Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
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 reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government, working in partnership with industry, launched the Construction Sector Deal in July 2018, in order to deliver a substantial improvement in the productivity growth of the sector. At the heart of the deal is a joint public and private sector investment of £420m in the Transforming Construction Programme, which will accelerate the adoption of digital and manufacturing technologies to improve building performance and reduce waste, with the aim of reducing lifetime carbon emissions by 50%. In particular, £32m has been invested in the Advanced Building Centre which is developing energy generation and storage technologies for use in buildings.
Through the Green Construction Board, we are working with industry to achieve the Buildings Mission goal of halving the energy consumption of new buildings by 2030, and halve the cost of retrofit over the same period. The Board is also working with Government to develop a road map to zero avoidable waste in the sector. The road map will be delivered by the end of next year. By reducing waste and encouraging the use of sustainable materials we can further reduce Green House Gas emissions.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
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 paragraphs 1.296 and 1.297 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress his Department has made by estimated capacity of land sold since March 2016 in identifying and disposing of land to meet the Government's commitment.
Answered by Margot James
I refer my hon. Friend to the Public Land for Housing Programme Annual Report published in February 2017.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
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 that landlords fulfil their responsibilities to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 requires that all landlords of domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies.
The Department has consulted, and will continue to consult with landlord groups to help them understand the requirements of the regulations, and with local enforcement bodies. The Department will shortly publish guidance to assist non-domestic landlords in complying with their obligations under the regulations, and we will publish similar guidance for domestic landlords in due course.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the application of band E energy efficiency standards on the amount of industrial and commercial property available for UK businesses.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The private rented sector Energy Performance Certificate band E minimum energy efficiency standard was established in the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015.
The Impact Assessment published alongside the 2015 Regulations estimated that, as of 2014, approximately 200,000 non-domestic private rented sector properties in England and Wales had an energy performance rating below E, representing approximately 18% of the total non-domestic rental stock. The Department does not anticipate that the application of the regulations will have any effect on the availability of this property for UK businesses.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
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 number of commercial landlords exempt from Energy Efficiency Regulations because of provisions against upfront costs.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015, landlords of privately rented commercial property will need to ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an ‘E’ before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants. Landlords of commercial property are not exempt from having to meet the upfront costs of installing measures to improve performance; instead the regulations provide a cost effectiveness test, and landlords are required to install all recommended energy efficiency improvements which meet, or exceed, a seven year simple payback.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in which month the Pye Tait Review of retentions in the construction industry will be published.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The main aim of the Pye Tait research is to provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the costs and benefits of the contractual practice of holding retentions in construction.
My Department is currently working with Pye Tait to finalise this research. It will be published alongside a consultation document later this year.