honourable member for

0:29:350:29:41

Monmouth.

Through the Industrial

Strategy we will drive over £20

0:29:410:29:45

billion worth of investment in

innovative and high-growth

0:29:450:29:48

businesses. We will increase the

national productivity investment

0:29:480:29:53

fund to £31 billion. We are working

to ensure that SMEs win more public

0:29:530:29:59

sector contracts to enjoy the

benefits of this investment.

0:29:590:30:02

She will know that many local

authorities have small-business

0:30:040:30:07

relief, which could be used. Not all

of them are using them. Could the

0:30:070:30:11

minister say what the government

could do to encourage these local

0:30:110:30:16

authorities to benefit?

The

Department for Communities and Local

0:30:160:30:22

Government have issued clear advice

to councils that will enable them to

0:30:220:30:24

calculate the relief that he refers

to. That is payable in the current

0:30:240:30:29

year to businesses. I urge them to

pay heed to that advice and

0:30:290:30:34

implement it. You may be interested

to know that Merton Council has been

0:30:340:30:41

allocated £459,000 worth of business

rates discretionary relief in the

0:30:410:30:44

current year.

Many small businesses

have been in catering and

0:30:440:30:51

hospitality, we wish them well. When

we leave a tip, we expect it to be

0:30:510:30:55

paid to them, when will the Minister

published the report on fair tips,

0:30:550:30:59

so we can ensure that their workers

get paid properly?

0:30:590:31:03

Following the commissioning of the

work we have done on tipping, an

0:31:050:31:09

important issue, she rightly raises,

we have put guidance out. We have

0:31:090:31:14

publicised the issue. It is grossly

unfair what is happening. I am glad

0:31:140:31:18

to report their has been a

significant improvement since we

0:31:180:31:23

commissioned the review -- that

there has been.

Unfair trading

0:31:230:31:26

practices used by big retailers have

been identified as a factor in

0:31:260:31:31

limiting the growth of small and new

businesses, sublime to the groceries

0:31:310:31:36

sector. Could the Minister reassure

me. -- supplying to the. That the

0:31:360:31:41

government will bring in proposals

widening the remit of the

0:31:410:31:45

adjudicator in response to this

year's consultation.

We will be

0:31:450:31:50

publishing our response to this

year's consultation on the future of

0:31:500:31:56

the groceries trade adjudicator. I

have committed to meeting my

0:31:560:31:58

honourable friend to discuss it with

the farming Minister and I look

0:31:580:32:02

forward to that meeting.

What

business growth has been made

0:32:020:32:06

difficult due to the decision of the

Royal Bank of Scotland to close 269

0:32:060:32:10

branches and has been described as a

hammer blow by the FSB policy

0:32:100:32:15

convenient in Scotland, saying this

will make it more difficult to run a

0:32:150:32:18

business in much of Scotland. Will

the to working with the bank and her

0:32:180:32:25

colleagues the Treasury to ensure

that those businesses and the

0:32:250:32:27

communities they serve are not left

without the banking services they

0:32:270:32:30

require?

The honourable gentleman

raises a crucial point. It is of

0:32:300:32:34

concern to communities across the

country. Whilst there is limited

0:32:340:32:38

action the government can take about

how banks run their businesses, what

0:32:380:32:42

we have done is to work with the

Post Office to enable the post

0:32:420:32:46

office, through its national 11,600

branches to run a full complement...

0:32:460:32:53

Despite having the fifth biggest

economy in the world, soon to be the

0:32:560:33:00

sixth, the UK is ranked only 48th in

the global enterprise league. 48 out

0:33:000:33:07

of five takes some doing. But it

isn't just the lack of support for

0:33:070:33:10

start-ups. Among SMEs, business

confidence of falling and costs are

0:33:100:33:17

rising. The Bank of England figures

shows, access to finance is still at

0:33:170:33:21

its lowest level since 2010. Does

the government have any excuse for

0:33:210:33:27

its woeful failure to support our

smallest businesses?

The honourable

0:33:270:33:32

gentleman really should stop talking

small businesses down.

