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 potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to mandate companies selling spray foam loft insulation to inform customers of the potentially detrimental impact this product could have on the customer's property value.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) apply across all business sectors and prohibit traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices in connection with the promotion, sale and supply of products to consumers. This includes misleading actions or omissions, such as leaving out or hiding important information or presenting information in such a way that it is likely to deceive the consumer.
Under the CPRs, traders are required to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. The regulations prohibit commercial practices which omit or hide material information which the average consumer needs, according to the context, to make an informed choice, where such an omission causes or is likely to cause them to make a different choice (e.g. purchase goods or a service that would not otherwise have been purchased).
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 he is taking to include mandatory energy efficiency requirements in building regulations to reduce (a) energy costs and (b) fuel poverty.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
When implemented in 2025, the Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard will ensure new buildings are zero carbon ready, with high energy efficiency and low carbon heat. The Government believes that by improving energy efficiency and moving to cleaner sources of heat, carbon emissions can be reduced and energy costs kept down for consumers now and in the future. Reducing energy demand through energy efficiency can directly address fuel poverty by minimising energy costs for consumers.
In the Heat and Buildings Strategy the Government set out how it is prioritising the most vulnerable in society. The Government is targeting support for those in fuel poverty through several schemes, such as: the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, totalling a record level of investment of £6.6 billion. This is in line with the Government’s target to ensure, where practical, that as many fuel poor households achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of a Band C by 2030.
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, on what date he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to establish a public register of overseas property ownership.
Answered by Paul Scully
As announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 28 February, a Register of Overseas Entities will be legislated for within the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill, introduced to Parliament on 1 March.
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 legislative steps he is taking to promote tidal energy.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government announced in November that the fourth Contracts for Difference allocation round will feature a £20m annual ringfenced budget for tidal stream energy. This builds on a long history of government support for the sector. The Government has no plans at present to introduce legislation relating to tidal energy.
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 potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to restrict firework usage to organised displays only.
Answered by Paul Scully
There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks that controls who can purchase them, their availability and use, curfews, and their safety as a product.
We agree with the conclusion of the Petition Committee’s 2019 inquiry into fireworks, that any further restrictions on fireworks sold to the public could lead to more individuals buying products inappropriately, through online social media sources or from outside the UK. This could drive individuals to source fireworks from illegitimate or unsafe suppliers, where products may not meet the UK’s safety requirements.
As part of the Government’s programme of action, we have commissioned research and continue to use evidence to inform our work. This has included developing and publishing an evidence base on fireworks and undertaking engagement with a wide range of organisations on the key issues raised.
We also commissioned research by Ipsos Mori that provided evidence on consumer attitudes towards and behaviours around using fireworks in the UK. The key findings have informed our annual public awareness campaigns and support the need to educate consumers on fireworks use.
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 hold discussions with representatives of Weetabix on reports of fire and rehire practices at Weetabix.
Answered by Paul Scully
Government has been consistently clear that we do not accept the inappropriate use by any employer of ‘fire and rehire’ as a negotiation tactic.
When employment disputes arise, the Government wants to ensure that employers and employees are able to resolve them quickly and effectively. Earlier this year, we asked Acas to produce comprehensive, clear guidance so that employers can explore all the options before considering ‘fire and rehire’, and to encourage good employment relations practice. This guidance was published on 11 November and is available at http://www.acas.org.uk/changecontract.
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 proportion of pensioners in Ealing Central and Acton constituency live in fuel poverty; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of that proportion.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In 2019, an estimated 13.2% of all households in the Ealing Central and Acton Parliamentary Constituency were estimated to be in fuel poverty.
Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty, reducing energy bills and delivering warmer, safer homes for the most vulnerable. We consider improving the energy efficiency of homes to be the best long-term method of tackling of fuel poverty. Energy efficiency schemes include the Energy Company Obligation and the Sustainable Warmth Competition.
Since 2011, the Warm Home Discount has helped over 2 million low-income and vulnerable households each year with their energy costs. In the 2019/20 scheme year, which is the latest we have data for, around 1 million low-income pensioners in receipt of the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit received a £140 Warm Home Discount as an automatic rebate on their energy bills. Support is also available through the Winter Fuel Payment: £200 for households with somebody who has reached State Pension age and is under age 80; or £300 for households with somebody aged 80 and over. The Cold Weather Payment is also available to eligible households if the average temperature in their area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
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 he is taking to contribute to the (a) development and (b) validation of non-animal (i) research methods and (ii) technologies.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that Replace, Reduce and Refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs), who have committed £100 million through its research, innovation, and early career awards to provide new 3Rs approaches for scientists in academia and industry to use. This includes almost £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges innovation scheme to UK and EU-based institutions, mainly focusing on new approaches for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that reduce the use of animals.
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 he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to incentivise the transition from gas boilers to heat pumps.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government will shortly publish the Heat and Buildings Strategy which will set out a long-term plan to decarbonise domestic heating.