Environment Protection: Employment
Business, Innovation and Skills

Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support growth in levels of employment in (a) remanufacturing and (b) other environmental industries.

Mark Prisk (Minister of State (Business and Enterprise), Business, Innovation and Skills; Hertford and Stortford, Conservative)

Remanufacturing is an important feature of the move to a low carbon economy. Any process which reduces costs, waste and carbon emissions, whilst meeting demand and serving the economy, is to be welcomed. Job creation must though come from the private sector. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,(BIS), working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), is carrying out a review of energy intensive sectors, such as iron, steel and aluminium, which will consider how remanufacturing-and recycling-will play a role in ensuring the future competitiveness of these sectors in the low carbon economy. In the revised waste framework directive the waste hierarchy is now a priority order providing a strong driver to encourage greater reuse and recycling.

We are also working to create a Green Economy Roadmap which is a joint initiative between BIS, DECC and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to provide clarity to business on the green economy, the Government's policy intentions and the implications for business over the next 10 years. We will be publishing details later in the year.