Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether businesses are eligible to (a) apply for and (b) be approved for loans through the Bounce Back Loan scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme at the same time.
Answered by Paul Scully
A borrower is not able to take out a loan under the Bounce Back Loans Scheme (BBLS) if they have been approved for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme (CBILS) facility, and vice versa.
However, a business that has already taken out a CBILS facility can apply to transfer to a BBLS facility if the BBLS facility will refinance the CBILS facility in full. All accredited lenders who have approved CBILS loans so far will allow customers to refinance their loan into the BBLS where appropriate, however, borrower protections under these schemes differ, and businesses should discuss these with their lender.
Businesses do not need to request the transfer immediately. In order to enable lenders to focus on dealing with new applications first, there will be a window for transfer requests until 4 November 2020.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2020 to Question 6620, Copyright: EU Law, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals equivalent to the (a) transparency obligations, (b) contract adjustment mechanisms and (c) right of revocation in the EU Copyright Directive.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK has one of the best intellectual property copyright frameworks in the world and the Government remains committed to high standards of copyright protection. The UK copyright framework will continue to provide proper rewards for creators, while considering the needs of consumers and ensuring a thriving digital economy. If, in the future, evidence demonstrates that the current framework is not effective, the Government will consider action to address this. As a result of the UK leaving the EU, the Government will not be required to implement the Directive. The Government plans to assess our options as part of our domestic policy process.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK’s creative industries of the decision not to implement the EU Copyright Directive.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK has one of the best intellectual property copyright frameworks in the world and the Government remains committed to high standards of copyright protection. The UK copyright framework will continue to provide proper rewards for creators, while considering the needs of consumers and ensuring a thriving digital economy. If, in the future, evidence demonstrates that the current framework is not effective, the Government will consider action to address this. As a result of the UK leaving the EU, the Government will not be required to implement the Directive. The Government plans to assess our options as part of our domestic policy process.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and (b) other UK nuclear research-related grant holders of losing access to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor after the conclusion of the current contracts.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The UK will remain a world-leader in fusion science. We recently approved an ambitious commitment to fund £220 million towards the first five-year phase of UK Atomic Energy Authority’s STEP programme. This phase will complete detailed design and development work, ensuring the UK’s fantastic nuclear researchers are well placed to deliver the world’s first commercial fusion power plant by 2040.
UK companies have secured around £500 million in commercial contracts from ITER in areas including remote handling, plasma heating, and diagnostics; we are well positioned to deliver more before operations commence in 2025. UK academics and researchers are valued ITER partners, including those at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy.
The UK will continue to participate in ITER via Fusion for Energy until the end of 2020.
Beyond the Transition Period, we are open to participating in specific EU programmes where it is in the UK’s interests. The Euratom Research and Training Programme, including membership of Fusion for Energy, will be considered alongside other EU programmes.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Government has spent on TV and radio advertising to promote smart meters.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Smart Energy GB is responsible for the national consumer awareness campaign for smart meters in Great Britain. Smart Energy GB is an independent, not for profit organisation funded by energy suppliers. Details of Smart Energy GB’s budget can be found at: https://www.smartenergygb.org/en/about-us/essential-documents.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Data Communications Company will install upgraded communication software to SMETS1 smart meters by 2020.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Data Communications Company (DCC) and energy suppliers have obligations to upgrade their systems and operate SMETS1 smart meters within the DCC’s national communications network by the end of 2020.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of conducting a new cost-benefit analysis of the smart meter roll-out over the last five years.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to publishing a new Cost Benefit Analysis for the Smart Meter Implementation Programme this year.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the viability of the Implementation Plans for the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions published by Climate Mobilization.
Answered by Claire Perry
No assessment has been made. The Government recognises that climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face, and our Clean Growth Strategy sets out our plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through to 2032, including ambitious policies and proposals on housing, business, transport, the natural environment and green finance.
The Strategy builds on the strong progress we have made towards our legally binding targets established in the world-leading Climate Change Act. Between 1990 and 2017, the UK reduced its emissions by over 40 per cent while growing the economy by more than two thirds.
We recognise the need to go further, which is why we have commissioned the Committee on Climate Change to provide advice on the implications of the Paris Agreement for the UK’s long-term emissions reduction targets, including on setting a net zero target. They have been asked to include evidence on how carbon emission reductions in line with their recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy. This advice is due on the 2 May and we will consider it carefully when it is received.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of potential benefits of the policies in the Green Alliance's Community Energy Manifesto.
Answered by Claire Perry
Community energy has many benefits not only for the energy system but also for wider community resilience as set out in the Green Alliance’s Community Energy Manifesto.
The Government already does value communities in the energy system. The Rural Community Energy Fund, which will reopen shortly, allows communities to identify and develop schemes in which they can invest and from which they can derive significant local benefits. This programme will now include community officers in each of the five local energy hubs in England.
I am also proud of the way communities support and adopt innovation not just in technology but in business planning, in financing of projects and in engaging with the local communities they represent. As a Government we support this approach and as part of our ‘Prospering from the Energy Revolution’ programme, £40m has been allocated to 4 local future systems demonstrators and I am pleased that communities like the Low Carbon Hub in Oxford at the heart of those schemes.
As the Manifesto itself points out, 5 out of 6 current BEIS Local Retrofit Supply Chain pilot projects are led by community groups. We are also supporting Community Energy England with the essential work they do to share best practice and celebrate success, and I attended their conference in Bristol in October, as part of Green Great Britain Week, to see this work in action.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 issue a response to Early Day Motion 1771, on subsidies for biomass electricity generation.
Answered by Claire Perry
Sustainable biomass has an important role to play in our electricity mix as it can help balance demand on the grid by being dispatchable, balancing out intermittent renewables like solar and wind.
We are committed to keeping energy costs as low as possible and subsidies for biomass are monitored through the Levy Control Framework. Biomass plants only receive subsidy for the electricity output which complies with our sustainability criteria
We have consistently stated that we see the use of biomass conversions as a transitional technology. We have announced that support for coal to biomass conversions will end in 2027 and we will be consulting on making coal to biomass conversions ineligible for future allocation rounds of the Contract for Difference scheme in due course.