Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential need for additional financial support for off-grid households; and (a) how often and (b) what metrics are used by his Department plans to make these assessments.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Alternative Fuel Payment will provide £100 to support households who do not use mains gas for heating with the rising price of fuel this winter. The price of heating oil is estimated to have risen by around 147% in the year to October 2022. A payment of £100 will effectively limit the increase in heating costs to 130%, in line with the benefit offered by the Energy Price Guarantee for customers on mains gas. The Government will continue to monitor the prices of alternative fuels, such as heating oil, and will consider further intervention if required to protect UK households from extraordinary fuel prices.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) Energy Price Guarantee for on-grid and (b) £100 for off-grid households on those households; and on what basis his Department determined the level of support for off-grid households.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Price Guarantee and Alternative Fuel Payment aim to provide equivalent levels of support to all households.
The price of heating oil is estimated to have risen by around 147% between January 2022 to October 2022. A payment of £100 will effectively limit the increase in heating costs to 130%, in line with the benefit offered by the Energy Price Guarantee for customers on mains gas.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the £100 payment to support households who are off-grid with the energy bills will be paid to those households.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Households in Great Britain eligible for these payments will receive £100 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter. Households that are eligible for but do not receive Alternative Fuel Payment or the £100 heat network payment, because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier for example, will receive the £100 via the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund, which will be provided by a designated body. The Government will confirm details of the AFP Alternative Fund shortly.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 is engaged in any partnerships with the World Economic Forum.
Answered by Paul Scully
Since November 2020, BEIS has been a member of the Global Futures Council on Agile Governance, focusing on the development of government regulatory practices to help drive economic growth.
In May this year, the UK became a government partner in the First Movers Coalition. This is an initiative launched by the United States with the WEF and is a coalition of more than 35 international companies committed to harness their purchasing power and supply chains to create early markets for innovative clean energy technologies.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues and with his EU counterparts on the EU's decision on British metal hallmarking.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department continues to work with the British Hallmarking Council, the jewellery trade, and the International Hallmarking Convention to ensure that UK-hallmarked items can be sold internationally without facing technical barriers to trade.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 has made an assessment of the impact of the EU's decision to not recognise British hallmarking on (a) smiths and (b) jewellers.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department continues to work with the British Hallmarking Council, the jewellery trade, and the International Hallmarking Convention to ensure that UK-hallmarked items can be sold internationally without facing technical barriers to trade.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to develop a UK hallmark.
Answered by Paul Scully
The UK already has four unique and internationally-recognised hallmarks representing the four UK Assay Offices: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Sheffield.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 his Department has taken to support manufacturing in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Manufacturing is a critical part of our national economy, including in Lincolnshire and South Holland. The Department?works closely with industry to support?manufacturers. For example, we have made £2 billion available in Government-backed finance through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, £2.3 billion via the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and £4.78 billion through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
We continue to support manufacturing growth through investments in projects such as Made Smarter, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult network, and innovation programmes such as the Automotive Transformation Fund. Across Greater Lincolnshire, the Government is investing?£155.45 million of?Local Growth Funding and £25.8 million from the Getting Building Fund.
In South Holland, £9.4 million has supported the Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone development, £2.4 million towards the Agri-Food Centre, and £1.9 million to upgrade the Holbeach Peppermint Junction. Just last month, the Department for International Trade announced that Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone will be one of nineteen UK High Potential Opportunities marketed to global investors to exploit the area’s expertise in agri-food manufacturing, automation, and robotics. This will help to develop Holbeach as the manufacturing hub of the UK’s Food Valley.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to enable construction work to continue during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Construction workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services and providing and maintaining safe, decent homes for people to live in.
The Government has been clear that construction activity can continue during the lockdown, where it can take place safely. The Government has worked with construction firms and other stakeholders to develop guidance on safer working on construction sites, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The industry has also developed Site and Branch Operating Procedures for firms and merchants, as well as guidance for small firms and mineral products suppliers. These products provide advice as to how construction firms can apply the Government’s guidance on safer working.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of loans provided through the Bounce Back Loan scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
As of 18 October 2020, 1,336,320 applications have been approved for Bounce Back Loans, at a value of £40.20 billion.