Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 small businesses that have moved their businesses online because they were not able to afford their energy bills in the latest period for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has made no estimate of the number of small businesses which may have taken the decision to move their activities entirely online.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 is taking steps to introduce financial incentives to encourage community energy schemes during the cost of living crisis; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Community energy schemes within Wales have access to support from the Welsh Government.
Ofgem supports community energy projects and welcomes applications from community interest groups, co-operative societies, and community benefit societies to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.
The Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals through UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government also encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes.
Given the level of support already available, the Government has no plans to take further steps to introduce financial incentives for community energy at this time.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to provide (a) financial and (b) other support to people running community energy schemes in Ogmore constituency in the last five years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Community energy schemes within Wales have access to support from the Welsh Government.
Ofgem supports community energy projects and welcomes applications from community interest groups, co-operative societies, and community benefit societies to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.
The Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals through UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government also encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes.
Given the level of support already available, the Government has no plans to take further steps to introduce financial incentives for community energy at this time.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 publish his recent correspondence with industry leaders on the use of low-carbon generators.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government engages with industry leaders on a range of issues, including energy security and net zero. It is not Government policy to publish Ministerial correspondence.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his objectives are for the remainder of the UK’s COP presidency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK hands the COP Presidency to Egypt in a few days time, at COP27. To avoid and respond to the most catastrophic impacts of a changing climate, COP27 must build on commitments made at COP26.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 on including cyber risk management as a core part of the forthcoming corporate governance reforms.
Answered by Paul Scully
Chapter 3 of the Government’s White Paper on ‘Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance’, published in March 2021, set out proposals for companies to report on their resilience planning, and invited views on whether the management of cyber risks (among other things) should form part of a company’s ‘Resilience Statement’. The Government has been carefully considering responses to the consultation on the White Paper and will publish its response in due course, including with regard to the proposed Resilience Statement.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how businesses that falsely use Energy Company Obligation 3 are penalised.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As the administrator of the scheme, the Office of Gas and Energy Markets (Ofgem) undertakes enforcement action as appropriate where companies falsely use the Energy Company Obligation scheme or commit fraud. Ofgem has a dedicated fraud team to deal with such cases.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative assessment he has made of the accessibility of information and advertisements on Energy Company Obligation 3 to consumers and energy suppliers.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Simple Energy Advice (SEA) is a government-funded site which offers information for consumers on all BEIS schemes, including ECO. Information can be accessed on their website at www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk or by calling the Simple Energy Advice helpline on 0800 444202.
Information for energy suppliers can be found through delivery guidance published by Ofgem, the scheme administrator, and more information can be found at GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/energy-company-obligation. BEIS and Ofgem also meet regularly with obligated energy suppliers.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 assessment of the potential merits for consumer protection of requiring installers of Energy Company Obligation 3 be approved and regulated by Ofgem.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has implemented the key recommendations of the independent Each Home Counts Review of consumer advice, protection, standards and enforcement for energy efficiency and renewable energy. This has included the launch of TrustMark as the government endorsed quality mark and the introduction of improved design and installation standards for domestic retrofit (PAS2035:2019 and PAS2030:2019).
All insulation measures under ECO must be carried out by TrustMark registered businesses which adhere to its framework operating requirements, code of conduct and consumer charter.
The Each Home Counts Review did not recommend that Ofgem should regulate installers.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on updating procurement strategies for the Advanced Research and Invention Agency prior to projects beginning.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is expected to commission and support others to conduct research in pursuit of its highly ambitious goals, bringing together parties from public and private spheres. This may involve procuring R&D services and equipment to support research goals.
The Bill exempts ARIA from the Public Contracts Regulations, to enable ARIA to procure services, equipment and works relating to its research goals at speed, in a similar way to the private sector.
In addition to the statutory requirement for ARIA’s statement of accounts and annual report to be provided to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and laid before Parliament, ARIA will report publicly on its procurement activities.