First elected: 8th June 2017
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Alex Norris, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Alex Norris has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Alex Norris has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to place a duty on the Secretary of State to promote the safety and wellbeing of teenagers; to make provision to prevent crime against teenagers; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make certain offences, including malicious wounding, grievous or actual bodily harm and common assault, aggravated when perpetrated against a retail worker in the course of their employment; to make provision about the sentencing of persons convicted of such aggravated offences; and for connected purposes
A Bill to make provision about offences when perpetrated against retail workers; to make certain offences aggravated when perpetrated against such workers in the course of their employment; and for connected purposes.
Breast Screening Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Steve Brine (Con)
Courts (Abuse of Process) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Liz Saville Roberts (PC)
No one should be refused access to businesses or services because they legitimately have an assistance dog.
Strong protection already exists in the Equality Act 2010, which places a duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve disabled people’s access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. This reasonable adjustment duty is an anticipatory duty, meaning that those who provide goods, facilities and services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require, including auxiliary aids.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the public body responsible for enforcing the Equality Act. In 2017, the Commission published two pieces of guidance - a guide to help businesses understand what they can do to meet their legal duties to assistance dog owners, and a guide to help tourism businesses welcome people with access requirements. The EHRC supports disabled individuals who have experienced discrimination to take their cases to court.
In recent years, case law has strengthened the equalities law for people with assistance dogs. There have been a number of significant cases brought under the Equality Act involving assistance dogs, which have been successfully litigated, for example, Bloch v Kassim (assistance dogs in taxis); Clutton and Williams v Pen-y-Bryn Group (assistance dogs in restaurants); and McCafferty v Miah (assistance dogs in shops). The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS), the equalities and human rights helpline, receives about 35,000 customer contacts a year, more than 60% of which concern disability issues. The EASS can intervene directly with or assist the complainant to take the case up with the relevant service provider in many cases, including those involving assistance dogs.
I am the chair of the Climate Action Implementation Cabinet Committee, which is responsible for considering matters relating to the delivery of the United Kingdom’s domestic and international climate strategy.
This government remains committed to net zero. It is important that we deliver a managed energy transition that protects energy security and does not place undue burdens on businesses or consumers. Chris Skidmore MP will therefore lead a rapid review of the government’s approach to net zero, to ensure we deliver our legally-binding target in a way that is pro-business and pro-growth.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to PQ 73892 on 22 November 2021.
Following a three-year investigation, the SFO determined that this case did not meet the evidential tests as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. As with all cases that fail this first limb of the Code, it was therefore not in the public interest to continue with the investigation. The SFO does not provide detailed commentary on how it conducts its investigations.
The SFO continues to assist our international law enforcement partners with ongoing investigations related to this matter and will assess any new material it receives.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to the Member for Buckingham for parliamentary questions 183958, 183959, 183960, and 183961.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to the Member for Buckingham for parliamentary questions 183958, 183959, 183960, and 183961.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to the Member for Buckingham for parliamentary questions 183958, 183959, 183960, and 183961.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to the Member for Buckingham for parliamentary questions 183958, 183959, 183960, and 183961.
The Dissolution Principles paper was published as a draft statement to inform debate on the principles that underpin the revived prerogative powers to dissolve one Parliament and call another. There has been careful scrutiny of these principles, including by the Joint Committee on the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, and the Government expanded on its views on the conventions on dissolution, government formation and confidence in its response to the Committee.
Through these debates, the Government considers that the Dissolution Principles document has served its purpose in supporting informed scrutiny of the non-legislative constitutional principles that apply to dissolution. Moreover, the Government has committed to updating the Cabinet Manual so that it continues to play a useful role as a guide to the operations and procedures of government and the associated conventions. This will include revisiting chapter 2 on Elections and Government formation to reflect the passage of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill.
On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed that a public inquiry into COVID-19 will be established on a statutory basis, with full formal powers, and that it will begin its work in spring 2022. The independent chair of the inquiry will be appointed by the end of this year. Further details will be set out in due course.
