Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish a response to the call for evidence on Designing a Framework for Transparency of Carbon Content in Energy Products including any assessment on Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As published in the 15th December Written Ministerial Statement concerning wholesale energy prices and future energy retail market policy, the Department’s work on green tariffs and carbon content was paused to prioritise activity in relation to the unprecedented global increases in gas prices.
The Government's immediate priority for retail energy markets is to ensure the successful delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme, Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, as well as the other support being provided to energy users. The government will set out next steps on the future of the retail market in due course.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any assessment of Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin will be made in future reviews into Net Zero.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) play a key role in the carbon accounting framework as well as the marketing of green energy products for consumers. Moving towards a net zero system by 2035, it is vital that these benefits can continue to be quantified and therefore any future reviews of net zero should include the role of REGOs as a consideration.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of eligible organisations under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have successfully complied with their obligation to report annually on the steps taken to prevent modern slavery in each year since that Act was introduced.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
Compliance with section 54 is high. In 2019, the Home Office contracted the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) to undertake an audit of compliance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The audit was concluded in January 2020 with data accurate up to this point. The high-level findings of this audit were published on 17 September 2020 in the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s annual report (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-anti-slavery-commissioners-annual-report-2019-to-2020).
To further drive compliance with section 54, the Government response to the Transparency in Supply Chains consultation, published on 22 September 2020, committed to taking forwards an ambitious package of measures to strengthen the Act’s transparency legislation, including:
The Government has also committed to introduce financial penalties for organisations who fail to meet their statutory obligations to publish annual modern slavery statements. These measures require primary legislation and, as announced in the Queen’s Speech, we intend to legislate in the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill.
In addition, in March 2021, the Government launched the modern slavery statement registry to radically enhance transparency by bringing together modern slavery statements on a single platform. The registry will provide a key tool for Government and others to monitor and drive compliance with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We have been encouraged by use of the registry. Since launch, over 8,300 modern slavery statements covering over 27,800 organisations have been submitted on a voluntary basis.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the requirements of section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to public sector organisations.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government is committed to continuously strengthening our approach to modern slavery and building on the world-leading legislation introduced in the Modern Slavery Act 2015. In 2018, the Home Office commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act to understand where the Act has worked well and where it could be more effective.
As part of its response, the Home Office conducted a public consultation on potential changes to the Modern Slavery Act’s transparency legislation which included a question on extending requirements to public sector organisations; 98% of respondents responded positively to this question, including 100% of public sector respondents.
The government response to the Transparency in Supply Chains consultation announced that we will introduce legislation to require public sector organisations with a budget of £36 million or more to report on how they prevent and address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chain. As announced in the Queens Speech, we intend to bring this measure forward in the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill.
Many public sector organisations are already publishing modern slavery statements voluntarily, but this new duty will ensure parity between private and public sector organisations.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of inflation on the levels of access to food over the school holidays for children in living in low income families.
Answered by Will Quince
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
In England, the holiday activities and food programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. This benefits their heath, wellbeing and learning, and contributes to recovery from COVID-19. This is supported by over £200 million funding each year.
To support people who need additional welfare help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support via the Household Support Fund, which is being extended to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided to £1.5 billion since October 2021.
Devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula up to October 2022, and a further £79 million from October 2022 to March 2023.
Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to prevent hunger over the school holidays for children who are eligible for free school meals.
Answered by Will Quince
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
In England, the holiday activities and food programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. This benefits their heath, wellbeing and learning, and contributes to recovery from COVID-19. This is supported by over £200 million funding each year.
To support people who need additional welfare help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support via the Household Support Fund, which is being extended to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided to £1.5 billion since October 2021.
Devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula up to October 2022, and a further £79 million from October 2022 to March 2023.
Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2022 to Question 133959 on Slavery, when she plans to introduce financial penalties for organisations that fail to meet their statutory obligations with regards to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The landmark transparency provisions contained in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 made the UK the first country in the world to require businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
To enhance the impact of transparency and accelerate action to prevent modern slavery, the Government committed to strengthening the reporting requirements contained in section 54 and introduce new measures including financial penalties for organisations that fail to meet their statutory obligation to publish modern slavery statements.
These measures require primary legislation and we intend to legislate in the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on what date the Government will release funding for the Global Centre for Rail Excellence in Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart
As announced at last year’s spending review, the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) will receive up to £30 million for a new, world-class rail technology and innovation centre.
Funding for GCRE will be released at the appropriate times between 2022-23 and 2023-24, as agreed between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and GCRE.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question
What recent progress he has made on preparations for COP26.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The UK Presidency alongside our Operational Partners continue to work tirelessly to support the delivery of an in-person COP26 in Glasgow.
As the Prime Minister announced at the G7, the UK Government has begun work to provide COVID-19 vaccines to accredited COP26 delegates who would be unable to get them otherwise.
I urge all accredited delegates who do not have access to a vaccine to register their interest through the UNFCCC registration portal as soon as possible and no later than 23 July.
Asked by: Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out his timetable for the roll-out of a digital pre-paid card scheme to replace paper Healthy Start Vouchers.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The NHS Business Services Authority are leading the work to digitise the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department to facilitate families to apply for, receive and use Healthy Start benefits. The NHS Business Service Authority will provide all new users applying to the digital scheme and all existing users every opportunity to transition to pre-paid cards by 31 October 2021.