Absolutely

0:33:320:33:37

wrong in his estimate. You are

running them down.

We are not the

0:33:370:33:41

four in the world for the best place

to start a business in the UK. Look

0:33:410:33:46

at the OECD figures, you will find

we score very highly on enterprise.

0:33:460:33:52

He does raise a valid point about

the growth. We need to improve our

0:33:520:33:58

record in supporting small

businesses to grow, which is

0:33:580:34:01

precisely why the Chancellor has

made available a vast amount of

0:34:010:34:04

money in this year's budget to

support the growth of small

0:34:040:34:08

businesses.

Number eight, Mr

Speaker.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The

0:34:080:34:13

UK's automotive industry is a great

British success story and building

0:34:130:34:17

on the success of institutes like

the advanced propulsion centre, we

0:34:170:34:20

have agreed and automotive sector

deal to continue to reap benefits

0:34:200:34:26

from the transition to ultralow and

a zero emission vehicles. Our

0:34:260:34:30

ambition is to build innovative and

competitive supply chains, to

0:34:300:34:33

increase the value of UK content.

From one third in 2011 to over a by

0:34:330:34:40

20 22.

What more is the department

doing to encourage further

0:34:400:34:45

investment in UK car plants? In

particular in my constituency with

0:34:450:34:49

Honda and BMW.

Both Honda and BMW

have been part of the sectoral

0:34:490:34:55

Council that has helped create

institutions together but have

0:34:550:34:59

trained people, that have developed

RND. They are a valued part of the

0:34:590:35:05

sector deal that has been so warmly

welcomed by the industry.

My

0:35:050:35:11

constituency has many small

businesses involved in the supply

0:35:110:35:13

chains for the motor industry. These

chains stretch right across Europe

0:35:130:35:20

and are largely ventilated by EU

law. Can the Secretary of State

0:35:200:35:26

commit that these will not be

disrupted by Britain's exit from the

0:35:260:35:29

EU? -- largely regulated by.

I hope

the honourable gentleman will

0:35:290:35:36

welcome the supply chain initiative

which is at the heart of the sector

0:35:360:35:39

deal to increase the level of UK

content. One way or another, the

0:35:390:35:44

motor industry, like so many others,

is based on its good relations

0:35:440:35:50

across not just the continent of

Europe but around the world. It is

0:35:500:35:53

absolutely essential that the deal

that we do allow that to continue

0:35:530:35:56

and indeed to prosper in the future.

0:35:560:35:59

The Minister has a proud heritage in

the automotive sector and I welcome

0:36:010:36:05

the government's recent

announcements which will see the

0:36:050:36:08

region be a global leader in the

sector. Does he agree with me that

0:36:080:36:13

supporting innovation and new

technologies is key to addressing

0:36:130:36:16

productivity and creating a higher

skilled and well-paid jobs?

My

0:36:160:36:21

honourable friend is absolutely

right. The commitment that we have

0:36:210:36:27

made to being the world centre for

research in new battery technology

0:36:270:36:32

through the Faraday challenge is

already commanding attention right

0:36:320:36:36

around the world. The investment in

skills that accompany this strategy

0:36:360:36:42

will make sure that her constituents

and others in the region will

0:36:420:36:45

benefit from the jobs that result.

0:36:450:36:47

Every day, about £35 million worth

of components are imported from the

0:36:500:36:53

EU to the UK. For just-in-time

delivery to plants. Many of which

0:36:530:36:59

then go to help build over 6500 cars

and nearly 10,000 engines to be

0:36:590:37:06

re-exported back into the European

Union. It doesn't take much, as we

0:37:060:37:10

saw from the operational department

a couple of years ago, for the

0:37:100:37:13

Channel ports to completely clog up

the South East, losing millions and

0:37:130:37:19

millions of pounds. What guarantee

can the Secretary of State give to

0:37:190:37:24

the automotive sector that Brexit

will not allow any extra customs

0:37:240:37:28

checks that will clog up that

industry?

