Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Net Zero Projects: Skills

Tuesday 4 July 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial colleagues have assessed the adequacy of workforce skills for net zero projects.
  • The Climate Change Committee has expressed concern about the UK falling behind on net zero commitments, including skills development.
  • The Government aims to work quickly with the green jobs delivery group and the Department for Education to advance the workforce plan.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stephen Farry
Education Employment Climate
Context

The question arises from the need to assess whether the current workforce has adequate skills to support net zero initiatives.

Question

What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of workforce skills for delivering net zero projects.

Answer from Amanda Solloway

We recognise that having the right skills within the workforce is critical, which is why we established the green jobs delivery group.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific assessment requested was not provided; instead, a general recognition of the importance of workforce skills and an existing initiative were mentioned.

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Q2 Stephen Farry
Climate
Context

The Climate Change Committee has expressed concern about the UK falling behind on net zero commitments, particularly regarding skills. The current workforce plan is not due until 2024, which raises concerns given the urgency.

Question

In light of the Climate Change Committee's concern that the UK is falling behind on a range of net zero commitments including skills, and noting that new green jobs require a skilled workforce as part of the green new deal, will the Government commit to bringing forward the workforce plan from 2024 to some time later this year?

Answer from Amanda Solloway

We are working as quickly as we can on ensuring this. The new skills required are beneficial for the UK economy, so we are keen to work with the green jobs delivery group and the Department for Education in looking at apprenticeships and how we can push this forward as quickly as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitment was given to bring forward the workforce plan; instead, a general statement of working as quickly as possible was provided.

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