Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether planning permission is required for works undertaken as part of the Green Homes Grant Scheme for properties that are not in a conversation area.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Government is fully committed to encouraging homeowners to incorporate energy efficiency measures in their properties, to tackle climate change.
In order to be eligible for funding under the Green Homes Grant Voucher scheme, applicants must have obtained the necessary consents and permissions from all relevant authorities and parties to install measures in their property. This is specified in the scheme’s Customer Terms and Conditions.
Furthermore, all works completed under the scheme must be compliant with building regulations and standards.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
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 potential merits of introducing a Government backed scheme to support wedding businesses in the absence of available insurance cover during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have provided an unprecedented package of financial support since March 2020 to businesses, including those in the weddings sector, which is kept under regular review.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
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 provide flexibility to allow local authorities to redistribute grant funding underspent in one area of business support to other business support schemes.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of support for businesses in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This support includes extensive grant funding for businesses that have been required by law to close as a result of, or have been severely impacted by, localised and national restrictions.
Local Authorities should pay businesses in line with the eligibility criteria and restriction period to which the funding is allocated to ensure local economies are supported during restrictions. Any unspent funding allocated to Local Authorities under a mandatory grants scheme cannot be redistributed to other business support schemes and will be recovered after a reconciliation process. It is not expected that discretionary schemes, such as the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), will have any unallocated funding, as we would expect Local Authorities to apportion this funding to businesses. We are working closely with Local Authorities to ensure funding gets out the door to businesses as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent to which supermarkets have been covid-secure during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government welcomes the tremendous efforts and expense supermarkets have made making their businesses COVID-Secure. We have worked closely with retailers to develop comprehensive guidance to assist them in the safe operation of their business.
The best available Public Health England and NHS Track and Trace data shows there is at present no evidence of significant increased risk of virus transmission in retail premises.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
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 is taking to support job retention during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been in place since March 2020 and has now been extended to March 2021. This extension will support businesses during the latest national restrictions by paying up to 80% of wages for furloughed employees.
Up until 15 November 2020 the scheme has helped 1.2 million employers and 9.6 million employees.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the scientific basis is to allow hair salons to reopen on 4 July 2020 as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased, but not beauty salons, massage therapists and tattoo parlours.
Answered by Paul Scully
Following my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement, from 4 July hairdressers and barbers in England will be able to reopen, to offer hairdressing services, once they are following the COVID-secure guidelines.
Other close contact services, like massage therapists, beauty and tattoo parlours remain closed until further notice.
We are taking a phased, cautious approach to reopening our economy, working with businesses, trade associations and medical experts on the safest way to reopen close contact services like massage therapists, beauty salons and tattoo parlours, where there is often greater risk of transmission due to prolonged periods of face-to-face contact and close proximity between staff and customers.
We intend to allow close contact services, such as massage therapists, beauty salons and tattoo parlours to re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.
Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and SAGE provides world-leading scientific advice to the government. Any changes in approach depend on us continuing to meet the five tests.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
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 merits of providing further financial support to beauty salons unable to re-open while existing covid-19 lockdown restrictions remain in place.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has announced an unprecedented package of measures to support businesses and individuals during Covid-19.
In order to support businesses where restrictions remain in place, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. The level of the grant will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. The Chancellor has also extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme with businesses adversely affected being able to claim for the first grant on or before 13 July 2020, and any businesses adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020 can make a claim in August 2020.
Businesses are still able to apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme or The Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Additionally, beauty salons are able to continue benefiting from the 100% reduction in business rates for 12 months.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to ensure the equity of treatment of Chartered Trade Mark Attorneys across the UK and EU after the transition period; and whether he plans to ensure that attorneys from the EU do not have rights of representation before the UK Intellectual Property Office that are not reciprocated for UK attorneys before the EU Intellectual Property Office.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
On legal services, the UK’s starting point for negotiations with the EU is precedent-based. We aim to secure market access commitments for lawyers and minimise barriers to the cross-border supply of services and investment, on the basis of commitments like those in the Canada FTA.
Rights of representation, whether before domestic courts in Member States or EU institutions, are the preserve of the Single Market and so do not form part of the UK approach to negotiations with the EU.
Officials at the Intellectual Property Office are currently exploring options in relation to the rules on address for service once the transition period ends.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
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 is taking to ensure that businesses have a robust policy to safeguard (a) victims and (b) survivors of domestic abuse in the workplace.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 9 June 2020, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy launched a review into support for victims of domestic abuse in the workplace. The review aims to ensure victims of domestic abuse are given the support they deserve within the workplace, whether that is an outlet for reporting abuse, financial assistance or as a source of emotional support. The review will also look specifically at employer policies and best practice when it comes to practically supporting victims. The review features a call for written evidence which is open until 9 September, and the Government will respond by the end of 2020.
The Government also continues to support the important work of the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse to mobilise employers to work together and improve the support available to employees affected by domestic abuse.
More widely, the Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill, which is going through Parliament, will provide significant and important changes in the law to ensure that victims of domestic abuse get the support they need.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what additional steps his Department plans to take to support businesses that have been affected by both the covid-19 outbreak and the June 2020 floods.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has announced an extensive package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.
The?Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF)?have supported many thousands of small businesses?with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.
In addition, on?1 May,?my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities?in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. The?Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF) is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs.
The SBGF, RHLGF and LADGF are just some of the measures the Department is working on to ensure there is immediate support for our local economies alongside our overall ambition to level up communities across the country.
For more information on the SBGF, the RHLGF and the LADGF please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding-guidance-for-businesses
In order to be eligible for Government’s Flood Recovery Framework, including funding to supported flooded domestic and business properties, individual Local Authority areas had to have in excess of 25 residential properties and should have reported this data to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.