The honourable gentleman

0:37:280:37:33

is right in describing the

importance of ensuring that the

0:37:330:37:36

agreement that we reach will not

just be free of tariffs, but will be

0:37:360:37:41

free of the types of frictions that

he describes. It is very important

0:37:410:37:45

for our successful industry, not

just in this sector, but that is the

0:37:450:37:49

deal that we conclude. I hope he

will welcome the progress that has

0:37:490:37:53

been made towards that last week.

Number nine, Mr Speaker.

The

0:37:530:38:00

Industrial Strategy White Paper

highlighted the emphatic support for

0:38:000:38:02

sector deals, encouraging any sector

to come forward with proposals on

0:38:020:38:08

how working in partnership with the

government that sector can grow,

0:38:080:38:12

increase investment and their

productivity and earning power. A

0:38:120:38:16

number of sectors have signalled

their interest in developing a

0:38:160:38:18

sector deal, including, as my

honourable friend knows, the

0:38:180:38:21

ceramics sector.

Thank you. I was

wondering if you could please update

0:38:210:38:26

this House in the progress that has

been made to develop the sector deal

0:38:260:38:30

for ceramics.

Very good progress is

being made. With the leaders of the

0:38:300:38:37

sector. In North Staffordshire and

Stoke-on-Trent, there is a very

0:38:370:38:40

significant cluster. Doctor Laura

Cullinan leads the ceramics sector.

0:38:400:38:46

Contract Laura Cullinan.

0:38:460:38:47

We hope to can conclude a deal with

the sector in the months ahead which

0:38:470:38:53

will capitalise on the enormous

opportunity, especially in the new

0:38:530:38:57

uses of ceramics, for example in the

medical sector.

0:38:570:39:01

The government isn't just a funder

and regulator, it is also a

0:39:030:39:05

customer. Would it help if

government, nationally and locally,

0:39:050:39:10

acted like every other country and

actually bought vehicles built here

0:39:100:39:15

by British workers and actually

supported the companies and British

0:39:150:39:21

workers?

The most important thing is

that we have excellent products

0:39:210:39:24

here. I am proud to say that we do

in the automotive sector. In times

0:39:240:39:28

of our procurement guidelines, he

will be aware that the procurement

0:39:280:39:34

guidelines were changed by this

government to allow the importance

0:39:340:39:37

of local impact to be taken into

account, I hope he welcomes it.

This

0:39:370:39:43

government has rightly recognise the

UK now has the most fiscally

0:39:430:39:46

attractive regime for investment oil

and gas in the world. A good

0:39:460:39:50

sectoral deal will build on this.

The north-east of Scotland will look

0:39:500:39:54

forward to a future where it is not

only Europe's energy capital but the

0:39:540:39:57

world's.

I agree. I have the

privilege of leading a trade

0:39:570:40:03

delegation to India, including many

companies from Aberdeen and the

0:40:030:40:05

north-east of Scotland who are

selling their wares and their

0:40:050:40:10

expertise right around the world.

That is one of the big opportunities

0:40:100:40:14

in the deal that is being

negotiated.

The steel industry met

0:40:140:40:19

the criteria for sectoral deal, they

wanted one and apply for one but

0:40:190:40:22

they didn't get one, can you explain

why?

The discussion with the steel

0:40:220:40:27

industry are continuing and I expect

to conclude a very important and

0:40:270:40:32

ambitious one in this very

foundational industry.

Ten, Mr

0:40:320:40:35

Speaker.

0:40:350:40:37

Mr Speaker, the UK was the first

country to introduce the climate

0:40:390:40:43

change act and we have met our

targets, we met our first carbon

0:40:430:40:50

budget and are on track to exceed

the second and third.

Does the

0:40:500:40:55

Minister agreed that the clean

growth plan will not, on its own,

0:40:550:41:00

meet the fifth carbon budget? Given

this, does the Minister agree that

0:41:000:41:05

this plan is wholly inadequate and

that, as the committee on climate

0:41:050:41:09

change has said, this should not be

the plan?

