Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 adequacy of levels of energy efficiency in (a) new and (b) existing commercial buildings.
Answered by Claire Perry
BEIS published the Building Energy Efficiency Survey (BEES) in 2016 which updated and improved the evidence on how energy was used in non-domestic premises across England and Wales. It found that there was 63,160 GWh/year (or 14,750 ktCO2e/year) total energy efficiency abatement potential, representing a 39 per cent reduction from current energy consumption.
This assessment informed our approach to energy efficiency in the Clean Growth Strategy (CGS) that set out our ambition to enable business and industry to improve energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030. Improvements in building energy efficiency are expected to make a significant contribution to this, and the CGS includes commitments to enable businesses to improve energy efficiency in new and existing commercial buildings.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 potential merits of including energy efficiency in the lending decisions of mortgage companies.
Answered by Claire Perry
In the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government set out that we would work with mortgage lenders to develop green mortgage products that take account of the lower lending risk as a result of the reduced energy costs associated with more energy efficient properties.
The Government also supported the ‘LENDERS’ project with funding from Innovate UK. The LENDERS project, which reported in 2017, looked at the impact of including more accurate estimates of energy bills in mortgage affordability assessments.
Alongside the Clean Growth Strategy, the government published a Call for Evidence on building a market for energy efficiency which included proposals for encouraging lenders to offer green mortgage products. This Call for Evidence closed on 9 January 2018. Following an evaluation of the responses, we will publish an action plan on additional market based measures later in 2018.
Following the publication of the Clean Growth Strategy, BEIS and HM Treasury ministers also jointly set up a Green Finance Taskforce, which brought together senior leaders from the finance sector. Their objectives were to help deliver the investment needed to meet the ambitions and commitments set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, whilst consolidating the UK’s leadership in financing international low carbon investment. The Taskforce published their recommendations in March this year, including how to encourage the development of green mortgage products. The government is currently considering these recommendations and will respond in due course.
We are already seeing progress, and leadership from within the finance sector. Following the Green Finance Taskforce’s recommendations and the success of their Green Bond, launched in November, Barclays recently launched the first green mortgage product by a major UK lender, which will reward homebuyers who choose to buy an energy efficient new build home with a lower interest rate on their mortgage. This is an encouraging step and I hope other lenders will follow suit.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 potential effect of increasing the use of hydrogen for domestic heating on the level of household emissions.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department is currently undertaking work to strengthen and assess the evidence on the range of potential approaches to decarbonising heat, including on the use of hydrogen. There are a number of technologies with the potential to make a major contribution to decarbonisation. As well as hydrogen, these include, heat pumps, hybrid gas and electric heating systems and district heating networks. I plan to publish a report on the Department’s review of the evidence later this year.
The Department has also commissioned the Hy4Heat project which aims to provide essential technical evidence on the use of hydrogen for heat in buildings. This will include developing and testing hydrogen boilers. The project has a total budget of £25m and will run until 2021.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 place in the Library, a copy of the project specification for the £1.4 million three-year research project on new low carbon homes contained in the Clean Growth Strategy.
Answered by Claire Perry
A copy of the specification for the £1.4 million three-year research project on new low carbon homes which is reference in the Clean Growth Strategy is available here, under the heading ‘OJEU-CR16118BEIS - RFP Request for Proposal’. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2e89a4ce-0048-4ce1-aee3-a492467ec550
The project has since been re-named as ‘Building for 2050’.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 has undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of moving responsibility for the Land Registry to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Answered by Margot James
The Government announced at Autumn Statement 2016 that it would reform the Land Registry in the public sector. The Government continually reviews all arm’s length bodies and partner organisations to make sure that public services operate efficiently and effectively for customers and the taxpayer.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 potential effect of the proposals in the Land Registry's consultation on amending the Land Registration Rules Act 2003 relating to large-scale electronic conveyancing on (a) all small and medium-sized conveyancing companies and (b) small and medium-sized conveyancing companies based in rural areas with poor internet coverage.
Answered by Margot James
The rule changes proposed in the recent consultation are deregulatory. As a consequence, a Regulatory Triage Assessment dated 2 August 2016 was completed and is publicly available
A final stage impact assessment will be submitted to the Regulatory Policy Committee in advance of clearance being sought for the rules to be made.
So far as the Rule changes that deal with digital conveyancing are concerned, they are permissive in nature. They would allow, but not force, businesses to use new digital conveyancing and registration services.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the Government's response to the consultation on moving the operations of the HM Land Registry to the private sector.
Answered by Margot James
As announced in the 2016 Autumn Statement, the Government has decided to transform HM Land Registry in the public sector and is reviewing options for modernisation. Government will respond in due course.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to (a) expedite the Government's application to the European Commission to exempt energy-intensive industries from the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation and small-scale feed-in tariffs and (b) ensure legislation is in place ahead of the next financial year.
Answered by Jesse Norman
We are in discussions with the European Commission about our state aid pre-notification to move from compensation to exemption for the indirect cost of the Renewables Obligation (RO) and small-scale Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) and have developed draft legislation in preparation.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to secure contingency funding for the continuation of compensation for the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation and small-scale feed-in-tariffs for energy-intensive industries beyond April 2017.
Answered by Jesse Norman
We are engaging with the European Commission about our state aid pre-notification to move from compensation to exemption for the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation (RO) and small-scale Feed-in Tariffs (FiT). It is not currently necessary to allocate contingency funding for the continuation of compensation beyond April 2017.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
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 his oral contribution of 10 October 2016, Official Report, column 81, on the Neighbourhood Planning Bill and the Land Registry, for what reasons he has chosen not to privatise the Land Registry.
Answered by Margot James
Government has always made clear the importance it attaches to land registration and the Land Registry in supporting an effective and functioning property market. As my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said on 10 October, whilst measures for the privatisation of Land Registry will not form part of the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, any decision on privatisation of Land Registry will be for the Government to make in the future. Following the close of the consultation on moving operations of Land Registry to the private sector Government is carefully considering its response, taking into account consultation responses received. It is only right that new ministers take the time to look at all the options before making a decision on the best way to proceed.