James McMurdock

Ministers and officials regularly engage with their US counterparts to discuss ways to strengthen the UK-US trading relationship, already worth £304 billion. The Secretary of State met US Trade Representative Katherine Tai at the G20 Summit in October where they discussed deepening UK-US collaboration.

Essex has a vibrant manufacturing sector and Basildon is home to many key businesses including Ford, Leonardo and New Holland. The strength of the Essex economy means that it is home to two freeports including the Thames Freeport in the Right Honourable member’s constituency.

Our new Industrial Strategy is central to the Governments Growth Mission. The Strategy will drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth throughout the UK, with advanced manufacturing being one of eight growth-driving sectors the strategy will support. The Strategy will support growth sectors to create high-quality, well-paid jobs across the country.

The Government recognises that this continues to be a worrying time for the steel sector facing pressures due to global energy prices.

We are committed to minimising energy costs for steel, and all energy intensive industries, to help ensure they remain strong and competitive.

Further support through the new British Industry Supercharger should be worth (on average) around £24-£31 Per MegaWatt Hour (MWh) for eligible businesses, closing the competitive gap with their international competitors.

DBT’s offer of export support for Food & Drink businesses in Essex and the whole of the UK includes: educational support via our Export Academy, 1-2-1 support from International Trade Advisors and our extensive overseas network, with trade advisors promoting UK food in over 100 countries. Overseas we deliver a large programme of trade shows, missions and events to increase exports in the sector. In addition, our UK Export Finance agency helps companies access export finance, with a dedicated finance manager covering Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

UK businesses, including those in Essex, can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises online support and our wider network of support, including Export Champions, the Export Academy, our International Markets network, and UK Export Finance. Alongside this, our international trade advisers use their extensive experience of exporting and knowledge of the needs of SMEs in their sectors and regions to provide one-to-one tailored support to businesses across the UK.

DBT will continue to review its offer to ensure businesses have the support they need to export and grow.

The current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and accepted. The Government has no plans to change it.

While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday remains considerable. The estimated cost to the UK economy of an additional one-off bank holiday is around £2bn.

The government does not intend to propose legislation directly regulating prices in supermarkets. Effective competition in the grocery market will ensure fair prices and choices are available to consumers.

Promoting effective competition is the responsibility of the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In response to cost of living pressures, the CMA has conducted a wide-ranging project looking at competition and prices in the groceries sector. This work found that competition is generally working well in the sector, however the CMA are continuing this work and examining the impact of loyalty scheme pricing.

Growth is the government’s central economic mission and we are currently developing an Industrial Strategy which aims to drive growth across the UK through investment in key sectors and regions.

The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) encourages investment across the UK through working closely with local council teams. A recent example is the 11^th of September opening of Iveco’s UK HQ in Basildon, closely supported by DBT alongside Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council.

DBT regularly refers to Basildon’s strong industrial base in company information requests, referring to well-established overseas investors such as the Ford Motor Company and CNH Industrial Tractors.

DBT works to promote Basildon to investors with further support from the Thames Estuary Growth Board PRP, The Thames Freeport team and the Cities and Local Growth Unit.

Growth is the government’s central economic mission and we are currently developing an Industrial Strategy which aims to drive growth across the UK through investment in key sectors and regions.

DBT looks to encourage investment across the UK and works closely with relevant economic development and inward investment officers at Essex County Council, The Thames Freeport and the Thames Estuary Growth Board (PRP) along with the local councils as appropriate.

Investment into the wider region (Essex, Kent and East Sussex) has been consistent between 2021-2024. The number of jobs created rose to 1281 in 2023-2024, a 40% rise from the previous year.

The Lakeside shopping Centre at West Thurrock continues to be an attraction for foreign retailers and DBT has supported retail and distribution investments in the region from Aldi, Lidl and Amazon.

The Government recognises the difficult circumstances faced by parents who need to take time out of work to care for children with long term illnesses.

The Government has made a range of commitments which will work to support parents in this situation so they can balance work with caring responsibilities. This includes making flexible working the default as part of the Employment Rights Bill, which will make it easier for parents to access flexible working where it is feasible. Government has also committed to reviewing unpaid Carer’s leave and exploring the benefits of a paid entitlement.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Planning applications for battery storage are determined by the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act regime. The operation of this regime and the decisions made under it are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

The Government recognises that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Homes Discount to over 3 million households in fuel poverty this winter. In addition, I have also been working with energy suppliers to agree a £500 million winter support package to help customers struggling with bills this winter.

I urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support.

The Government does not assess the impact of new transmission network infrastructure on house prices.

However, landowners, businesses, and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also put in place discretionary schemes offering additional compensation.

In England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 requires developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with communities before they submit applications for consent. As part of their application for the Norwich to Tilbury project National Grid are required to engage with local communities and to ensure their feedback is considered and incorporated into the project. The Government does not make assessments for specific projects until they come to the Secretary of State for a final planning decision.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave him to Question UIN 22545.

The Clean Industry Bonus (CIB) has superseded Sustainable Industry Rewards. Like the rest of the Contracts for Difference scheme, it will be funded by the existing levy on consumer bills. It will drive much needed investment in supply chains, including into new factories. For the first round of CIBs (starting in 2025), aggregate consumer bill impact is estimated to be in the region of c.£1-2 per year for two years, giving rise to a total bill impact of around £2-4 for the round. Impact for future rounds will depend on the timing and scale of those rounds which has yet to be decided.

The Head of Mission Control is a full-time role.

The operational trading schemes under Part 3 of the Climate Change Act 2008 (CCA) are the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, launched in 2021, and the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes, launched in 2024. A review of the UK ETS was published in December 2023. A consultation on the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes was published in December 2024. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (formerly the Carbon Reduction Commitment) was previously established under Part 3 of the CCA, but there have been no CRC surrender obligations since October 2019 and all legal requirements for the scheme regulator end on 31 March 2025.

The Net Zero transition is critical to sustainable UK growth because of the economic costs of unmitigated climate change.

The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its analysis of the cost of reaching net zero by 2050 in chapter 3 of the July 2021 edition of its UK Fiscal Risk Report. As the OBR has noted, “the costs of failing to get climate change under control would be much larger than those of bringing emissions down to net zero.

Great British Energy is a key part of the government's mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by achieving clean power by 2030.

This is part of a sustainable, long-term plan to protect all UK billpayers, including farmers, from volatile international gas markets. In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.

The Government does not assess the impact of new transmission network infrastructure on house prices.

Landowners, businesses and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also put in place discretionary schemes offering additional compensation.

More broadly, government is committed to ensuring that communities who live near new clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits and is currently considering how to deliver this most effectively.

Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

Developers of electricity transmission projects and all nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals. This includes conducting assessments of projects’ impacts on the environment and habitats through Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitats Regulations Assessments. Additionally, developers engage with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders through consultations to ensure their feedback is considered in project proposals. All of this is considered in the independent and robust project assessment process.

Developers of electricity transmission projects and all nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals. This includes conducting assessments of projects’ impacts on the environment and habitats through Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitats Regulations Assessments. Additionally, developers engage with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders through consultations to ensure their feedback is considered in project proposals. All of this is considered in the independent and robust project assessment process.

The design and development of electricity transmission infrastructure is the responsibility of developers. Government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities can participate in.

Given the Secretary of State’s role in determining consent for Nationally Significant Infrastructure projects, it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to discuss any specific projects, so as not to prejudice this process.