Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Answer of 20 June to Question 18928, whether Government has secured any purchase options, subject to approval, of vaccines for under-5s.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government keeps the global vaccine picture under ongoing review and through its regular conversations with vaccine developers will explore supply options, should that become necessary.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many doses of (a) Pfizer and (b) Moderna Coronavirus Vaccines have been procured for under 5 year olds as of 15 June 2022.
Answered by George Freeman
There are no Covid-19 vaccines for under 5s currently approved for use in the UK, and as such we have not specifically procured vaccines for this cohort. The Government will continue monitoring developments and follow the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation going forward.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many paediatric doses of the covid-19 vaccine have been received in the UK as of 25 January 2022.
Answered by George Freeman
The precise details of our vaccine orders and deliveries are commercially sensitive, but we have sufficient vaccines available to enable us to meet current, and any future updates to JCVI guidance. We continue to plan for future scenarios.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many paediatric doses of the covid-19 vaccine have been ordered as 25 January 2022.
Answered by George Freeman
The precise details of our vaccine orders and deliveries are commercially sensitive, but we have sufficient vaccines available to enable us to meet current, and any future updates to JCVI guidance. We continue to plan for future scenarios.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
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 recognising online marketplaces as actors in the supply chain.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to ensuring that only safe consumer products can be sold in the UK, including through online marketplaces. Product safety legislation places obligations on distributors to act with due care to ensure products they are selling are safe and this includes online retailers selling goods via marketplaces.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) continues to engage with major online marketplaces to ensure that they are playing their part in protecting UK consumers from unsafe products. This includes developing a new voluntary commitment for online marketplaces to agree actions they will take to reduce the risks from unsafe products, including white goods subject to recall, being sold online, enabling them to publicly demonstrate their commitment to the safety of their consumers in the UK.
In order to ensure that the UK’s Product Safety framework is flexible and fit for the future, the OPSS is conducting a review. The review will ensure we have a framework that delivers safety for consumers while supporting businesses to innovate and grow and will consider the impact on product safety of non-traditional business models, including third-party sales conducted via online marketplaces.
The OPSS is currently running a Call for Evidence that is open until 3 June to ensure a wide range of views and evidence are gathered: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/uk-product-safety-review-call-for-evidence.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
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 plans to take steps to help prevent the sale of white goods that have been recalled by the manufacturer on online marketplaces.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to ensuring that only safe consumer products can be sold in the UK, including through online marketplaces. Product safety legislation places obligations on distributors to act with due care to ensure products they are selling are safe and this includes online retailers selling goods via marketplaces.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) continues to engage with major online marketplaces to ensure that they are playing their part in protecting UK consumers from unsafe products. This includes developing a new voluntary commitment for online marketplaces to agree actions they will take to reduce the risks from unsafe products, including white goods subject to recall, being sold online, enabling them to publicly demonstrate their commitment to the safety of their consumers in the UK.
In order to ensure that the UK’s Product Safety framework is flexible and fit for the future, the OPSS is conducting a review. The review will ensure we have a framework that delivers safety for consumers while supporting businesses to innovate and grow and will consider the impact on product safety of non-traditional business models, including third-party sales conducted via online marketplaces.
The OPSS is currently running a Call for Evidence that is open until 3 June to ensure a wide range of views and evidence are gathered: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/uk-product-safety-review-call-for-evidence.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on retrofit solutions for publicly funded housing.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains committed to the ambition set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, that as many homes as possible are improved to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective, and affordable.
At the Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer provided up to £50m for a UK-wide Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Demonstrator, to support jobs, improve energy efficiency and reduce bills for social tenants whilst demonstrating the benefits of the Whole House Retrofit approach to reduce costs overall. At the recent spending review the chancellor announced £60 million in 2021/22 for the SHDF in England.
The Government has also recently published the Social Housing White Paper where we committed to review the Decent Homes Standard to consider how it can better support the decarbonisation and energy efficiency of social homes. This will apply to England only, with the Devolved Administrations setting their own standards in social housing.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 21 July 2020, Official Report column 193, how the figure of £8.5bn financial support for the aviation and aerospace sector was calculated.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with over £8.5 billion worth of support through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, grants for research and development (R&D), loan guarantees, and support for aerospace exports over the next 18 months.
The amount is made up of support across the Covid Credit Financing Facility (£2.7 billion), expected UK Export Finance support for aerospace and its aviation customers (£5.5 billion) and R&D support for aerospace (across 3 years over £500 million).
We will continue to back businesses strongly through the Covid-19 pandemic and as we return to growth.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2020 to Question 59788; if will provide a breakdown of the £6 billion figure referenced in the Answer.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As stated previously, the Government is providing over £6 billion of support to the aviation and aerospace sectors. UK Export Finance expects to support £3.5 billion of aerospace exports over the next 18 months, up sharply from £1.15 billion over the past two financial years.
Under the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Finance Facility, £2.16 billion of loans have been made to airlines and aerospace companies affected by a short-term funding squeeze.
We are also providing support over the next three years for research on the next generation of aerospace technologies, through £450 million of Aerospace Technology Institute programme funding, as well as £70 million through the Future Flight programme.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much financial support his Department has allocated to the aerospace sector since the start of the covid-19 lockdown; and what plans he has to provide further support to that sector.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Aerospace companies have benefitted from the Government’s extensive financial support package, on top of existing support measures for the sector.
The UK’s aviation and aerospace sectors can expect to benefit from over £6 billion of support through UK Export Finance, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Finance Facility, research and development grants, and other measures.
We will continue to support the UK aerospace industry to get back on its feet to protect jobs across the UK.