Tuesday Volume 620 31 January 2017 No. 102 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 31 January 2017 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2017 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 793 31 JANUARY 2017 794 have set a target to grow this sector by a further 10% of House of Commons global share in the next two decades. What more money could be put into the satellite sector from the industrial Tuesday 31 January 2017 strategy challenge fund? Greg Clark: My hon. Friend raises an important The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock point. We say in the strategy that we should build on our strengths, and the satellite sector is a shining British PRAYERS strength that is creating huge numbers of jobs. It is specified throughout the industrial strategy as an area [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] in which we want the industry to work together to ensure that, in particular, we are training the technicians ROYAL ASSENT and engineers of the future, which is what we have been doing. Mr Speaker: I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op): signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts: The industrial strategy rightly points out the crucial Policing and Crime Act 2017 significance of investment in science for our future economy and productivity.Given that the USA, Germany Wales Act 2017. and France all outspend us in this area, will the Secretary of State give a commitment that future spending will outstrip theirs to give us a competitive advantage over Oral Answers to Questions them? Greg Clark: The hon. Gentleman is a thoughtful BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL Member with regard to these matters, having chaired STRATEGY the then Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, and he will see in the Green Paper that we are candid The Secretary of State was asked— about the need to maintain the pace. Indeed, we have increased public investment. He was right to mention Science Funding the US, but actually the proportion of public to business investment is higher in this country than in Germany, 1. Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab): If he Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and other will make it his policy to allocate 3% of GDP on science countries besides. We are building on strength, but we funding. [908474] want to take things further, and I look forward to his The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial contribution to the consultation. Strategy (Greg Clark): The first section of our Green Dr Sarah Wollaston (Totnes) (Con): There is great Paper on industrial strategy sets out our ambition to concern about the future of fusion research after Britain make Britain the best nation in the world for scientists, pulls out of the EU and Euratom. Will the Secretary of innovators and technical inventors. In support of this, State reassure us that he will continue to support and we have announced an increase of £4.7 billion in public fully fund the Joint European Torus project and other research and development funds, which is the biggest joint research projects such as ITER—the international increase in support of science for 40 years. thermonuclear experimental reactor—after Britain leaves Lilian Greenwood: In evidence to the Education the EU? Committee last week, Professor Arthur, the president of University College London, spoke not only of the huge Greg Clark: The collaboration between scientists and sums flowing into UK research from Europe—through those in the nuclear sector is one of the important Horizon 2020 and the European Research Council, for aspects of the continued co-operation that we want and example—but of the need for a system to replace the intend to see continue. mobility of people, networking and the ability to work across multiple boundaries. Does the Secretary of State Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): recognise that if the Eurosceptics in his party prevail The Green Paper makes much of re-announcing the and we have a hard Brexit, spending even 3% of GDP welcome increase in science spending which, following on science funding will not be enough to protect our cuts of up to 50% over the last seven years, has finally global reputation for scientific research? What is he returned it to the levels under the last Labour Government. doing to stand up for the needs of this sector? Research and development funding, however, remains barely half the recommended 3% target that Labour Greg Clark: The hon. Lady has two eminent universities has committed to. Does the Secretary of State agree in her constituency that are going from strength to that, given the impact of Brexit on UK science, the lack strength. I agree that it is important that the best of any overarching vision and the focus on picking researchers from across the world come to our universities, sector winners, rather than mobilising the whole— and the Prime Minister said in her Lancaster House speech that that was a priority for our negotiations. Mr Speaker: Order. I am extremely grateful to the hon. Lady—[Interruption.] Order. I am sorry, but we Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con): Science funding have a lot to get through. The Front Benchers, on both includes funding for the satellite sector, which is an sides, must be much more self-disciplined. It is not fair important industrial base for the UK. The Government on Back Benchers. 795 Oral Answers 31 JANUARY 2017 Oral Answers 796 Greg Clark: The hon. Lady does not have it right. She Drew Hendry: What guarantees will the Minister give should know—the science sector has welcomed this to ADS, the group representing the UK aerospace fact—that we protected funding for science during all industry, which states that it must have the difficult years in which we were recovering from the “Access to vital space programmes initiated by the European financial situation that Labour left us. There was a huge Space Agency, but funded by specific EU programmes”? welcome for the £2 billion increase, which is the biggest since 1979. In other words, that is bigger than what any Jesse Norman: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of Labour Government ever offered. State has already talked about the importance of our satellite programmes in this country. The European Aerospace Space Agency sits outside the EU structure, so it will be handled separately from EU discussions. 2. Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con): What recent Mr Nigel Evans: Does my hon. Friend see the signing assessment he has made of the international competitiveness of the contract in Turkey last week by the United of the UK aerospace. [908476] Kingdom and Turkey on the new Turkish fighter jet as an endorsement of the skills and expertise of BAE 5. Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood) (Con): What Systems in this country, and does he foresee future deals recent assessment he has made of the international with other countries? competitiveness of the UK aerospace. [908479] Jesse Norman: I think that everyone concerned with 6. Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and the aerospace sector will welcome that transaction. It Strathspey) (SNP): What assessment he has made of shows how BAE continues to be a global leader in this the aerospace industry’s contribution to economic growth sector, and we must hope that it goes on to do further across the UK. [908480] such work around the world. 11. Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley) (Con): What Hannah Bardell (Livingston) (SNP): In the last two recent assessment he has made of the international years, Glasgow has built more satellites than any other competitiveness of the UK aerospace. [908488] city in Europe, with 100 private and public sector organisations such as Clyde Space contributing more The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, than £130 million to the Scottish economy. This is much Energy and Industrial Strategy (Jesse Norman): The credited to Scotland’slong-standing strength in engineering, UK has the second largest aerospace industry worldwide, science and technology. As we face the prospect of a with strengths in some of the most technologically hard Tory Brexit, will the Minister make a commitment advanced parts of aircraft—wings, engines and advanced here and now that Scotland’s aerospace sector will be systems. The sector has annual turnover of around protected and that there will be no detriment to this £30 billion and exports of some £25 billion a year. vital sector and its many jobs? Fiona Bruce: Leading aerospace part designer and Jesse Norman: The success of Scotland has been part manufacturer Senior Aerospace Bird Bellows in my of a wider UK success. I absolutely recognise the point constituency speaks positively of the support from the that the hon. Lady mentions. I was in Glasgow only last Government’s Sharing in Growth scheme, which it says week, talking to high-tech companies at Glasgow University, will be key in helping the company to realise its ambitious and I can absolutely vouch for their quality. growth strategy.Will the Minister join me in congratulating the company on its plans and consider visiting its Mr Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con): In my former factory in Congleton to learn more? career as an aerospace engineer—[HON.MEMBERS: “Hear, hear.”] They have not heard the question yet, Mr Speaker. Jesse Norman: I absolutely join my hon. Friend in In that former career, I saw several examples of our congratulating the company. I have visited companies aerospace competitiveness being diminished by the political benefiting from the Sharing in Growth programme and enforcement of collaboration in engineering across Europe.