Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what type of heating system is the primary source of heating in each building occupied by his Department and its agencies; and what fuel is used by those heating systems.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The BEIS headquarters building in 1 Victoria Street use a diverse mix of energy including gas and solar. Like other offices across the country, as decisions are made about future energy usage in light of the Government’s Net Zero commitments, further steps to decarbonise including installing heat pumps and connecting to heat networks will be taken.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the percentage gap in earnings is between the highest-paid and lowest-paid full-time employee in his Department.
Answered by Margot James
Government departments do not publish details of the salary of their highest to lowest paid employees.
The Office for National Statistics do, however, publish the salary ratio of highest to median earners for each Civil Service organization. These ratios are published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics and can be found on the Office for National Statistics website:
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
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 include worker representation on its departmental board.
Answered by Margot James
I refer my hon. Friend to the oral statement on the Corporate Governance Green Paper of 29 November 2016, Official Report, Column 1408.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the percentage gap in earnings is between the pay of full-time staff in the highest pay grade in his Department and average full-time pay in that Department.
Answered by Margot James
The Office for National Statistics publish the salary ratio of highest to median earners for each Civil Service organization. These ratios are published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics and can be found on the Office for National Statistics website:
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
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 publish information on the gender pay gap among its employees.
Answered by Margot James
The Office for National Statistics already publishes a comprehensive set of data on Civil Servants in each Government Department on an annual basis in October. This includes average salaries and any existing pay gaps by gender.
The Government has published draft regulations, under the Equality Act 2010, for the gender pay gap reporting requirements. These regulations remain in draft until they are approved by Parliament.
Under these draft regulations, employers with 250 or more employees have to publish information relating to the gender pay gap in their organisation within a 12 months period ending with the snapshot date of 5 April each year.
The Department will meet any requirements on gender pay gap reporting placed upon it.
Asked by: Jake Berry (Conservative - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to facilitate customers switching suppliers in consumer markets.
Answered by Nick Boles
We are taking action to make it quick and easy to switch suppliers. Last year, we published six switching principles, urging industry to improve their processes.
The Government has challenged the mobile phone operators to unlock handsets for free, and the major operators have committed to doing so.
We are also legislating for easier switching in the communications markets in the Digital Economy Bill.