Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing businesses affected by the high cost of energy to use red diesel as a means of generating power.
Answered by Graham Stuart
HM Treasury lead on red diesel policy. The Government recognises the impact rising energy prices will have on businesses of all sizes and is in regular contact with business groups and suppliers to understand the challenges faced and explore ways to protect consumers and businesses.
The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses) ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. A review of the scheme, to be published in three months, will identify the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs after the initial six months.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 ensure energy providers pay fair prices for energy generated by private individuals' solar panels; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward a scheme to allow consumers to save the excess energy they generate during warmer months for when it is required during winter.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a cost-reflective market led mechanism, helping to level the playing field for small-scale low-carbon generation.
To enable the SEG to be market based and encourage innovation, a key feature is to allow suppliers to set the tariff levels and structure. Whilst payment must be greater than zero at all times of export it is for suppliers to determine the value of the exported electricity. The retail cost of electricity would not be a fair price to pay because it includes not only the wholesale costs, but also network costs, levies and supplier operating costs.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) suppliers and (b) employees are not adversely affected financially by the clothing retailer Missguided's fall into administration.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 1st June 2022 it was announced that Missguided had been bought out of administration by the Frasers Group. The company will be supervised by the administrators for a transition period of eight weeks, after which the new owners will take over responsibility for running the business. The Government has no role in the strategic direction or management of private retail companies.
No announcement has yet been made regarding redundancies. However, we recognise that this will be a worrying time for Missguided’s employees and their families and the Government stands ready to support those who may be affected. As a consequence of Missguided’s administration, any employees who have been made redundant can apply to the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service to claim for redundancy, unpaid wages, holiday pay and loss of notice pay. To qualify for a redundancy payment, employees must have at least two years’ continuous employment with their former employer. Employees who do not have two years’ continuous employment can still claim for wages, holidays and loss of notice. Further information regarding how to submit a claim will be provided by the joint administrators.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to help support (a) suppliers and (b) small businesses affected by the clothing retailer Missguided's fall into administration.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 1st June 2022 it was announced that Missguided had been bought out of administration by the Frasers Group. The company will be supervised by the administrators for a transition period of eight weeks, after which the new owners will take over responsibility for running the business. The Government has no role in the strategic direction or management of private retail companies.
No announcement has yet been made regarding redundancies. However, we recognise that this will be a worrying time for Missguided’s employees and their families and the Government stands ready to support those who may be affected. As a consequence of Missguided’s administration, any employees who have been made redundant can apply to the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service to claim for redundancy, unpaid wages, holiday pay and loss of notice pay. To qualify for a redundancy payment, employees must have at least two years’ continuous employment with their former employer. Employees who do not have two years’ continuous employment can still claim for wages, holidays and loss of notice. Further information regarding how to submit a claim will be provided by the joint administrators.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 has taken to help ensure that petrol and diesel companies are not overcharging for fuel by charging in greater than normal excess compared to the wholesale cost of oil.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department monitors the fuel supply market and publishes weekly national average pump prices.
BEIS analysis shows that both rises and falls in crude oil prices are passed through to consumers over the course of 6-7 weeks and found no evidence to suggest that, for given changes in crude oil prices, retail prices rise faster than they fall.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the reduction of CO2 emissions in tonnes as a result of Drax being in receipt of £832 million in direct Government subsidies to biomass in 2020.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference Scheme currently requires that solid biomass used to generate electricity does not exceed a greenhouse gas emission of 200 kg per MWh. Emissions from coal generation in 2020 were equivalent to 997 kg per MWh, so biomass currently delivers at least an 80% greenhouse gas saving over coal.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 help ensure that energy companies are offering affordable and flexible energy tariffs to customers who operate lifesaving and enhancing medical equipment from their homes.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to ensuring fair energy prices for consumers. The Government introduced the Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Act, which requires the energy regulator Ofgem to cap standard variable and default energy tariffs in 2019. The Energy Price Cap will remain in place at least till the end of 2022 to protect millions of customers and ensure they pay a fair price for their energy.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 make it his policy to increase the UK’s gas storage capacity.
Answered by Greg Hands
Storage plays an important role in providing system flexibility in responding to short-term changes in supply and demand. The purpose of storage is to top-up supply when demand is high.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 potential merits of entering a collective bargaining agreement with Europe to regulate high gas prices enforced by Norway.
Answered by Greg Hands
Norway is a significant, longstanding and reliable gas supplier to the UK with supply based on commercial arrangements between buyers and sellers. Current gas prices are high for many reasons including rebounding global demand as COVID-19 lockdowns ease; greater LNG demand in Asia; upstream maintenance affecting supply capacity over summer, and higher demand for gas in electricity generation on the Continent as coal is disincentivised.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 plans to (a) consider the hairdressing and barber industry for Mandatory Registration or (b) devolve that decision to the devolved Administrations; and if his Department will hold discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the potential merits of devolving licensing of the hair and barber industry.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department regularly engages with the devolved administrations and officials on a variety of issues.