Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average wait time is for an application to change the land registry to be fully processed as of 10 January 2023.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
HM Land Registry’s latest processing times are published on GOV.UK here.
Over 90% of information requests are delivered instantly via digital services, with the remainder within three days. The average waiting time for all other applications was two weeks in December, although more complex applications can take longer.
Customers can request fast-tracking at no extra cost if an application becomes urgent. HMLR processes over 1000 of these every day, with 95% completed within 10 working days.
Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of the cost of energy on the laundry sector as a (a) standalone industry and (b) part of the supply chain within the hospitality industry.
Answered by Graham Stuart
No such assessment has been made. However, the Government remains committed to supporting business with the rise in energy costs through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which will provide a price reduction to all eligible businesses and other non-domestic customers. The price reduction will run from October 2022 until March 2023.
From April 2023 the Energy Bills Discount Scheme will support UK businesses, charities and public sector with energy bills. The Scheme will provide a discount on high energy costs. Businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity will receive a higher level of support.
Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to taxation for renewable energy companies will have on the creation of new Green jobs as part of (a) The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and (b) the Net Zero Strategy.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The economic and fiscal impact of changes in tax policy are factored into the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts. Further detail is available in the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook which is published at fiscal events. The Electricity Generator Levy is a temporary tax, on extraordinary returns being realised from certain electricity generators because of high gas prices, driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Government expects to see the continued growth of the UK renewable energy industry, bringing with it jobs and economic growth. The Ten Point Plan, Net Zero Strategy and British Energy Security Strategy will support up to 480,000 jobs.
Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of ongoing (a) rail and (b) postal strikes on small businesses.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Strike action by its very nature is disruptive to the economy. That is why it should always be a last resort and the Government always encourages unions and employers to seek a resolution of disputes before strike action takes place.
While the Government recognises the importance of the right to strike, we need to balance this against the need to protect the public and keep them safe. The Government is therefore reviewing our industrial relations legal framework to ensure that it gets this balance right. More details will be given in due course.
Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) park home residents and (b) other people who who do not have their own energy contract and will receive support through the Energy Bill Support Scheme in (i) Great Yarmouth, (ii) Norfolk and (iii) the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is estimated that the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide support to around 900,000 households across the UK who do not qualify for the Energy Bills Support Scheme because they do not have a direct relationship with an energy supplier. Of these, it is estimated that up to 125,000 households may be in park homes. The Government has not made estimates of the figures for Great Yarmouth or Norfolk.
Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to consult (a) businesses and (b) domestic consumers on whether to amend the Postal Services Act 2011 to allow Royal Mail to operate a five-day letter delivery service.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government has no current plans to change the statutory minimum requirements of the universal postal service which are set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.
Ofcom, the statutory regulator for postal services, conducted a user needs review in 2020 which included consultation with businesses and domestic consumers. It concluded that 97% of Small and Medium sized enterprises, and residential consumers combined felt that 5 days of letter delivery was sufficient for their needs.
Asked by: Brandon Lewis (Conservative - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Regulation 7 of The Fireworks Regulations 2004 at reducing the anti-social use of fireworks.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government endorses the considerate use of fireworks and action taken to reduce the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals and property. The majority of individuals who use fireworks do so in a responsible and safe manner and there are enforcement mechanisms in place to tackle situations when fireworks are misused.