The COVID-19 Task Force in the Cabinet Office is responsible for coordinating the Government’s response to the pandemic. The Task Force has oversight of the implementation of the policies set out in the Covid-19 Response - Spring 2021, however accountability for individual COVID-19 related programmes rests with Senior Responsible Owners within Government departments.
The COVID-19 Task Force works with departments across Government to perform this role including: supporting decision-making through Cabinet committees; developing overarching strategy; and providing data and analysis.
The Government has received assorted correspondence on the proposals for a Commission. The Government will publish more details on this work programme in due course.
The Government has received assorted correspondence on the proposals for a Commission. The Government will publish more details on this work programme in due course.
The Government recognises the role community groups play in efforts to minimise climate change and already offers a range of support to community energy projects. This support is outlined in the Net Zero Strategy and Net Zero Growth plan and is in addition to the new £10m Community Energy Fund, which enables both rural and urban communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment. The Government has also recently committed to publishing an annual report on community energy and to consult on the barriers the sector faces when developing projects.
Officials are still working to determine if there is a robust method for travellers and itinerant liveaboard boaters to provide proof that their caravan or boat is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds. The Government is working to resolve this issue and will communicate this decision with key stakeholder associations who represent these households when it has been made.
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) puts the market at the heart of the Government’s net zero strategy. Last year’s Developing the UK ETS consultation considered improvements to the scheme, including aligning the cap to net zero and expansion to new economic sectors. The ETS Authority will publish a response in due course. In the Net Zero Growth Plan, the Government also accepted the Independent Review of Net Zero recommendation that it set out a long-term pathway for the ETS, including its intention to continue the scheme beyond 2030 until at least 2050, and committed do so later this year.
The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year, providing £150 rebates to over 3 million households, an increase of 800,000.
Energy suppliers can provide additional support to households through the Industry Initiatives element of the scheme, including financial assistance. This support can be provided irrespective of whether a household is eligible for a rebate.
The Government is providing additional financial assistance this and next winter, including through the Energy Price Guarantee, Energy Bill Support Scheme and the Cost of Living Payments. The Government is developing a new approach to consumer protection in relation to energy, which will apply from April 2024 onwards.
The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year, providing £150 rebates to over 3 million households. The Government published impact assessments when consulting and publishing the Government’s response, which compared the option for reforming the scheme to continuing the previous scheme.
Households previously applied through their suppliers. Suppliers set their own application process and eligibility criteria and selected successful applicants each year. Therefore the Government has not been able to assess how many previous eligible households are no longer eligible for the Scheme.
Transferring Energy Bills Support Scheme payments from electricity meters to gas meters is allowed under the scheme if the customer is with the same provider. This is administered by energy suppliers and the Government encourages suppliers to offer their customers as much flexibility as possible.
This Department is working with the Hospitality Sector Council to deliver on our 2021 Hospitality Strategy to improve the resilience of hospitality businesses.
The Government recognise that hospitality businesses are facing cost pressures driven by global factors, including high energy and cost of living pressures.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced in his Autumn Statement that there will be an extended and increased relief for retail and hospitality businesses worth almost £2.1 billion. This is the most generous in year business rates relief in over 30 years, outside of Covid-19 support.
UK onshore gas producers are required to confirm that they have an insurance policy, or comparable provision, in place that will cover required remedial work.
Differences in prices across countries are influenced by many factors, including differences in fuel mixes, market structures, regulation, and taxation strategies within each country.
For example, some countries have historically passed proportionally more energy system costs onto households than businesses compared to the UK. Other countries benefit from very cheap hydropower.
This means that while all countries have been affected by the rise in global energy prices, the impact on households and businesses will vary between countries.
In light of the unprecedented increase in global energy prices, on September 8th the Government announced a package of measures to support people and businesses with their energy bills.
There are a range of existing legal protections which can be engaged where an individual has an underlying health condition.
An immunocompromised person may be considered to have a disability and benefit from protections under the Equality Act, which include the duty on an employer to make reasonable adjustments. A disability under the Equality Act is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
Immunocompromised employees may also be protected against unfair dismissal. An employment tribunal will consider all the relevant facts around a dismissal in judging whether it was fair or not. This could include public health guidance regarding coronavirus for those who are immunocompromised, alongside other issues including individual behaviour.
