Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government is taking steps to help support the UK steel industry to decarbonise; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Net Zero Strategy, published on 19 October 2021, reaffirms the Government’s commitment to work with the steel industry on decarbonisation and to consider the implications of the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee: to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’.
BEIS continues to work with companies, who are developing their own decarbonisation strategies, to understand the trajectories of their plans and to support them as they make commercial decisions on the optimum route for their sites.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North 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 impact of the rise in the price of magnesium and supply issues on the aluminium extrusion industry in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
This is a global issue initiated by a reduction in Chinese magnesium production. The Government is monitoring the situation. At present there are no reported disruptions to the aluminium sector or supply chains.
As part of the work to develop a strategy on Critical Minerals, the Government will establish an Expert Committee on critical minerals. This committee will provide high quality, independent and well-considered advice to the Government on technology-critical minerals and metals priorities, including magnesium.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial impact assessment he has made of the effect on UK manufacturing companies of obtaining AS9100 certification.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has not made a financial impact assessment of the effect on UK manufacturing companies of obtaining AS9100 certification. This is an industry standard rather than a regulatory requirement.
The UK has been at the forefront of aviation for more than 100 years. Our Aerospace Sector is a world leader in the design, manufacture and aftercare of some of the highest value products on aircraft – wings, engines and advanced systems. Aerospace companies in the UK work to the highest quality and standards which ensures the world leading standing of our Aerospace sector.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North 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 reopening covid-secure hospitality venues once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's priority groups one to four have been vaccinated.
Answered by Paul Scully
As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister said, we intend to publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown in the last week of February. That plan will depend on the continued success of our vaccination programme, and on deaths falling at the pace we would expect as more people are inoculated.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North 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 aluminised steel was produced in the UK in each of the last five years for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The data requested is not available from official statistics.
We have been working with companies across the steel sector to ensure that they can access the unprecedented package of support measures that the Government has made available during this challenging time.
The Government has also helped steel companies to reduce their costs through resource and energy efficiency, including through a package of compensation and exemptions from electricity costs, and has provided more than £560 million in support to the UK steel industry since 2013.
In?addition, we have established an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF),?backed by up to?£315 million?of investment. The IETF will help businesses with high energy use, including steel companies, to cut their bills and transition the UK’s industry to a low carbon future.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
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 increase the financial support available for the hospitality sector in tier 3 covid-19 restriction areas.
Answered by Paul Scully
We are providing hospitality businesses in Tier 3 areas with a wide package of support to help them through the current crisis. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants and additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses.
We have extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 2021, where small and large employers will be eligible to apply for a Government grant of 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 a month.
Businesses can continue to access our loan schemes, now extended, defer VAT payments previously due in March, and benefit from business rates holidays, a moratorium on eviction for commercial tenants and the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme. We have also made available grants of up to £3,000 for businesses required to close in the current period of national restrictions, and businesses required to remain closed in Tier 2 or Tier 3 will receive the same level of support.
Grants are also available from the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) scheme, which is a discretionary fund to support businesses which are not legally closed but severely impacted Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions, with funding of up to £2,100 per 28 days.
On 1 December, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an additional £1,000 Christmas grant for ‘wet-led pubs’ in tiers 2 and 3.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to reduce the noise limit on fireworks available to the public.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has no current plans to lower the legal noise limit of fireworks.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published its Fireworks Evidence Base on 29 October 2020. This included reviewing existing data and producing a research paper on fireworks noise levels and impacts on health and the environment. This is intended to provide a baseline of current scientific knowledge.
The Fireworks Evidence Base, including noise data, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fireworks-evidence-base
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
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 class card shops as an essential retailer for the purposes of the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has published details of guidance that sets out the restrictions that certain businesses and venues in England will be required to follow from 5 November. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business required to close having considered the guidance and Regulations.
All shops can continue to offer home delivery and click and collect services to customers?during the national restrictions in place from 5 November.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
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 allow pubs to sell takeaway alcohol during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
During the new national restrictions in place from 5 November, pubs and bars are permitted to sell alcohol through delivery or via click and collect where remote ordering has been utilised.
Asked by: Jane Stevenson (Conservative - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the value of the aluminium sector to the UK economy.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Aluminium is widely used in many sectors of the economy, including transport (automotive and aviation), construction, manufacturing equipment, consumer durables and electronics, as well as food, beverage, and medical packaging. In 2018, the aluminium sector had an estimated turnover of £1.9 billion and contributed around £200 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy. It directly supports 4,100 jobs and many more indirectly. Aluminium is a lightweight material and infinitely recyclable, and so has significant potential to contribute to the UK’s net zero objectives.
The Government recognises that it is crucial for the aluminium sector to continue providing essential materials to support the economy and the Department is committed to ongoing engagement with the aluminium industry. Input from aluminium firms informed the Government’s guidelines to help manufacturing businesses to operate safely during the pandemic, and the industry has also been widely consulted on changes affecting the sector as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU.