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Written Question
Construction: Billing
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (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 impact of the Prompt Payment Code on SMEs in the construction sector, given that only a small minority of construction businesses are signatories to the Code.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to fulfilling its manifesto commitment to clamp down on non-payment and late payment to support small businesses in the UK.

We have introduced a number of measures to tackle late payment. These include the Payment Practices Reporting Duty which creates transparency in payment behaviour, and the Prompt Payment Code which sets standards and best practice in payment culture. Both measures are applicable in the construction sector.

Since September 2019, suppliers also risk being excluded from winning large Government contracts if they cannot demonstrate prompt payment. This policy applies to Central Government contracts valued above £5m per annum, subject to the Public Contracts Regulations.

In addition, in May 2020 the Government issued a Guidance Note on responsible contractual behaviour in the performance and enforcement of contracts impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government will continue to review behaviours in contracting, including public sector procurement, prompt payment and contract management arrangements.


Written Question
Construction: Carbon Emissions
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist the Construction Leadership Council in achieving zero retentions within the construction sector by the target date of 2025.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government, in conjunction with the Construction Leadership Council, is working to identify a sustainable strategy on retentions for the whole construction sector.

Through the Business Models workstream of the Council, the practice of cash retentions and route to achieving zero retentions is being taken forward. This includes the options available, or could be developed, to provide an alternative to cash retentions and for the industry to reduce or eliminate defective construction work and having a procurement and delivery model that recognises, incentivises and rewards good quality work.


Written Question
Green Homes Grant Scheme
Tuesday 2nd February 2021

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many applications were approved for, and (2) what was the total amount awarded through, the Green Homes Grant scheme in 2020

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As of 31 December 2020:

(1) 11,298 applications were approved, corresponding to 12,849 vouchers issued;

(2) The vouchers issued represents £52.1 million of approved funding. This will not be awarded until the scheduled works are completed and vouchers are redeemed.


Written Question
Green Homes Grant Scheme
Tuesday 2nd February 2021

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many vouchers were sent out by email to successful applicants to the Green Homes Grant scheme in 2020.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As of 31 December 2020, 11,298 applications were approved, with 12,849 vouchers issued by email to successful applicants.


Written Question
OneWeb
Monday 14th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 3 August (HL7046), whether the OneWeb offering has changed to include defence specific applications since 3 August.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

While Her Majesty's Government has a stake in the company, it will operate as a commercial entity. The point raised is a commercial matter and should be directed to the company.


Written Question
Oneweb
Monday 3rd August 2020

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Callanan on 8 July (HL Deb, col 1119) that OneWeb “has many applications that the UK can leverage, including defence applications” and the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 14 July (HL6644) which stated that “the investment in OneWeb is not a Defence matter”, whether OneWeb has any current defence applications; if so  what those applications are; and if not, when they became aware that OneWeb could not be applied to defence matters.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The current OneWeb offering does not include any defence specific applications. The investment in OneWeb is not a defence matter. Moving forward, OneWeb’s capabilities around its second-generation satellite offering will be reviewed in the context of the UK’s evolving civil and military space requirements.


Written Question
Unified Patent Court
Friday 24th July 2020

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the estimated costs, to date, (1) of preparing for the UK's participation in the Unified Patent Court, and (2) of any future wind down costs consequent on their decision to withdraw their ratification of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court and the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the Unified Patent Court. [T]

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

UK contribution to the project to date has been from multiple sources and amounted to £9.5m.

The Government committed to leasing accommodation for the UPC in London which is currently being utilised by the IPO and other tenants. We have invoked the break clause set out in the lease. We estimate future IPO costs of approximately £420,000 in net rent, plus costs to return the accommodation to its original state.


Written Question
Intellectual Property: Crime
Wednesday 5th February 2020

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the economic impact to the UK of the unauthorised use by persons or companies based in China of intellectual property developed in the UK.

Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank

The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It is responsible for intellectual policy (IP) policy; educating businesses and consumers about IP rights and responsibilities; supporting IP enforcement; and granting UK patents, trade marks and design rights.

The IPO recognises the significant harm that IP crime causes to the UK economy and is working alongside domestic and international partners to address the problem.


Written Question
Energy: Disconnections
Tuesday 16th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 26 June (HL16573), what sources of data on the number of households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost they use to inform their policy-making.

Answered by Lord Henley

The energy regulator Ofgem, monitors and publishes data on households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost, which includes data from their annual Consumer Engagement Survey and from the Citizens Advice self disconnection consumer survey.

Following a call for evidence, Ofgem is undertaking a review of households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost and has requested that energy companies provide additional information and data to help their analysis. They will publish their response this summer.


Written Question
Energy: Disconnections
Tuesday 16th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 26 June (HL16573), why they do not hold data on the number of households who disconnect their energy supply due to the cost; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the lack of such data on their fuel poverty policy.

Answered by Lord Henley

Government has given Ofgem, the independent GB energy regulator, a statutory duty to protect the interests of vulnerable consumers, with the regulator enforcing rules to protect consumers at risk of debt and disconnection.

Following a call for evidence, Ofgem is undertaking a review of households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost and has requested that energy companies provide additional information and data to help their analysis. They will publish their response this summer. Government will consider the findings of this review and the potential impact more detailed information about self disconnection could have on how we target fuel poverty policies, such as the Warm Home Discount and ECO Local Authority Flexible Eligibility.