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Written Question
EU Law
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

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 a list of the legislation he intends to repeal under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

We have published a public dashboard cataloging retained EU law on the UK statute book. This dashboard will also document the Government’s progress on reforming retained EU law and will be updated regularly to reflect plans and actions taken.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate
Tuesday 21st June 2022

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether people who live in residential flats and receive energy from communal energy and heat networks will be eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme; and if his Department will take steps to provide further support for energy costs to vulnerable people who live in residential flats.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

There will be different considerations for consumers depending on their circumstances and the way in which they pay their energy bills.

All domestic electricity customers, who have a direct relationship with a licensed electricity supplier, will be automatically eligible for this Scheme.

The Government continues to work with consumer groups and suppliers on the delivery of the Scheme and is exploring options for other ways in which customers who do not have a domestic electricity contract might receive similar support. The full suite of help from the government, including for vulnerable people, is covered here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Stonewall
Tuesday 26th April 2022

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions officials in his Department had with representatives of trade unions regarding his Department's decision to suspend its membership of Stonewall's Diversity Champion programme.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East. It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies, including the BBC and EHRC, have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes. Ministers believe that the underlying aims of supporting all staff, including those with protected characteristics, can be achieved in a different way to funding external pressure groups, without adverse equality impacts.

The Civil Service’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025-html.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Stonewall
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to provide advice and support to its employees on LGBT+ inclusion after its membership to Stonewall's Diversity Champion programme has ended.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East. It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies, including the BBC and EHRC, have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes. Ministers believe that the underlying aims of supporting all staff, including those with protected characteristics, can be achieved in a different way to funding external pressure groups, without adverse equality impacts.

The Civil Service’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025-html.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Stonewall
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

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 place a copy of the equality impact assessment undertaken in respect of his Department's decision to suspend its membership of Stonewall's Diversity Champion programme in the Library.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East. It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies, including the BBC and EHRC, have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes. Ministers believe that the underlying aims of supporting all staff, including those with protected characteristics, can be achieved in a different way to funding external pressure groups, without adverse equality impacts.

The Civil Service’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025-html.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Stonewall
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason his Department has decided not to renew its membership of Stonewall's Diversity Champion programme.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has committed to a new standard for diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service which will promote a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. We are committed to fair, inclusive workplaces which draw on the talents of the widest possible range of backgrounds, especially people from non-traditional educational routes and from outside London and the South East. It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. A number of public bodies, including the BBC and EHRC, have resolved to best champion inclusion through internal programmes. Ministers believe that the underlying aims of supporting all staff, including those with protected characteristics, can be achieved in a different way to funding external pressure groups, without adverse equality impacts.

The Civil Service’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025/civil-service-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2022-to-2025-html.


Written Question
Postal Services: Standards
Tuesday 25th January 2022

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what arrangements have been made for regular delivery of letters in the NW10 area in response to Royal Mail delivery delays.

Answered by Paul Scully

Royal Mail has publicly stated that it is aware of the reduction in service levels in some areas and is taking action to reduce delays to deliveries. Its contingency plans to mitigate disruption to postal services are overseen by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as the independent regulator for the sector.

Ofcom continues to monitor Royal Mail’s performance to ensure it is providing the best service it can to customers and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets.


Written Question
Copyright
Thursday 24th June 2021

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

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 protect the UK copyright system to support (a) author incomes, (b) publishing companies and (c) the wider book trade.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

While the Government is not presently taking any specific steps in relation to these matters, it keeps the copyright framework under constant review to ensure it remains fit for purpose and that changes are driven by the evidence.

For example, the Government is currently consulting on potential changes to the intellectual property framework in relation to the trade of parallel goods into the UK. It welcomes evidence and submissions from all those who might be affected, including authors, publishers, and the book trade.

The UK’s IP framework is consistently rated as one of the best in the world. A good copyright framework alongside an effective enforcement regime provides the best environment for creators, including authors and publishers, to thrive.


Written Question
Companies: Directors
Friday 21st May 2021

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to prevent directors paying themselves dividends and forcing companies into administration to avoid consumer redress.

Answered by Paul Scully

Under UK company law, directors may pay dividends only where a company has sufficient distributable reserves, based on the company’s realised profits minus any realised losses.

In the event of insolvency, it is part of the administrator’s role to scrutinise payments made to shareholders in the period before the insolvency to identify any payments which may have been illegal. In such cases, the courts have wide powers to apply a variety of sanctions and remedies, including ordering the recovery of amounts from recipients and compensation orders against directors enforceable against their personal assets.

The Government is currently consulting on proposals to increase transparency in how companies demonstrate that dividends are affordable, as part of the White Paper on Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance. This includes a proposed requirement that directors of large companies should disclose at a minimum the company’s known distributable reserve before paying any dividend, and state that it is their reasonable expectation that the proposed dividend would not threaten the company’s insolvency over the following two years.


Written Question
Housing: Energy
Tuesday 18th May 2021

Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support low income families that are unable to afford green energy improvements to make their homes energy efficient and contribute to the Government's net zero target.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government has recently published a strategy, Sustainable Warmth – supporting vulnerable households in England, which sets out our plans to support fuel poor households in more detail.

As of 2019, there are 1.2 million fewer low-income households living in the least energy efficient homes (Band E, F or G) compared to 2010. There are a number of Government schemes which make funding available to support low-income families make their homes energy efficient.

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a GB-wide scheme currently worth around £640m per year, which provides energy efficiency and heating measures to low income and vulnerable households. We have committed to expanding ECO from 2022 to 2026 to a value of £1bn per year.

The Government is investing £1.3 billion in energy efficiency, up from the £1 billion announced in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan. The Green Homes Grant (Voucher) low-income scheme had issued 26,281 vouchers by the end of March, worth over £156 million. We have also provided support for Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery and for Social Housing – £500 million worth of works is already being delivered and additional funding will be disbursed this summer.

The Home Upgrade Grant has been allocated an initial £150 million to specifically support low-income households with energy efficiency and low carbon heating upgrades to the worst-performing off-gas-grid homes in England. The Home Upgrade Grant is due to commence delivery in early 2022.

We recently consulted on strengthening the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for private landlords. These new standards would require landlords to invest up to £10,000 towards improving their property to energy efficiency Band C, or register an exemption. For social housing, the Government has also invited experts to review whether the Decent Homes Standard should be refreshed.

In addition to help with energy efficiency measures, over 2 million households get direct assistance with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount. We have committed to expanding that scheme from 2022 to 2026 so that it will reach around 3 million households across Great Britain.