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Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Pay
Friday 25th January 2019

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c) catering staff in his Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

Cleaning, security and catering services are delivered to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by external contractors. We do not hold detailed pay data for contractor employees.

Specific rates are a matter for each individual contractor, but assurances are provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Living Wage. In April 2019 Government will increase the National Living Wage to £8.21 per hour. This is an above inflation increase that will see a full-time minimum wage worker over £2,750 better off over the course of a year compared to when the policy was introduced.

We value all of our staff and they all deserve a fair and competitive wage, whether they are directly employed or working through our contractors. The Department has agreed with its facilities management and catering contractors that they will align the pay of their cleaning, catering, mailroom and security staff to the appropriate median rates for that occupation, as identified in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The median applies from 1 March 2019 and will be aligned annually.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Living Wage
Wednesday 19th September 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

There are no staff in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy paid less than the National Living Wage.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Living Wage
Wednesday 19th September 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

There are no staff in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy paid less than the National Living Wage.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Working Hours
Wednesday 19th September 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the weekly contracted hours are for the highest paid member of staff in his Department.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

The highest paid member of staff within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is contracted to work 42 hours per week, including an allowance of an hour a day for meal breaks. As a Senior Civil Servant, they are required to work such additional hours as may from time to time be reasonable and necessary for the efficient performance of duties, for which they are not eligible to be paid overtime.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff
Wednesday 19th September 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff (a) are employed directly by, (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract to his Department.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

The number of staff employed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are as follows:

Employed directly: 3538

Seconded in: 53

Under contract: 80*

*excludes agency staff etc supplied via an agency.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Weather
Monday 12th March 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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

To ask the Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Business and Industry of 27 June 2017, Official Report, column 446, what the results of the weekly monitoring of the UK’s gas supply indicate for the recent cold weather period.

Answered by Claire Perry

The Government’s ongoing monitoring of the UK gas supply indicates that, despite temperatures falling well below their seasonal average at the end of February and beginning of March 2018, UK gas supplies remain responsive, and able to meet demand even during prolonged periods of extreme weather. The UK benefits from a highly diverse and flexible system of supply sources, including indigenous production, imports from Norway and the continent, storage and liquefied natural gas imports, all of which contribute to a diverse and liquid market.

The Government will continue to monitor our security of gas supply.


Written Question
Ceramics: Manufacturing Industries
Thursday 8th March 2018

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent 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 reduce the incidence of ceramic manufacturers experiencing gas price spikes.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

It is normal and necessary for wholesale gas prices to fluctuate in response to changes in demand. The resulting price signals encourage a flexible supply response, and help ensure that even when the system is stressed, consumer demand is met. This is a sign of a well-functioning commodity market. Consumers in the wholesale market can benefit from price fluctuations, with companies that flexibly increase or decrease their supply of gas maximising their profit by reacting to the price signals.

There is already a liquid forward market which allows large consumers to buy gas at a pre-agreed price and minimise their exposure to price spikes. This price is historically very stable.


Written Question
Antidumping Duties
Tuesday 28th November 2017

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent 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 he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for International Trade and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential effect of adopting the lesser duty rule as part of a future trade remedy scheme once the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Margot James

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discusses trade policy issues with his colleagues. The Trade White Paper, published 9 October, set out the Government’s proposals for an independent UK trade remedy scheme once we have left the EU. Our policy is for the amount of any duties to be set at the lower of either: the level of the dumping or subsidy; or the level of injury caused to a UK industry as identified during the investigation process. This approach is known as the lesser duty rule. The Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill, introduced on 20 November, included provisions to apply the lesser duty rule where remedies are recommended to address injury caused by dumping or subsidies.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Storage
Monday 10th July 2017

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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 merits of seasonal gas storage facilities in obtaining greater price stability for energy-intensive users of gas.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

A report published in 2013 by Redpoint, commissioned by DECC, looked at the merits of various interventions in the gas market, including new gas storage facilities. This report can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236757/DECC_FI_Final_report_09072013.pdf

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to his previous question 1604 which notes that the UK continues to enjoy highly diverse and flexible gas supplies.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Storage
Monday 10th July 2017

Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)

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 cost and benefits to the consumer of gas storage provided by the Rough facility.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

Centrica Storage Ltd’s decision to close the Rough gas storage facility is a commercial decision based on the age of the asset and the costs of repair. As such, we do not have the information to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the costs and benefits of maintaining the gas storage facility at Rough.

However, we have recently undertaken a full strategic assessment of our long-term gas security, including scenarios without Rough. We will publish this in due course. The UK continues to be benefit from a range of flexible sources of natural gas, including: production from the North Sea; six international gas pipelines with Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands; three Liquefied Natural Gas terminals that can bring gas from anywhere in the world; and a number of modern, responsive gas storage facilities.