Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme have been (1) received, and (2) approved, since they were introduced.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) was introduced by the Government in March 2020 to provide financial support to smaller businesses across the UK that were losing revenue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of 31 May 2021, 251,342 applications had been submitted to approved CBILS lenders, of which 109,877 were successfully approved. Decision-making on whether a business was eligible for CBILS was fully delegated to the accredited lenders.
CBILS closed for new applications on 31 March 2021.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many companies have defaulted on the instalment repayments Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) so far; what is the value of loan repayments remaining overdue; and how many small and medium sized businesses are currently overdue on CIBILS repayments.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Many borrowers have begun to repay their Covid-19 Government facilities. Many have also taken advantage of the Government’s amendments to loan scheme rules which have provided businesses greater flexibility and space to start repayments.
For those who borrowed under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the Government has taken action to allow lenders to extend the term of CBILS loans up to a maximum of ten years where they assess that borrowers are in difficulty and will benefit from the extension.
Information related to loan repayments for the Government’s Covid-19 loan schemes will be included in the Department’s 2020-21 Annual Report and Accounts, to be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which villages they have identified as suitable for whole village trials of hydrogen heating; and when they will announce which villages will be taking part in the trials.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Government is supporting industry to deliver community trials of 100% hydrogen heating. The first trial will be a neighbourhood trial in Levenmouth, Fife, which is due to start in 2023.
BEIS and Ofgem have also invited Gas Network Operators to submit outline proposals for a larger village trial by December 2021. The Government is expecting that one or more of these proposals will require detailed planning during 2022, before location selection in 2023. Government’s intention is that the village trial will begin by 2025.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the increase in energy prices on the UK's manufacturing base; and what plans they have, if any, to assist industries to meet these additional costs.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is determined to secure a competitive future for our energy intensive industries and in recent years have provided them with extensive support, including more than £2bn to help with the costs of electricity and to protect jobs.
This includes electricity price relief schemes for eligible energy intensive industries in sectors such as steel, chemicals, cement, ceramics, paper and glass.
Various funds are in place to support businesses with high energy use to cut their bills and reduce their carbon emissions, including the £315m Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many grants have been awarded through the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation to (1) owner occupiers, and (2) tenants in rented accommodation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation falls under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). The current scheme is an obligation on larger energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency and heating measures in the homes of low-income and vulnerable and fuel poor householders.
Since ECO began in 2013, around 935,0000 homes have been upgraded under the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation. Of those, over 664,000 were owner occupiers; 193,000 were private rented tenants and almost 78,000 were social rented tenants.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many grants have been awarded through the Local Authority Flex scheme to (1) owner occupiers, and (2) tenants in rented accommodation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Local Authority Flex scheme enables participating local authorities to refer low-income and vulnerable and fuel poor households, for support under the Energy Company Obligation.
Since Local Authority Flex began in 2017, almost 168,000 measures have been delivered in over 100,000 homes under the scheme across Great Britain, up to July 2021. Local Authority Flex scheme data is not available by tenure.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their innovation strategy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In the recent ‘Build Back Better: our plan for growth’ published alongside Budget, the government announced the publication of a new Innovation Strategy in the summer.
In line with its commitment, BEIS is currently working across government to develop the Strategy in time for then.
The Strategy will outline how we look to achieve our ambitions in innovation and where we want to focus our efforts over the next decade.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they decided to disband the Industrial Strategy Council; and what plans they have to replace it with another independent body.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has decided that the Industrial Strategy Council in its current form will no longer be needed to monitor and evaluate the impact of the Industrial Strategy, following Industrial Strategy’s transition to Build Back Better: our plan for growth, and so will be wound down after its Annual Report. We will draw on the Industrial Strategy Council’s work and expertise, both on success metrics and insight projects, in taking forward further work in this area.
However, we must ensure our plan is carried through with a relentless focus on delivery and we will continue to evaluate our work. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet Secretary have asked Sir Michael Barber to conduct a rapid review of government delivery to ensure that it remains focused, effective and efficient, and to suggest how it could be strengthened.
Furthermore, The Build Back Better Business Council was convened by the Prime Minister to support ‘Build Back Better: our plan for growth’. The Build Back Better Business Council brings together a broad range of business leaders from across the whole British economy to work in partnership with the Government to recover from COVID-19, unlock investment, boost job creation, level up the whole of the UK, and promote Global Britain.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the impact, and (2) the effectiveness, of the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The majority of the 142 policy commitments in the 2017 Industrial Strategy are now in delivery phases, with around £45 billion of funding assigned to Industrial Strategy initiatives.
We have made progress strengthening the foundations of productivity, by investing in transport, housing, and digital infrastructure through the National Productivity Investment Fund. On skills, we have invested in maths, digital and technical education, and in September 2020 we introduced T-Levels.
The Grand Challenges and missions have strengthened the UK’s standing as a global leader in AI, clean growth, healthy ageing, and future transport technology, bringing Government together with industry to inspire and develop an Innovation Strategy that will improve lives and support our economy. This includes securing our landmark legislative commitment to end the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050, while supporting our businesses to adapt to a decarbonised future.
We have brought industry along with us, publishing eleven Sector Deals across ten sectors – comprising over 170 individual commitments with £3.25 billion in combined investment from industry and Government, including Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund monies.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which department leads on the Industrial Strategy; whether that department will continue to lead that strategy (1) during the next financial year, and (2) to the end of the current parliament; and if that department will not continue to lead that strategy, (a) which department will do so, and (b) whether the Industrial Strategy will need to be updated.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since the Industrial Strategy was published in 2017, the UK has been presented with new challenges and new opportunities; we have legislated to end our contribution to climate change by 2050, we are forging a new path outside the European Union and continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It is therefore right that we take a fresh look at our plans for industrial policy and long-term economic growth.
We are morphing and changing the Industrial Strategy into Build Back Better: our plan for growth and its supporting strategies to reflect the change in economic landscape since 2017. The plan and its supporting strategies will protect and create jobs as we transition to net zero with a renewed focus on infrastructure, skills, and innovation.
Although ‘Build Back Better: our plan for growth’ has been led by HM Treasury, this is setting the framework for the work that we will do across Government to ensure we build back better from the current challenges and deliver long term economic growth. Ministers and Departmental officials will continue to work together to ensure our priorities are met, delivering these strategies to ensure longer-term economic growth.
In order to support the Government’s ‘Build Back Better: our plan for growth’, the Department plans to set out details of our approach to supporting sectors, places, and technologies in the Innovation Strategy. The Department is already leading on strategies with respect to net zero, hydrogen and, innovation itself, as well as the space strategy. The work the Department has and continues to do has contributed greatly to the work for ‘Build Back Better: our plan for growth’ and will contribute to its supporting strategies.