Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 economic effect of the covid-19 pandemic on travel agencies.
Answered by Paul Scully
We know how difficult the current national and international restrictions are for the travel sector, with businesses having already faced many months of reduced trade. Impacted businesses can access a range of Government support measures, including the extended furlough and self-employed support schemes, as well as various government-backed loans.
We are regularly assessing Covid-19’s impact on tourism businesses and are continuing to engage across Government and with stakeholders - such as the Association of British Travel Agents and Association of Independent Tour Operators - to assess how we can most effectively support the recovery of travel and tourism across the UK.
The Government has also committed to producing a Tourism Recovery Plan setting out the transformation and growth of the sector over the next five years as part of our economic recovery.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 provide targeted financial support for the travel agency industry during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Paul Scully
We recognise that these are extremely challenging conditions for businesses in the travel sector, including tour operators and travel agents, which is why we’ve provided a range of targeted measures to see the sector through COVID-19.
On top of our wider economic support package, we've provided business rates relief and one-off grants for eligible hospitality and leisure businesses – and we’ve cut VAT for tourism and hospitality activities from 20% to 5% until the end of March.
Additionally, on 18 July the Government announced that ATOL-protected holidaymakers can book with confidence following confirmation that the Government will protect refund credit notes offered if packages are cancelled as a result of COVID-19.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the public consultation on proposals for the regulation of district heating networks.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Heat networks are an important part of the Clean Growth Strategy and we expect them to play an important role in the long-term decarbonisation of heat. We are committed to this within a framework that protects consumers and supports market growth.
In December 2018, the Government set out our intention to introduce regulation of heat networks and published our priorities for the sector – protecting consumers; building investment and maximising the decarbonisation benefits of heat networks. This built on recommendations by The Competition and Market Authority.
We expect to consult on more detailed policy proposals later this year. Any subsequent legislation would be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on (a) the average weekly number of customers and (b) revenue generated at Acton Post Office in the six months prior to its closure on 24 October.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.
I have been informed that Acton Post Office has closed as the site is being redeveloped and that unfortunately the Post Office has not been able to establish an alternative service so far. As this is an operational matter for the Post Office I have asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to you on this matter setting out what steps the Post Office is doing to restore the service as soon as possible. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the export tariff for solar PV for energy exported to the grid will be maintained at 5.24 per kilo watt hour after April 2019.
Answered by Claire Perry
In line with the Feed-In Tariffs legislation, the export tariff for solar PV will continue to be adjusted annually in line with the Retail Prices Index for those installations accredited under the scheme.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of the introduction of net metering for solar PV and the renewables industry to provide value for money to consumers.
Answered by Claire Perry
Net-metering was considered as part of the 2015 Feed-in-Tariff review. Government’s view at the time was that net-metering would not achieve the objective of cost control nor pay a fair price for the electricity exported.
On 19 July government published a Call for Evidence to understand further the challenges and opportunities for small-scale low-carbon generation – including solar PV. The Call for Evidence closed on 30 August and a response from government will be provided in due course thereafter. All evidence submitted will be considered and used to inform any future policy proposals.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish his policy proposals for rooftop solar after the closure of the Feed-In Tariffs Scheme in 2019.
Answered by Claire Perry
On 19 July, Government published a Call for Evidence to understand further the challenges and opportunities for small-scale low-carbon generation – including rooftop solar. The Call for Evidence closed on 30 August and a response from government will be provided in due course thereafter. All evidence submitted will be considered and used to inform any future policy proposals
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when she plans to create a public register showing the beneficial owners of overseas legal entities which (a) own or buy property in the UK and (b) secure contracts from central Government.
Answered by Margot James
On 11 December the Government published its new Anti-Corruption Strategy. In the Strategy we have committed to publish a draft bill in this session of Parliament for the establishment of a public register of beneficial ownership of overseas legal entities.
The Department ran a call for evidence on this policy earlier in 2017. We will publish a response to the call for evidence early in 2018 and will also set out more detail on the timeline for publishing the legislation.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to respond to consultation on Property ownership and public contracting by overseas companies and legal entities: beneficial ownership register.
Answered by Margot James
The responses to the call for evidence are currently being analysed and a response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to retain access to the Erasmus Plus programme after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The referendum result has no immediate effect on students abroad under the Erasmus scheme or applying for 2016/17. Payments will be made in the usual way. Access to the programme after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming negotiations. Consideration of other options will depend on the outcome of these negotiations.