Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the audit reforms they committed to introduce after the collapse of the construction firm Carillion five years ago.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s response to consultation on its reform proposals was published on 31 May 2022. This set out that reforms will be delivered by a variety of mechanisms, including changes already made by the regulator and by Ministerial Direction. The Government is committed to legislating when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible use of hydrogen alongside existing gas boilers; and whether the use of hydrogen could remove the need for gas boilers entirely.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is monitoring progress on trials that use blends of hydrogen in existing gas boilers to inform decisions in 2023 on whether to enable blending up to 20% hydrogen by volume into Great Britain gas networks. The Government is also supporting research, development and testing projects that will generate evidence on the costs, feasibility and impacts of using boilers that run entirely on hydrogen.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the profit margin per litre of petrol sold at petrol stations in (1) February 2022, (2) February 2021, and (3) February 2020.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government monitors the margin profits of petrol and diesel, but individual months do not necessarily reflect broader trends. Competitive markets ensure that consumers get a fair deal when they visit the pumps and that road fuel prices stay as low as possible.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with petrol retail companies regarding the reported increase in profit margin per litre of petrol; and what assessment they have made of the reasons for this increase.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department’s officials are in regular contact with the major companies in the fuel supply industry, including those with petrol retail operations, to discuss a range of issues.
This Department’s analysis shows that retail prices of petroleum products, such as petrol and diesel, are primarily driven by the underlying price in the global market of crude oil and by exchange rates.
The Government has kept fuel duty frozen for the twelfth consecutive year, helping the average UK driver save a cumulative £1,900.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fairness of allowing garden centres, classed as ‘essential’ retailers, to sell Christmas gift items during the new national COVID-19 restrictions in England from 5 November, while competing independent ‘non-essential’ retailers will have to close.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises this will be a challenging time for any business which have been asked to close.
All shops can continue to offer home delivery to customers and click and collect services. Click and collect services allow for doorstep pick-up, which is safer than shopping indoors, in potentially poorly-ventilated spaces.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of major furniture retailers reopening stores before 15 June on independent furniture retailers.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The regulations have always identified homeware, building supplies and hardware stores as being among those businesses which may be regarded as legal exceptions to the requirement to close.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 does not include a definition on what constitutes a homeware retailer. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business exempt from closing having considered the Regulations.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies have had with economists on the economic impacts of the lockdown; and if no discussions have taken place, what the reasons are for not holding such discussions.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government makes decisions based on the best scientific evidence, along with consideration of the economic, operational, social and policy implications of any interventions that might be introduced. The remit of SAGE is to provide science advice to the Government, but this is just one part of the picture. Scientific advice from SAGE is often considered alongside advice from other specialisms such as economics. As new scientific questions emerge, the participants at SAGE will change to provide the best available scientific evidence at that time.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to appoint an economist to the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies; and if not, why not. [T]
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government makes decisions based on the best scientific evidence, along with consideration of the economic, operational, social and policy implications of any interventions that might be introduced. The remit of SAGE is to provide?science?advice?to the Government, but this is just one part?of the picture. Scientific advice from SAGE is often considered alongside advice from other specialisms such as economics. As new scientific questions emerge, the participants at SAGE will change to provide the best available scientific evidence at that time.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the Services Committee intends to publish a report on the trial of the revised Bishop’s Bar services which started in October 2019; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond to these questions on his behalf.
At its meeting on 11 July 2019 the Services Committee agreed to trial a revised service in the Bishops’ Bar, taking effect from the return of the House in September. Due to the dissolution and recess periods the Committee agreed that the trial be extended until April 2020.
During the trial period food preparation has been removed from the Bishops’ Bar, due to health and food safety concerns. This has meant that it is no longer possible for staff to customise salads and sandwiches at the point of sale. The Committee also agreed to the removal of toasted sandwiches from the Bishops’ Bar as part of the trial. A variety of toasted sandwiches remain available for purchase in the River Restaurant, with the choice of eating in or taking away. Two plated salad options have remained on offer in the Bishops’ Bar during the trial period and should the trial changes be made permanent these plated salad options will remain.
The Committee did not introduce these changes lightly. They were the subject to several discussions by the Committee; the minutes of which are available on the Committee’s webpage.
A report on the trial and future provision of services in the Bishops’ Bar is expected to be considered by the Committee at its April meeting. Once the Committee has had the opportunity to consider the report, it will be made available on the Committee’s webpage.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the food offered in the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar prior to October 2019, particularly the customised items prepared by the chef, complied with the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice and Guidance Safe work in confined spaces, published in 2014.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond to these questions on his behalf.
Under the definition in the Approved Code of Practice, the Bishops’ Bar would not be considered a “confined space”, a term which should not be confused with a small space. When the Services Committee considered the required changes to the Bishops’ Bar in July, it accepted that the Administration had a duty of care towards staff working in the outlet and that the current conditions for food preparation were unsuitable.
We have no record of any incidents of food poisoning as a result of food consumed from the House of Lords Bishops’ Bar between 2009 and October 2019.
The Services Committee has no plans to review the methodology used by the food safety auditors who evaluated the Bishops’ Bar.