0:41:090:41:13

The clean growth strategy has been

broadly welcomed, warmly welcomed.

0:41:150:41:19

Low-carbon innovation is at the very

heart of our approach to our

0:41:190:41:23

Industrial Strategy with over £2.5

billion in government investment

0:41:230:41:28

from 2015-2021.

A shy government

backbench member?

Graham Jones. The

0:41:280:41:36

Labour manifesto in the summer

committed to heat and power to be

0:41:360:41:42

produced, 60%, by zero Carbon all

renewable energies. How will the

0:41:420:41:46

government matched that ambition?

I

can tell the honourable gentleman

0:41:460:41:51

that our clean growth strategy is

rightly ambitious. The climate

0:41:510:41:56

change act allows us to be flexible

in our means of achieving the goals

0:41:560:42:00

that we have set out. As I said, we

are ahead of our targets on the

0:42:000:42:04

second and third carbon budget. In

the recent budget, the Treasury,

0:42:040:42:15

following consultation with the

Minister's department, will pull the

0:42:150:42:19

plug on all future support for

renewable energy deployment, except

0:42:190:42:23

for already allocated new term

support for offshore wind?

Can the

0:42:230:42:28

Minister tell me whether he himself

supports this action? And whether it

0:42:280:42:33

helps or hinders the UK's progress

to meeting its carbon reduction

0:42:330:42:36

targets.

As I have already said, we

are in a position where we met our

0:42:360:42:42

first carbon target and we are on

track to exceed the second and

0:42:420:42:45

third. This government is taking

this agenda exceptionally seriously

0:42:450:42:49

and is leading the world on it

having legislated with the climate

0:42:490:42:52

change act and putting clean growth

at the heart of this country's

0:42:520:42:54

Industrial Strategy.

0:42:540:42:59

In the last ten years, successive

Westminster Government... Number 14,

0:42:590:43:05

sorry.

On industrial strategy is for

the whole United Kingdom. I was

0:43:050:43:13

pleased to hear from institutions in

Wales and colleagues in the Welsh

0:43:130:43:16

Government as we develop the

Saturday have held discussions with

0:43:160:43:21

a range of sectors including life

sciences, steel and nuclear. They

0:43:210:43:26

are well placed to benefit from the

second week on the industrial

0:43:260:43:32

strategy challenge fund.

In the last

ten years of Government,

0:43:320:43:37

productivity has fallen by 10% in my

constituency and risen by 5% in

0:43:370:43:43

London. This regional inequality is

evidence that the Government is not

0:43:430:43:48

working for Wales. Will the Minister

agree we should be seeking the tools

0:43:480:43:51

to build our own future?

The lady is

right that there are big disparities

0:43:510:43:57

in regional productivity and in the

long term we had to work with

0:43:570:44:03

leaders across the country,

industries and universities to make

0:44:030:44:08

sure that the drivers of improved

productivity are in place and I know

0:44:080:44:13

the Government in Wales have

participated and endorsed the

0:44:130:44:19

approach we are taking and I take on

endorsement for the direction as

0:44:190:44:24

further encouragement.

The UK is the

world's largest offshore wind market

0:44:240:44:32

and will remain so for the

foreseeable future and the CFD

0:44:320:44:36

results in September will ensure

more offshore employment than

0:44:360:44:45

Denmark in the last four auctions

combined.

Offshore wind has brought

0:44:450:44:50

then if it's to the Waverley

constituency but can the Minister

0:44:500:44:53

outline what the Government is doing

to make sure that you take companies

0:44:530:45:02

-- UK companies have the chance to

participate in this success story?

I

0:45:020:45:06

am pleased that companies like that

are benefiting in projects off the

0:45:060:45:11

East Coast. I met several of them

this year at the east of England

0:45:110:45:16

energy group event in October and

they must submit a supply chain

0:45:160:45:24

planned before entering into option.

Wales is one of the key offshore

0:45:240:45:29

sectors in the whole of the world.

The Minister has announced £570

0:45:290:45:37

million for renewable energy. How

much of that is going towards

0:45:370:45:41

renewable offshore energy?

