Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money has been paid under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme since its introduction.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Prices Act 2022 enacted the legislation for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Under this legislation, the Secretary of State is required to report expected expenditure as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of any quarter. Energy Bill Relief Scheme expenditure will be included in the next report.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in which sectors have non-domestic customers received funding under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme since its introduction.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) is available to eligible non-domestic customers in all sectors, including businesses, charities and the public sector. The EBRS discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money has been paid to non-domestic customers in energy-intensive industries under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme since its introduction.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers. Therefore the Government does not have the data available at industry level.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money was been awarded to non-domestic customers in the hospitality industry under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme since its introduction.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers. Therefore the Government does not have the data available at industry level.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money has been paid to non-domestic customers in the automotive industry under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme since its introduction.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers. Therefore the Government does not have the data available at industry level.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
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 take steps to ensure that those who work (a) directly in, (b) indirectly for, and (c) in agencies and public bodies connected to, his Department are paid at least (i) the UK Real Living Wage outside of Greater London or (ii) the London Living Wage inside of Greater London, as determined in each case by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Jane Hunt
This government is committed to paying people a decent living wage, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage.
In April 2022, the National Living Wage increased to £9.50 per hour.
By 2024, the Government have committed that the National Living Wage will reach 66% of median UK earnings.
As of 12 July 2022, the total number of direct employees, contractors and agency workers in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy earning below the Real Living Wage rate of £9.90 per hour was zero.
As pay and conditions are set between employee and employer, the Department does not hold records on contractors. The Crown Commercial Service’s frameworks set a minimum requirement of the current wage legislation, which all suppliers must adhere to when negotiating contracts with Government Departments.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy or Industrial Strategy, when prepayment meter customers will receive vouchers under the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Energy suppliers will deliver this support to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. Customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy or Industrial Strategy, what proportion of a default energy tariff at the April 2022 price cap the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme represents for customers that pay via (a) prepayment meters and (b) direct debit at typical usage levels.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The proportion for prepayment meters as well as direct debit would be 20%. This calculation is for an average household with a due fuel tariff which uses 12,000 kWh of gas and 2,900 kWh of electricity and what proportion of this the £400 grant would thus make up.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the British Business Bank's performance targets are for lenders loan recovery in coronavirus business support loan schemes.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Bounce Back Loan Scheme Guarantee Agreement and subsequent recovery principles document outline the Bank’s requirements and expectations for lenders participating in the scheme, including in terms of recoveries. The overall approach is that recoveries should be pursued in line with the lender’s existing standards for its own commercial lending. Under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, lenders are expected to follow their own commercial procedures.
The ongoing lender audit assurance programme assesses the performance of lenders including in relation to their recovery activities. Where issues are identified the Bank can take remedial action.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses that received (a) bounce back loans, (b) coronavirus business interruption loans, and (c) coronavirus large business interruption loans are no longer trading.
Answered by Paul Scully
The British Business Bank does not capture this information as part of its data recording. However, the Department has been objecting to strike-off proposals from companies that have outstanding government-backed loans. This policy was launched on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme in April 2021 and was extended to include CBILS, CLBILS and RLS in August 2021.
Through the bulk objection scheme, 63,968 companies have been prevented from striking off whilst holding a BBLS, CBILS, RLS or Future Fund facility. These facilities are worth £2.2 billion in total.