Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to help businesses expand through the use of digital platforms.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We want the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Government is taking action to support businesses to take advantages of the opportunities to expand through digital platforms in several ways:
As businesses and consumers increasingly use digital platforms, it is important that competition works well in these markets. That is why the Government commissioned Professor Jason Furman to identify how to unlock competition in digital markets. The Government is considering his proposals and will respond in due course.
Government’s Exporting is GREAT campaign supports UK businesses with free expert e-commerce export support. DIT’s E-Exporting Programme’s Selling Online Overseas Tool, that sits on great.gov.uk, is a free to use online service that helps UK companies identify and sell on global marketplaces.
We are acting to support SMEs to adopt basic digital technology, including using e-commerce software. For example, we recently announced the third wave of funding through our Business Basics Programme to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to adopt basic technologies. This round of funding will include up to £1m focusing the adoption of payment technology, including ecommerce technologies.
The Digital Skills Partnership (DSP), announced in the UK Digital Strategy 2017, aims to improve digital skills across the skills spectrum and the Digital Enterprise Delivery Group, led by Lloyds Banking Group, is working to increase the digital capabilities of SMEs. The group is now working with partners on a programme aimed at increasing efficiency and productivity through greater tech adoption among SMEs.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the cost of electricity to consumers.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Energy policy is largely devolved to Northern Ireland, including energy price regulation. Across the island of Ireland the Single Electricity Market (SEM) is designed to put downward pressure on consumer electricity prices, facilitate the integration of renewables and provide continued security of supply.
The Government is committed to ensuring fair energy prices for consumers and has a range of policies in Great Britain. The Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Act requires the energy regulator to cap standard variable and default energy tariffs. Ofgem estimate this could save consumers around £75-100 per year.
There are around 60 domestic suppliers in the GB energy market with a range of innovative tariffs for consumers to choose from. Switching in early 2019 hit historic highs, with the total number of domestic switches in the 12 months up to July 2019 was 10% higher than over the same period last year. In August 2019, customers could save up to £408 a year by switching.
Over 2 million low income and vulnerable households receive £140 off their electricity bills each winter through the Warm Home Discount.
Improving the energy efficiency of a home is the best way of reducing energy bills for the long-term. Since 2013, over 2 million homes, including those with electric heating, have had their energy efficiency improved under the Energy Company Obligation.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 shared parental leave.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In 2018 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Government Equalities Office funded a £1.5m campaign to raise awareness of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme amongst parents. This was followed by further communications activity, aimed at employers, in 2019. Both campaigns were underpinned by improved tools and guidance for parents which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/shared-parental-leave-and-pay-guidance-and-tools-for-parents.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 allocated funding for new research on clean energy.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government has committed to spending over £2.5bn on research into low carbon innovation, including clean energy, between 2015 and 2021. This includes £505m of spending on BEIS’s Energy Innovation Programme, which aims to accelerate the commercial deployment of clean energy technologies and processes into the coming decades, and up to £1.2 billion of funding from UK Research and Innovation, including funding for the Energy Systems Catapult and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. Recent announcements of funding have included £102m for the Prospering from the Energy Revolution challenge, to develop future smart energy systems and prove their use at scale, and up to £170m for decarbonising Industrial Clusters.
Further information
Prospering from the Energy Revolution: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prospering-from-the-energy-revolution-full-programme-details
Decarbonising Industrial Clusters: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-first-carbon-net-zero-hub-of-heavy-industry-to-help-uk-seize-global-economic-opportunities-of-clean-growth
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 help consumers reduce their energy usage.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government is committed to help all consumers – both households and businesses – to reduce their energy usage, taking control of their bills and helping us meet our clean growth ambitions.
In our Clean Growth Strategy, we set out our aspiration to upgrade as many homes as possible to an Energy Performance Certificate Band C by 2035, where practical, cost effective and affordable. We have taken a number of steps to deliver this aim: this year, we launched the digitally-led Simple Energy Advice service to provide impartial, tailored advice on how homeowners can cut energy bills and make their homes greener, and also launched a new quality mark, through Trustmark, to help give consumers confidence in the quality of the measures being installed in their homes. And, in April 2018, we introduced new legislation requiring landlords of both residential and commercial buildings to improve their properties to Energy Performance Certificate Band E or higher. We will also shortly publish an action plan on building the market for energy efficiency, outlining a range of market-based measures in line with this aspiration.
