Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Aquind Interconnector proposal will be considered by the national security regime which was established by the National Security and Investment Act 2021, including by (1) the Investment Security Unit, and (2) the Secretary of State, on national security grounds.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
The Government has a range of legislative and regulatory powers to protect infrastructure and critical services, including the National Security and Investment Act 2021. The Government is aware of the Aquind Interconnector proposal. The Government does not comment on individual transactions and any risk to national security.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date they expect the Planning Inspectorate’s report into the AQUIND Interconnector to be completed and sent to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Planning Inspectorate’s Report on the proposed AQUIND Interconnector has been completed and was received by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 8 June 2021. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State now has until 8 September 2021 to take his decision on whether or not to grant development consent for the proposal.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further the answer by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 18 May (HL Deb, cols 434–5), whether the Planning Inspectorate’s report on the AQUIND interconnector will be published before the Secretary of State makes his decision.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Planning Inspectorate’s report and my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s decision to grant or refuse development consent for the proposed Aquind Interconnector will be published at the same time on the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many builders have been (1) accredited for, and (2) turned down for accreditation by, the Green Homes Grant Scheme.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Green Homes Grant scheme opened for installer applications on 30 September. As of 04 February, the total number of installers registered with the scheme was 911.
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for the Green Homes Grant scheme have been turned down by International Climate Finance because they were unable to verify the identity of the applicant.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Verifying the identity of applicants is part of ensuring applications contain sufficient evidence for approval and that government funding is spent appropriately. Under the Green Homes Grant, additional information may be sought from customers when processing applications in order to progress them. More vouchers are being issued every day.
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average number of days people wait to receive a voucher from the Green Homes Grant scheme after the application has been approved.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course.
We have designed the voucher process to automate checks where possible and minimise the time taken for voucher approval. However, applications must be thoroughly checked for compliance with the scheme rules to help ensure value for money, consumer protection, and detect malpractice. We will continue to work to reduce the time between application and issuance, where possible.
BEIS will continue to monitor application data as the scheme progresses.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the target number of days for vouchers to be sent out once an application to the Green Home Grant scheme has been approved.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We have designed the voucher process to automate checks where possible and minimise the time taken for voucher approval. However, applications must be thoroughly checked for compliance with the scheme rules to help ensure value for money, consumer protection, and detect malpractice. We will continue to work to reduce the time between application and issuance, where possible.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who have received a voucher from the Green Homes Grant scheme are (1) recipients of benefits, (2) not recipients of benefits, and (3) landlords whose applications will benefit their tenants.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As of 8th February 21,947 vouchers have been issued. Further scheme statistics will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for the Green Homes Grant scheme have been declined.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course. BEIS will continue to monitor application data as the scheme progresses.
Asked by: Lord Grantchester (Labour - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings Ministers had with ICF before the Green Homes Grant scheme contract was awarded.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department contracted ICF to administer the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, following a competition, using the Crown Commercial Grants and Programme Services framework.