Achieving net zero means buildings need to be almost completely decarbonised by 2050. As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, over the next 15 years we will gradually transition away from fossil fuel boilers and incentivise people to switch to low-carbon alternatives as appliances are replaced in a way that is fair, affordable and practical following the grain of the market.
The Government is planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in due course, which will set out our approach in more detail.
Between January 2013 and March 2021, approximately 1.6 million measures have been delivered through the Affordable Warmth element of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), targeted at reducing home heating costs for low income, fuel poor and vulnerable people, corresponding to an estimated £16.2bn in lifetime bill savings.
Details are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-energy-efficiency-statistics-headline-release-june-2021 (Table 2.1).
In Summer 2021, the Government will publish a new Life Science Vision which will set out our ambitious plans for the next decade to ensure the UK’s scientific excellence, partnered with the dynamism of industry, is positioned to assist the NHS in solving the most pressing health challenges of our generation now and in the future. The Vision is being jointly developed by Government and the sector to ensure we maintain the UK’s position as a global life science leader – building on the successes of rapid scientific and technological development during the pandemic - especially in vaccines and research - and benefitting from the regulatory freedoms and opportunities created by Brexit.
BEIS has worked closely with Health and Safety Executive and Public Health England to ensure that the Safer Working guidance for businesses is based on the most up to date understanding of Covid-19. Guidance is kept under constant review and it is updated accordingly. Businesses should carry out Covid-19 risk assessments and follow the Safer Working guidance.
BEIS has worked closely with Health and Safety Executive and Public Health England to ensure that the Safer Working guidance for businesses is based on the most up to date understanding of Covid-19. Guidance is kept under constant review and it is updated accordingly. Businesses should carry out Covid-19 risk assessments and follow the Safer Working guidance.
BEIS has worked closely with Health and Safety Executive and Public Health England to ensure that the Safer Working guidance for businesses is based on the most up to date understanding of Covid-19. Guidance is kept under constant review and it is updated accordingly. Businesses should carry out Covid-19 risk assessments and follow the Safer Working guidance.
People should currently continue to only travel to work if it is not reasonable for them to work from home. On 29 March, the Stay at Home message will be removed. However, people should continue to work from home where they can. We have published COVID-Secure guidance which sets out the steps that businesses should take to keep their staff and customers safe, if they are permitted to open. The Government will update COVID-Secure guidance to provide further advice on how businesses can improve fresh air flow in indoor workplaces and introduce regular testing.
Guidance for the January Business Support Package was published on 13th January. The discretionary funding announced on 5th January provides further resource to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). The ARG is a discretionary fund which is managed by local authorities. As such, schemes vary between areas and are managed and advertised locally.
Smart meters bring significant benefits to prepayment consumers and have been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smart prepayment services enable consumers to top-up remotely without leaving home and without needing to reach inaccessible meters. They also allow consumers to track their balance easily so they do not unknowingly run out of credit.
Energy suppliers are installing second generation smart (SMETS2) meters in prepayment mode across Great Britain. The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure that consumers with low incomes or with prepayment meters can benefit from smart meters. For example, the Government put in place an explicit objective for Smart Energy GB (the industry body responsible for leading coordinated consumer engagement) to assist consumers with low incomes or prepayment meters. Establishing partnerships with trusted organisations, including local community groups, to provide training and tailored information on smart metering has helped to raise awareness of smart metering, ensuring that all consumers are able to realise the benefits as soon as practicable.
The UK is working closely with international partners to ensure that when a vaccine is available, it will be accessible to everyone who needs it as soon as possible.
The UK has committed alongside other countries to support equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments for example, committing up to £250 million of UK aid to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) for the development of coronavirus vaccines. The UK has already committed £48 million to the COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX) Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) which supports low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to access a successful vaccine.
The UK is also working closely with CEPI, GAVI (Vaccine Alliance) and the WHO to shape the emerging proposal for the self-financing arm of COVAX, which can support both domestic access and equitable access to LMICs.