As the

honourable gentleman will know, the

0:45:410:45:45

system of CFD options are very

efficient in allocating the money

0:45:450:45:49

and I believe the North Wales coast

will be a major beneficiary of this.

0:45:490:45:57

The pension age was agreed by

Parliament in 2013 and I have met

0:45:570:46:05

with both the chief constable and

the Journal of the civil nuclear

0:46:050:46:09

police authority to hear their

concerns about the planned increase

0:46:090:46:12

of the pension age and after

listening to their concerns, I have

0:46:120:46:18

arranged to meet the civil nuclear

peace Federation early in the New

0:46:180:46:21

Year.

Stewart, a firearms officer in

my constituency, says why is he any

0:46:210:46:33

different to the police to protect

us from terrorists on the street

0:46:330:46:37

when he is protecting a cornerstone

of our power industry?

I heard the

0:46:370:46:42

honourable gentleman's point before

and I am looking into it.

Topical

0:46:420:46:48

questions.

Since we last met,

ministerial colleagues and I have

0:46:480:46:56

launched the Industrial Strategy

White Paper and can already see it

0:46:560:46:59

in action. We launched the third

sector deal with the life sciences

0:46:590:47:02

sector which is attracting

significant investment in the UK

0:47:020:47:07

from companies including Glaxo Smith

Kline. We are determined to make the

0:47:070:47:11

UK the best place to start and grow

a business as many colleagues joined

0:47:110:47:17

us in celebrating small-business

Saturday on the 2nd of December. I'd

0:47:170:47:20

like to congratulate the organisers

on this great event which saw over

0:47:200:47:30

£75,000 -- 75 million -- a

0:47:300:47:34

a colleague of the energy industry

is attending Emmanuel Macron's

0:47:430:47:47

Summit in Paris.

Does the Secretary

of State agree with me to make sure

0:47:470:47:57

that the electric arc remark is

proper

0:47:570:48:00

It is why we're taking a lead to

make sure we invest in research and

0:48:050:48:09

development but make sure we're

ahead of the world in having the

0:48:090:48:12

regulatory system.

Recent Government

figures show that UK funding from

0:48:120:48:22

Horizon 2020 dropped significantly

last year so can the Secretary of

0:48:220:48:25

State tell us what he is going to do

to address that alarming fall in

0:48:250:48:30

funding and well he commits to

participating in Horizon 2020 beyond

0:48:300:48:35

March 2019 should the UK leave the

EU then?

UK participation in Horizon

0:48:350:48:43

2020 have held up remarkably well

since June 2016 we remain one of the

0:48:430:48:48

strongest performers across the EU

system and as the honourable lady

0:48:480:48:52

will have seen last Friday, the

joint report between the commission

0:48:520:48:55

and the UK Government painted a very

positive outlook for our continued

0:48:550:48:59

participation in this valuable

programme.

Given the importance of

0:48:590:49:03

the automotive industry to the UK

and West Midlands, does the Minister

0:49:030:49:08

agree with me that it is essential

to invest in testing environments

0:49:080:49:12

for self driving cars to ensure that

the UK can compete with other

0:49:120:49:16

countries who want to become the

world's test-bed for new vehicle

0:49:160:49:21

technologies?

I agree with my

honourable friend and it is one of

0:49:210:49:24

the reasons we have established a

series of test-beds between London

0:49:240:49:27

and the West Midlands that include

the motorsports cluster. It is

0:49:270:49:33

already attracting huge interest

around the world and reinforcing our

0:49:330:49:38

reputation.

Onshore wind has been

Scotland's success story with the

0:49:380:49:43

Scottish Government on track to meet

100% electricity generation by

0:49:430:49:48

renewables. The possible block is UK

Government. As we approach the point

0:49:480:49:52

of zero subsidy onshore

developments, while the Government

0:49:520:49:55

find a way to allow Scottish onshore

developments to bid in the next CFD

0:49:550:49:59

option? -- option auction.

