Imran Hussain

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing the sale and use of fireworks in England and Wales including the purchase from registered sellers during specific dates.

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their circumstances.

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing the sale and use of fireworks in England and Wales including the purchase from registered sellers during specific dates.

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their circumstances.

The Government have launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season which encourages the use of low noise fireworks. The campaign also features new guidance for those running community fireworks events which recommends the use of low-noise fireworks to reduce the impact on communities, as well as social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks. The campaign materials are being shared widely to increase their impact.

Following the decision by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on 2 September 2024 to suspend licences related to use by Israel in the current military operations in Gaza, a number of open general export licences were amended. Further detail on the affected licences can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-exporters-202420-suspension-of-licences-for-israel.

The OGEL for exports in support of the F-35 programme has been amended to exclude exports direct to Israel. Any broader suspension with respect to this OGEL is not possible without undermining the programme overall, which would have a significant negative impact on international peace and security.

We publish annual and quarterly reports on export licences issued, refused, or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the products covered by these licences. They are available to view on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.

Summary data on our current export licences to Israel was also published on 11 June 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel.

The UK is fully committed to international law and fully respects the independence of the International Court of Justice.  We continue to consider the Court’s Advisory Opinion carefully, with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.

The F35 programme has a significant dependence on the UK, which provides unique and critical components. At the present time, any suspension of F-35 components to Israel through the programme is not possible without undermining the programme overall, and the government’s judgement is that this would have a significant negative impact on international peace and security. Therefore, at the present time, exports to the F-35 programme are excluded from the current suspension of export licences. We are keeping this under close review.

The F35 programme has a significant dependence on the UK, which provides unique and critical components. At the present time, any suspension of F-35 components to Israel through the programme is not possible without undermining the programme overall, and the government’s judgement is that this would have a significant negative impact on international peace and security. Therefore, at the present time, exports to the F-35 programme are excluded from the current suspension of export licences. We are keeping this under close review.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has set out this decision in further detail to the House in his written ministerial statement on 2 September 2024: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-09-02/hcws64

We have suspended export licences for Israel where these relate to items for use in military operations in Gaza. It includes licences for components for fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones, naval systems and targeting equipment.

The details of individual suspended licences contain sensitive information relevant to the individual exporter companies, and therefore the government is not providing further comment on them.

We have suspended export licences for Israel where these relate to items for use in military operations in Gaza. It includes licences for components for fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones, naval systems and targeting equipment.

The details of individual suspended licences contain sensitive information relevant to the individual exporter companies, and therefore the government is not providing further comment on them.

The Government is working on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households, including those in Bradford, to cut energy bills for good and will publish more details soon.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is currently reviewing our approach to affordability metrics, following the consultation published earlier this year on the review of the fuel poverty strategy. We will provide further updates in our upcoming fuel poverty strategy.

Since 1 April 2024, under the price cap, Ofgem has levelised standing charges for prepayment meter and direct debit customers and implemented a process of cost reconciliation for suppliers. This reduces the standing charges of consumers with prepayment meters, while each direct debit consumer pays more than they would have otherwise done.

This ends the inequity of people with prepayment meters, many of whom are vulnerable, being charged more up-front for their energy than other consumers. The Government knows too much of the burden of the energy bill is placed on standing charges. We are working with Ofgem to address this.

The government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan set out how the UK will reduce emissions and benefit from lower bills, skilled jobs, warmer homes and cleaner air. We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan, which will be a major step forward to cut energy bills for good. Scaling up new clean energy industries will create opportunities to actively reduce inequalities and create good jobs. We will continue to invest in clean low-cost energy. Our approach to the transition is built on fairness, ensuring everyone reaps the benefits and that no one is left behind.

No estimates have been made on the delays of home insulation programmes since 2019. We know improving the energy efficiency of our homes is an important step in reducing fuel poverty.

There are several government energy efficiency schemes and households can access the government's home retrofit tool on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), which allows users to get tailored recommendations for home improvements that could make their property cheaper to heat and keep warm.

This government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to run, from installing new insulation to rolling out solar and heat pumps. We will publish more details soon.

In 2023, 18.7% of households in the Bradford East parliamentary constituency were estimated to be in fuel poverty.

It is imperative that fuel poor homes benefit from the transition to net zero. We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households to cut energy bills for good and will publish more details soon. We will upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country, including those in Bradford, and the transition to warmer, decarbonised homes. This will include support for the most vulnerable to help slash fuel poverty.

There are multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to low income and fuel poor households. Schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, and the new Warm Homes: Local Grant.

Support is also available through the Warm Home Discount schemes which provide eligible low-income households across Great Britain with £150 off their winter energy bill. We are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs.

As set out in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, the Government is committed to working in partnership with local places like Bradford to deliver net zero, and is pursuing policies which upgrade homes with more efficient clean energy technologies, cut bills and deliver warmer homes. This includes our planned £13.2bn investment in the Warm Homes Plan, which aims to upgrade up to 5 million homes over this Parliament and cut energy bills for good. Further detail on the Warm Homes Plan will be announced soon.

Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and warm home. Damp and mould can have a serious impact on the health of residents.

The audits the Department has commissioned into Solid Wall Insulations on ECO4 and GBIS schemes consider risks to health and safety and where any such risk is identified, we require the installer to make it safe within 24 hours. For government schemes, it is the responsibility of the installer to fix any defective installation and if they cease to trade, then the guarantee for that work can be exercised by the householder.

Ofgem was first made aware of concerns with insulation issues in Fishwick in 2013 and they engaged with the energy supplier responsible to secure remediation.