We continue to work with our international partners to ensure that where countries have bilateral deals – including whether we be in the fortunate position where we have excess doses, these could be contributed to the COVAX facility.
We are actively working with vaccine alliance GAVI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organisation to meet our ambition of access to vaccine for all countries – this includes working alongside other countries to support the development of the COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX) facility. The priority of the entire world is securing a vaccine as quickly as possible, and our investment is supporting that effort.
In order to determine a tax-free payment value of £6 per week for people required to work from home due to Covid-19, the Department followed the guidance set out by HM Revenue and Customs of £26 per month as a fair contribution towards the utility costs of employees. This guidance is set out at: https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home.
Someone’s ability to do their job can be affected by health conditions such as covid-19 symptoms. Several laws are relevant when managing sick leave and return to work. These include the Equality Act, the Employment Rights Act and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act.
During the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has worked with a wide range of businesses, trade unions and representative organisations to issue guidance on safe return to work. This guidance has been regularly updated in line with scientific advice.
In line with employment and health and safety law, guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive sets out that employers should have policies and procedures on managing sick leave. They should develop these in consultation with workers and their representatives. The guidance states that employers should:
- record and monitor sick leave to help them identify trends and manage risk
- train their managers on how to manage sick leave and return to work
- keep in contact with workers who are off sick, ensuring the conversation remains focused on their health, safety and wellbeing and their return to work
- consider making workplace adjustments to help workers return to work. This could include shorter hours, flexible or part-time working, or adapting work equipment
- review their health and safety risk assessment where a worker’s health condition makes them or others more vulnerable to workplace risks
- get professional advice on issues such as fitness to work or workplace adjustments, for example from an occupational health provider.
Employers have a duty under UK law to protect the health and safety of their workers and other people who might be affected by their business. This includes considering the risks that COVID-19 represents.
Our guidance outlines steps employers should consider, and employers should use the guidance to create specific plans for their business in consultation with those who are affected by their operations, including workers and contractors.
We know that every organisation is different. Each business’s plan will depend on the nature of the business, such as the sector, and the details of the workforce and operations.
The Government is working closely with industry to support the adoption of guidance published on 11 May 2020 on working safely in people’s homes during COVID-19.
Energy UK and the Association of Meter Operators have also been working with their member organisations to support compliance with the Government guidance and share good practice related to all aspects of remobilisation, including undertaking smart meter installations in consumer’s homes. Energy suppliers, meter operators and energy networks will need to continue to have the health and wellbeing of their customers and staff as their central priority.
The Government has consulted on proposals for a new policy framework to continue to drive market-wide rollout of smart meters after the current duty on energy suppliers ends in December 2020. This consultation sought views from stakeholders about what policy measures the Government should consider in order to complement the proposed market-wide rollout obligation.
We are carefully considering the range of responses and evidence submitted, ahead of publishing a Government response. We will see seek to do this as soon as is practicable.
In the meantime, the Government has updated the ‘How to Let’ and ‘How to Rent’ guides for tenants and landlords in the private rented sector to make clear the rights and responsibilities for accepting and installing a smart meter.
Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to provide second generation smart (SMETS2) meters to their customers.
SMETS1 meters will only normally be installed where energy suppliers are unable to provide a SMETS2 service, despite having taken all reasonable steps to provide one and the energy consumer prefers to have a SMETS1 service rather than wait for a SMETS2 service to become available .
On 19 March the Government established an industry-wide voluntary agreement to a set of principles for assisting energy consumers, through difficulties caused by Covid-19. The support offered is based on the individual circumstances of the customer and the systems, processes and capability of the supply company, but includes measures such as extending discretionary or friendly credit, adjusting payments and the recovery of debts and sending out a pre-loaded top up card for traditional prepay customers who are unable to top up.
Government has also introduced wider schemes to assist both consumers and businesses during the Covid-19 outbreak, including schemes to provide affordable government backed loans. Government has supported household incomes through the Job Retention Scheme to enable employers to furlough staff and the Self Employment Income Support scheme. Government has also introduced a number of temporary changes to Universal Credit to better support consumers on low incomes through the outbreak, including significant increases to payments.