Alongside this, the Energy Company Obligation obligates the larger energy suppliers to install energy efficiency and heating measures to people’s homes to help reduce their energy use. Since January 2013, the scheme has delivered over 2.4 million improvements in around 1.9m homes. It is funded at £640m per year and this level of support will continue to 2028, meaning the Government will drive more than £6 billion of investment in domestic energy efficiency over the next ten years.
The Clean Growth Strategy also set out our ambition to enable business consumers to reduce their energy usage by improving energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030. We have introduced a more streamlined energy and carbon reporting framework to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions and associated energy costs. We have also launched a new £18 million Industrial Heat Recovery Support Programme supporting the recovery and re-use of industrial waste heat, and committed £8.8 million to promote innovative approaches to energy management using smart meters. We also announced at Budget 2018 up to £315m for an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to support businesses with high energy use to invest in energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures, and that we would bring forward proposals on a new energy efficiency scheme for small and medium sized enterprises.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 help small businesses to grow.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are making the UK one of the best places in the world for businesses to start up and grow.
The Government-owned British Business Bank is supporting nearly 78,000 small businesses with over £5.5 billion of finance; and we’ve extended funding for the Start Up Loans Company until 2021, supporting 10,000 more entrepreneurs.
We’re also providing £56m of funding to boost business productivity, including £11m to create a Small Business Leadership Programme.
Business across England can also access tailored advice and support through one of the 38 Local Growth Hubs, one in each Local Enterprise Partnership Area. These bring together public and private sector partners to deliver business support, making it easy for business to access the help and advice they need.
We have launched the £9 million Business Basics Programme, as announced in the Industrial Strategy, to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to take up the good practices that can help them to become more productive.
In addition, Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), drives productivity and growth by supporting businesses to realise the potential of new technologies, develop ideas and make them a commercial success.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps is his Department taking to help people that are not computer literate to (a) compare and (b) switch energy company tariffs.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government created the Big Energy Saving Network, to provide face to face support for vulnerable consumers to switch and save, led by Citizens Advice and delivered by third sector organisations and community groups. In addition many Ofgem accredited price comparison sites offer a free telephone service.
We are also working closely with Ofgem to deliver midata in energy, which will streamline tariff comparisons by allowing switching companies to access key energy data, with customers’ consent, and include a telephone access route for those consumers who are less confident using computers.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 high street retailers increase footfall.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
This Department is clear that we want all types of retail to thrive now and in the future, and wants to support the sector as it responds to change. This is why in March we established the industry led Retail Sector Council to bring Government and industry together to boost the sector’s productivity and promote its future.
In addition, in Autumn budget 2018, we announced a number of measures as part of an Action Plan, led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support the sustainable transformation of our high streets. This plan includes:
This Action plan is in addition to existing measures including:
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions has he had with his counterpart in the Republic of Ireland on the shared electricity network between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government is committed to facilitating the continuation of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and is keen to work with the Irish Government and the EU to ensure that the SEM is maintained in any future scenario.
The Department has a strong relationship with counterparts in Ireland and officials hold regular discussions on both EU exit and other issues of common interest. For example, the Permanent Secretary visited Ireland on 26 October and met with his counterpart at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 encourage people to install a smart meter in their home.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government established a regulatory framework requiring industry to establish an independent organisation (Smart Energy GB) to undertake consumer engagement.
Smart Energy GB is responsible for the national public engagement campaign for the roll-out of smart meters in Great Britain, including advertising campaigns on TV, print, online and radio. They have made progress in ensuring that households across Great Britain understand the benefits of smart meters and have generated significant levels of consumer demand to upgrade from analogue meters to smart meters.
Their recent research, published in October, showed that consumer demand for smart meters is strong, with 98% of people in Great Britain now aware of smart meters and their benefits.