Since then, National Energy Action (NEA) have led remediation schemes to support residents but we understand that there are still homes needing remediation. DESNZ has been in contact with NEA.

ECO4 / GBIS non-compliance issues were alerted to DESNZ in October 2024. Since that date thousands of additional audits have taken place and any issues are being fixed. We have offered an audit to all homes fitted with EWI under these schemes.

Data has not been collected regarding the specific number of houses affected by non-compliance, however failure rates from audits of individual measures has been collected for some schemes of which a summary is included in the NAO report.

For SWI installed under ECO4 and GBIS we have calculated the number of homes affected. We acknowledge that issues have emerged in other schemes, however this is not on the scale seen with EWI issues under ECO4 / GBIS. We have recent published results from audits on our housing association and local authority based schemes on gov.uk.

We are aware of unresolved issues with external wall insulation in Fishwick under the Community Energy Savings Programme (a supplier obligation based scheme)

The Department will continue to update the House on energy efficiency schemes, including the publication of relevant analysis.

The Government is committed to ensuring building work is done to the highest levels of quality and safety, be that in new builds, high rise or the home retrofit space such as Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme / Great British Insulation Scheme. The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Building Safety Regulator on reforms to the consumer protection system to improve accountability and support higher-quality installations including addressing the issues identified in the NAO report pertaining to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme.

The Government is reviewing the system of consumer protection and oversight for home retrofit installations, and is committed to creating a simpler, stronger system of standards and oversight that will give consumers confidence.

We will look at the entire landscape: from how installers work in people’s homes to where homeowners turn for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. More information will be shared in our Warm Homes Plan.

The Government is planning to consult on proposals for retrofit system reform early next year.

ECO has installed measures in 2.6m households. ECO4 was designed to address deep fuel poverty by addressing the worst properties first. When installed correctly, insulation can help reduce energy costs.

DESNZ has acknowledged there have been quality failings with SWI measures installed under the current ECO4 and GBIS schemes. As a result, we have committed to a property level check, followed by remediation of any issues found, for all households fitted with EWI under those schemes.

Our Warm Homes Plan will outline the full package of measures proposed to support those on low-income and get people out of fuel-poverty.

The cost of remediation sits with the original installer. For every measure installed under TrustMark schemes, a guarantee is required to be in place. If the installer is no longer trading, then the guarantee policy will kick in up to the cap for that policy. For SWI the cap is £20k.

In rare cases where the costs exceed the cap, the Department will continue to facilitate solutions with organisations across the sector.

As part of our reforms, we will be improving protections for consumers, ensuring, in the rare cases they are needed, financial protection products fully protect consumers and it’s clear how consumers get the help they need.

We have been clear that the original installer is responsible for remediating issues with their work and for the costs of doing so. Where an installer ceases to trade or in some cases fails to rectify an issue, TrustMark require a guarantee to have been issued which for SWI will cover up to £20k.

We are working with Ofgem, TrustMark, certification bodies, energy suppliers and guarantee providers to encourage businesses to fulfil their responsibilities.

Where installers refuse to engage with remediation requests, TrustMark and certification bodies can suspend or remove their certifications. This prevents them being awarded any new work.

The UK Government is committed to supporting the growth of the hydrogen economy through its Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs). In the first hydrogen allocation round (HAR1), announced in December 2023, 11 projects were selected to receive over £2 billion in revenue support for green hydrogen production. Additionally, £90 million in capital grant funding was awarded, with the potential to create up to 760 new jobs.

This includes Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen, located in Bradford city centre, which will produce hydrogen for diggers and buses. Published subsidy award details for this project include a Direct Grant of £13 million and £396 million under the Hydrogen Production Business Model. The exact amount of funding will depend on the hydrogen produced at the site over a 15 year period.

The Great British Energy Bill is focused on making provisions related to the setting up of Great British Energy only. It is intentionally broad in scope so Great British Energy can operate flexibly, responding to any future changes in the energy market.

As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has announced a new Warm Homes: Local Grant to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades including insulation, as well as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, to support social housing providers and tenants. More detail will be provided in due course, including our approach to consumer protection when issues arise with insulation.

As part of the work on the Government’s Warm Homes Plan, we will set out our approach to consumer protection when issues arise with insulation.

Cavity wall insulation is one the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures, saving up to £300 a year on occupants’ energy bills. However, Government recognises that there are instances of cavity wall insulation being defective or installed in unsuitable homes which may reduce its energy efficiency performance.

As part of the work on the Government’s Warm Homes Plan, we will set out our approach to consumer protection when issues arise with insulation.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward legislation which allows us to safely realise the enormous benefits and opportunities of the most powerful AI systems for years to come.

These proposals will be highly targeted, will build on the voluntary commitments already secured at the Seoul and Bletchley AI Safety Summits, and will be designed to be future-proofed and effective against this fast-evolving technology.

The government is continuing to refine its proposals, which will incentivise innovation and investment, and will launch a public consultation in due course.

AI is at the heart of the Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth and improve public services.

Earlier this year the Prime Minister announced the AI Opportunities Action Plan - a roadmap setting out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.

The Secretary of State has had discussions with Cabinet ministers, including with the Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade, regarding how the Government can maximise the potential of AI.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward legislation which allows us to safely realise the enormous benefits and opportunities of the most powerful AI systems for years to come. The government is continuing to refine its proposals and will launch a public consultation in due course.

As part of its plans to boost AI security, the government is committed to supporting and growing the AI Security Institute.