Government and Ofgem have supported energy suppliers in their ability to manage costs and support their customers by providing a loan to the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) to ease the additional pressures on supplier Contracts for Difference (CfD) payments and the ability for suppliers to defer part of the network charges, in order to free-up short term working capital and enable the support of customers in need.
It is too early to say what level of debt has accumulated since the Covid-19 outbreak. Government continues to regularly engage with Ofgem energy suppliers and consumer advocates to understand the evolving picture.
Upgrading energy efficiency supports jobs and economic activity right across the country, from rural areas to large cities. In 2018, the domestic and non-domestic energy efficiency sector employed 153,600 people, with turnover of £21 billion and exports of almost £900 million. It also delivers a wide range of other economic benefits, for example: lower energy bills, reduced carbon emissions, fewer households in fuel poverty, lower costs of decarbonisation, and improved health and air quality.
The costs for identifying suitable homes has been estimated at around £257m for the three and a half year duration of ECO3 (2018 – 2022). That would be around 11% of the total estimated cost of the scheme.
On 28th April 2020 BEIS published a Stakeholder Notice on changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive Schemes (RHI). The proposals were to extend the Domestic RHI for a further year, introduce a new allocation of Tariff Guarantees on the Non-Domestic RHI and extend current Tariff Guarantee commissioning deadlines. These proposed changes are designed to provide for a smooth transition into the future support schemes for low carbon heat and afford large scale projects impacted by delays to construction due to Covid-19 additional time to commission and receive RHI funding. This Notice closed to responses on 19th May 2020.
BEIS understands the importance of delivering as much certainty to industry as possible at this time. As such, having now analysed the responses received to the Notice, officials are working to publish the Government Response and make the necessary regulatory changes in the coming weeks.
In the Government’s Future Homes Standards consultation, which closed 7 February, we proposed that new homes built to this standard should have 75-80% fewer CO2 emissions than those built to current building regulation standards. An impact assessment on the Future Homes Standard will be published when we consult on the details of the policy proposals. We will carefully consider any impacts on costs and housing supply as part of the consultation.
Since 1 April 2020, The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) require that, subject to certain exemptions, all domestic private rented sector landlords improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band E. Local authorities have a range of powers under the Regulations to enforce compliance with the minimum energy efficiency standard, including the ability to serve a compliance notice, a financial penalty and/or a publication penalty that makes details of the breach available to the public.
The Department has launched a landlord exemptions register (“the PRS Exemptions Register”) which is used by local authorities to help target their enforcement activity, and is conducting enforcement pilots with local authorities to develop best practice around enforcement of the Regulations.
In addition, local authorities use the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (“HHSRS”), a health-based, risk assessment framework, to evaluate 29 specific hazards, including excess cold, in homes. For private rented sector properties, if a HHSRS assessment identifies a hazard at 'category 1' level, then local authorities have a duty to take formal enforcement action, ranging from a Hazard Awareness Notice to an Emergency Remedial Action (where remedial works are carried out immediately by the local authority and the landlord billed). The HHSRS also forms part of the Decent Homes Standard, the minimum standard that social housing should meet.
Ofgem wrote to energy suppliers on 8 April 2020 to provide them with flexibility to temporarily deprioritise non-essential meter installations. This enabled energy suppliers to focus on: ensuring that customer needs were met, particularly the most vulnerable; maintaining secure, reliable and safe supplies of energy to consumers in the short to medium term; and ensuring the safety and protection of consumers and their workforces.
The Government is working with energy suppliers to re-mobilise the roll-out of smart meters, further to guidance published on 11 May 2020 on working safely in people’s homes during COVID-19.
The Government has consulted on proposals for a new policy framework to continue to drive market-wide rollout of smart meters after the current duty on energy suppliers ends in December 2020.
We are carefully considering the range of responses and evidence submitted, ahead of publishing a Government response. We will see seek to do this as soon as is practicable.