I do have

discussions with the Scottish

0:49:590:50:16

Government which resulted in the

remote islands policy that we have

0:50:160:50:20

adopted so I will continue to have

those discussions with his

0:50:200:50:23

colleagues.

Does my honourable

friend that retaining full sovereign

0:50:230:50:32

control of our regulation is

essential to getting the most out of

0:50:320:50:35

our economy? 80% of which doesn't

relate to the EU.

Regulation is

0:50:350:50:45

crucial to business workers and

consumers. Approximately 4 million

0:50:450:50:53

export directly to countries within

the EU and will have a keen interest

0:50:530:50:57

in the outcome of our trade

negotiations.

Northern Ireland have

0:50:570:51:01

a very good basic digital skills

programme but with one quarter of

0:51:010:51:13

businesses lacking confidence in the

basic digital skills, what is the

0:51:130:51:17

department doing to provide help for

smaller businesses to fill this

0:51:170:51:20

skills gap on the UK mainland?

We're

rocking with the Department for

0:51:200:51:26

Education who are investing hugely

in lifelong learning, skills,

0:51:260:51:33

employability and we're prioritising

the digital skills capability within

0:51:330:51:36

that commission and I'm sure that'll

be of great benefit.

Recent report

0:51:360:51:45

identified £2 trillion of global

opportunities with AI and driverless

0:51:450:51:50

carders. Can the

0:51:500:51:51

I'm delighted my honourable friend

draws attention to this. He will

0:51:560:52:00

know that in the industrial

strategy, one of the grand

0:52:000:52:06

challenges in the analysis of big

data, a crucial part of that is to

0:52:060:52:11

make sure that young people and

people retraining at the skills to

0:52:110:52:14

take up those jobs.

Rumours abound

that the Westminster Government is

0:52:140:52:20

seeking to changes policy on nuclear

decommissioning. Can the minister

0:52:200:52:24

explain if he has any plan to

introduce a policy of continuous

0:52:240:52:28

decommissioning for the ageing

nuclear state in the UK?

I can

0:52:280:52:33

assure the honourable lady that

nuclear decommissioning is a very

0:52:330:52:41

important factor and will be for

many years to come.

What recent

0:52:410:52:46

discussions as my honourable friend

had with the Secretary of State for

0:52:460:52:49

Transport about increased investment

in broad and rail projects to

0:52:490:52:55

improve drug activity, particularly

in the North of England?

I have had

0:52:550:53:00

regular conversations with the

Transport Secretary. He will know

0:53:000:53:04

that in Greater Manchester there was

an investment of a quarter of £1

0:53:040:53:10

billion in improving connections in

and around the city.

Given the

0:53:100:53:19

amount of time that has already

passed since the promise of an

0:53:190:53:23

energy icecap, and the Secretary of

State confirm he remains committed

0:53:230:53:26

to implementing the cap and other in

the process by which his party is

0:53:260:53:33

expected to introduce it?

We have

published an important bill and we

0:53:330:53:36

have requested Ofgem to develop

proposals as we progress with the

0:53:360:53:42

bill. The select committee are

scrutinising our draft legislation

0:53:420:53:46

which we intend to bring to the

House and the eldest opportunity.

0:53:460:53:50

Last week I was pleased to welcome a

delegation from Thailand to my

0:53:500:53:55

constituency to meet businesses in

the offshore renewables sector --

0:53:550:54:01

Taiwan. They regard the UK one as a

model. What is available to small

0:54:010:54:09

and medium-sized businesses to those

in this country but want to extend

0:54:090:54:14

to businesses abroad?

I can assure

my honourable friend that part of

0:54:140:54:20

the industrial strategy and part of

our discussions on the sector deal

0:54:200:54:23

have been based on Skilling up small

businesses with a view to export.

0:54:230:54:33

The Secretary of State may not that

officials from the Belfast

0:54:330:54:38

bombardier plant eyed in Montreal --

are in Montreal. Will he continue to

0:54:380:54:50

engage in this process?

