Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 May 2018 on Energy Policy, HCWS690, what representations he received from (a) individuals and (b) businesses in Warrington on fracking; and whether any applications for exploratory fracking in Warrington were received prior to that statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department routinely receives large volumes of correspondence from a wide range of organisations and individuals regarding shale gas exploration and production. We have not received any representations from either individuals or business in Warrington relating to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 May.
The Oil and Gas Authority have received no applications to conduct hydraulic fracturing activities for either exploration or development in Warrington prior to (or since) the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 May.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made representations to the retail sector to allow Sunday shop workers to take part in the commemoration of the centenary of the 1918 armistice; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Shop workers (except those employed to work solely on Sundays) have the right to opt out of working on Sundays, subject to a notice period, even if they have entered into a contractual agreement to do Sunday shop work. They are legally protected against dismissal or detriment for exercising this right.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses in (a) Warrington and (b) the north-west owed money by Carillion; and what the average amount owed is.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have established a Taskforce to support businesses affected by the Carillion. The taskforce includes representatives from leading business bodies, the construction sector, unions, banks and government to advise how to mitigate impacts on the supply chain and employees. The Taskforce has made good progress in exchange of information, collaborations, and to identify key actions that need to be taken.
The Official Receiver was appointed liquidator of Carillion Plc and a number of companies in the Carillion group. In this role as liquidator he is independent of government. As part of his duties, the Official Receiver will establish the creditor claims in the liquidation.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to encourage the further development of the offshore wind turbine industry; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK is at the forefront of offshore wind deployment. The last Contracts for Difference auction (announced 11 September 2017) will bring forward 3.2GW of new offshore wind capacity to be built by 2024.
In the Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, the Government reaffirmed our future support for offshore wind stating that we would improve the route to market for renewable technologies such as offshore wind through:
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in Warrington in the supply chain for BAE Systems.
Answered by Claire Perry
BAE Systems supply chain is spread across the UK and overseas. We are working with BAE Systems to understand the potential impacts of their 10th October announcement on their direct employees and those in the supply chain. Any employees affected will be offered advice and support by the Department of Work and Pensions’ Rapid Response Service.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many companies in each region have been (a) named and shamed and (b) prosecuted for non-payment of the minimum wage in each of last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Margot James
In the last 12 months we have named 592 employers for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage. The name and location of these employers is recorded within press notices, which can be found on www.gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-number-of-employers-named-and-shamed-for-underpaying
Geographic information of employers prosecuted for non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage is published in the Government’s 2017 evidence to the Low Pay Commission on compliance and enforcement: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-government-evidence-to-the-low-pay-commission-on-compliance-and-enforcement-2017.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent representations he has received on the potential removal of coal-powered electricity generation from the UK's energy mix.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department launched a formal public consultation on 9 November on proposals to end electricity generation from unabated coal power stations by 2025 in Great Britain. Officials in the department are engaging a range of stakeholders as part of the consultation process. An assessment of stakeholders’ views will be published after the consultation ends in February 2017.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the public investment needed to maintain the UK's energy capacity in the next 20 years.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Our current energy pipeline, published in the National Infrastructure Plan 2016 which includes investment to 2030, suggests that £18bn (or 9%) of total investment is to be publicly funded, £177bn is to be privately funded, whilst a final £12bn of energy investment will be jointly funded by the private and public sectors.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on the Government's decision to cancel the carbon capture and storage competition.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department has received a number of representations on the future of carbon capture and storage (CCS). This includes carefully considering the findings and recommendations made in the report ‘Lowest Cost Decarbonisation for the UK: the critical role of carbon capture and storage’, published in September 2016 by the Parliamentary Advisory Group on CCS, chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Oxburgh.
We are considering the options for CCS in the UK, and will set out our approach in due course.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
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 potential effect of businesses paying the adult minimum wage rate to people under 25 years of age who are not in training but carrying out the same work as those 25 years of age or over on (a) rates of poverty and (b) levels of disposable income for people under 25 years of age.
Answered by Margot James
The Government will publish an impact assessment on the increase in the National Living Wage and the increases in the National Minimum Wage rates announced at Autumn Statement in due course.
The Low Pay Commission also evaluates the impact of the various rates upon both employers and workers, drawing on economic, labour market and pay analysis, independent research and stakeholder evidence. Their report can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-low-pay-commission-autumn-2016-report.
From April 2017 all National Minimum Wage rates, and the National Living Wage, will be increased by more than inflation. The main rate (for 21 – 24 year olds) is expected, at that point, to be at its highest ever level in real terms.