Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 average cost of employment tribunals for employees; and if he will make an assessment the affordability of those costs for workers.
Answered by Dean Russell
Data from the Survey of Employment Tribunal Awards 2018 found that the median cost of seeking advice or representation for an employment tribunal claim for claimants is approximately £2500.
The cost to claimants can be influenced by several factors including the extent to which they use paid advice and representation, the type and complexity of the claim, and its outcome.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 the public identification of foreign-based businesses that continue to trade with individuals and entities sanctioned as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Dean Russell
Enforcement of sanctions as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine falls outside the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
HMRC is responsible for enforcement of UK Trade Sanctions and Strategic Export controls and works closely with Border Force to conduct customs checks and where necessary, seize goods at the port. Since my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement in the House of Commons on 24 February 2022 of increased sanctions on Russia, HMRC has implemented a number of measures which aim to prevent the exportation and importation of restricted goods.
HMRC has a range of enforcement options available such as awareness through outreach, warning letters, issuing compound penalties, seizures / disruptions and in the most serious of cases, referral to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration for prosecution. HMRC works with other government departments and international partners to assist in identifying high-risk movements.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 had discussions with Ofgem on ensuring that energy suppliers do not inappropriately raise customers Direct Debit amounts when customers are regularly in credit.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss a range of issues relating to the energy market.
Ofgem has taken robust action requiring suppliers with moderate or severe weaknesses to review their direct debit arrangements, submit an action plan and make repayments if needed (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/press-release-ofgem-requires-improvements-energy-suppliers-customer-direct-debits).
Following consultation, direct debit rules for suppliers have been strengthened (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/decision-statutory-consultation-strengthening-fixed-direct-debit-rules).
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 ensure that UK commercial supply chains do not include (a) products, (b) minerals and (c) organic matter looted from areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government has prohibited the import of all goods that come from non-government controlled Ukrainian territory in Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk.
HMRC is responsible for enforcement of UK Trade Sanctions and Strategic Export controls working closely with Border Force.
HMRC has implemented a number of measures which aim to prevent the exportation and importation of restricted goods and has a range of enforcement options.
The Government has published guidance pages on gov.uk to ensure business activities are compliant with the current and any forthcoming sanctions against Russia.
Businesses seeking advice should approach the Export Support Service (ESS), a single point of enquiry for businesses and traders in relation to trading with Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of Ofgem on microgeneration feed-in tariff rates for domestic home producers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department works closely with Ofgem to discuss a range of topics, including microgeneration feed-in tariff, and matters discussed include areas of operations and policy. Further information regarding feed-in tariff rates can be found on Ofgem’s website:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/feed-tariffs-fit/tariffs-and-payments.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his officials have had with representatives of Ofgem on ensuring adequate support for customers capping gas mains to install carbon free energy solutions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
BEIS Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem representatives to discuss a range of topics related to energy markets.
Gas meters are owned by Meter Asset Providers (MAPs). Energy suppliers pay a monthly fee to MAPs to rent each meter and the cost is passed onto consumers through the standing charge. If a consumer no longer wants to use gas the supplier can remove the meter and cap the supply. The cost for this service is a commercial matter because the supplier will incur costs from the MAP for removing the meter and supplying an engineer to undertake the work.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 had recent discussions with representatives of the oil and gas industry on preventing third country purchasers from reselling UK oil and gas products to sanctioned Russian organisations as a means of enabling sanction evasion.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has implemented multiple prohibitions on the export of energy-related goods and services to Russia, including on supply and delivery via third countries. The Government works routinely with both international partners and industry representatives to ensure sanctions are robustly enforced. The Government continues regular engagement with representatives from the oil and gas industry, including official level bilaterally and ministerially chaired monthly meetings of the Oil Taskforce, ensuring that industry is ready to comply with the ban on imports of all Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 impact of a revenue cap and floor mechanism for Pumped Storage Hydropower facilities on levels of (a) long-term revenue certainty for Pumped Storage Hydropower and (b) private investment into the Pumped Storage Hydropower market.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the Government’s British Energy Security Strategy commitments, the Government is considering different policy options, such as cap and floor or an optimised Capacity Market, to enable investment for large-scale, long-duration electricity storage technologies, which includes pumped hydro storage. This will complement the evidence gathered during the recent call for evidence and external analysis on these technologies.