I certainly

am and as the honourable gentleman

0:54:500:54:54

knows, throughout this project,

process we have been determined to

0:54:540:54:59

send a clear message boards too --

to Boeing and it reflects badly on

0:54:590:55:09

Belfast and is unfair. I continue to

press it this week with all the

0:55:090:55:16

parties concerned.

The Cambridge

biomedical campus brings together

0:55:160:55:24

academia, business and health care.

Does the Minister agree with me that

0:55:240:55:26

this is important collaboration that

will help boost productivity,

0:55:260:55:31

improve our economy and create jobs

for the future?

Indeed, Cambridge is

0:55:310:55:36

leading the way in this regard. We

want to see more collaboration

0:55:360:55:41

between business and university to

drive commercialisation and to make

0:55:410:55:44

the most of what we had investing.

It is good news that the Prime

0:55:440:55:50

Minister is attending the summit in

Paris today but can I want the

0:55:500:55:54

Secretary of State that Emmanuel

Macron is positioning Paris as the

0:55:540:55:57

world's leading green finance and to

tackle the threat and protect

0:55:570:55:59

London, ministers must back the Bank

of England's task force on

0:55:590:56:05

disclosure and bring in new

corporate requirements on fossil

0:56:050:56:08

fuel assets.

Britain leads the world

on climate finance so one of the

0:56:080:56:13

major contributions the Minister and

pray Minister of state is promoting

0:56:130:56:20

the availability of clean finance in

the UK, including Edinburgh and

0:56:200:56:25

London, and that is getting very

good reception.

The Secretary of

0:56:250:56:30

State has already spoken about the

great news for the West Midlands on

0:56:300:56:33

electric vehicles. You will remember

the electric taxi being manufactured

0:56:330:56:41

which was certified for use in

London this week. Does he agree the

0:56:410:56:45

opportunity for a platform for a

delivery vehicle is also very

0:56:450:56:49

important?

I agree with my

honourable friend and I would like

0:56:490:56:52

to congratulate the London taxi

company on having the first electric

0:56:520:56:57

taxi on the streets of London this

week, manufactured in the West

0:56:570:57:01

Midlands. A big vote of confidence

in our world beating water industry.

0:57:010:57:08

-- motor industry.

Access to finance

is critical for small businesses but

0:57:080:57:11

that is the Government agreed the

protection in place when things go

0:57:110:57:15

wrong doesn't exist and other

Government look at extending the

0:57:150:57:17

role of the FCA in that?

I will be

raising the very issue to the FCA of

0:57:170:57:28

unregulated small business lending.

0:57:280:57:35

Does the secretary of state agree

that the key to successful

0:57:350:57:38

industrial strategy is one that

focuses on all areas of the UK,

0:57:380:57:45

including North Warwickshire?

I do

indeed. One of the features of this

0:57:450:57:49

industrial strategy which is an

approach that previous business

0:57:490:57:53

policies have not taken over many

decades sufficient account of is the

0:57:530:57:58

importance of local places. These

skills, clusters of industry they

0:57:580:58:02

have there. As he knows, it is at

the heart of industry.

On the 8th of

0:58:020:58:09

March the Chancellor announced a

full review of business rates. On

0:58:090:58:14

the 14th of March they said that the

review would report in the not too

0:58:140:58:20

distant future. There is barely a

mention of the business rates having

0:58:200:58:24

an impact in York. When will the

review stop?

The Chancellor has

0:58:240:58:30

announced business rate relief for

small businesses, including making

0:58:300:58:35

the relief permanent and

retrospective redress for SMEs.

The

0:58:350:58:43

urgent question I have selected I

have selected because I judge it to

0:58:430:58:46

be urgent. But I should advise the

house that it is focused very much

0:58:460:58:51

on London and I have that in mind. I

am sensitive to the interest in the

0:58:510:58:57

subject, but I am conscious also

that we have other business that

0:58:570:59:01

will run for several hours and in

which there is intense interest.

0:59:010:59:05

That is a guide to the house that I

do not intend to run the urgent

0:59:050:59:09

question be half an hour. Urgent

question, Harriet Harman.

0:59:090:59:22

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