Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the number of (1) disabled people, and (2) elderly people, who will be unable to heat their homes this winter.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Priority Service Register (PSR) records domestic customers who, due to their personal characteristics or otherwise being in a vulnerable situation, may require Priority Services. In Ofgem’s Consumer Protection Report: Autumn 2021 the Priority Service Register (PSR) had recorded 7,032,854 consumers for electricity and 5,935,528 consumers for gas in 2020.
Elderly and disabled consumers are protected. As per Ofgem’s rules, in winter, energy suppliers must not disconnect domestic premises where the customer is of pensionable age. Additionally, suppliers must take all reasonable steps to avoid disconnecting a premise if the occupants include a person who is of pensionable age, disabled, or chronically sick. Vulnerable customers who feel they are struggling to pay their energy bills should contact their energy supplier as soon as possible to agree on a payment plan.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their response to the Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting Consultation, first published on 18 October 2018.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Government ran a consultation from October 2018 to January 2019 on Ethnicity Pay Reporting. The Government met with businesses and representative organisations to understand the barriers towards reporting. A response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their response to the consultation Ethnicity Pay Reporting, which closed on 11 January.
Answered by Lord Henley
The ethnicity pay reporting consultation closed on 11th January. We received over 300 detailed responses. We will set out next steps in due course.