Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the training materials for case handlers of the Energy Ombudsman.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem is required to review the Energy Ombudsman every two years. As part of these reviews, the Energy Ombudsman provided training materials to Ofgem, who judged that staff at the Ombudsman were sufficiently well-trained. The decision about whether to publish training materials is a decision for the Energy Ombudsman, who are independent of Government.
We want it to be quicker and easier for consumers to access the Energy Ombudsman service and for any customer who has received a poor-quality service from their supplier to receive the compensation and resolution they deserve.
That is why the Government has announced proposals to strengthen the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that suppliers comply with its final decisions or pay compensation to their consumer. We will also consult on introducing automatic referrals to the Ombudsman, explore the reduction of referral waiting times from 8 weeks to 4 weeks and make the overall complaints process more transparent and accessible.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of vehicles involved in criminal activity have had non-compliant licence plates in the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect information related to the compliance of licence plates for vehicles which have been involved in criminal activity. Data may be held by local police forces.
Data be held locally by law enforcement organisations.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to separate the number of procedures for the (a) LD50 (lethal dose 50%) and (b) LC50 (lethal concentration 50%) tests in the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes extensive data on the use of animals in science in the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals.
There are no plans to disaggregate the number of procedures specifically relating to the LD50 and LC50 tests within these statistics.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to transition government digital services to (a) free and (b) open-source providers.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Where appropriate, the Government makes use of free and open-source providers. The Digital, Data & Technology playbook provides guidance on sourcing and contracting for digital, data and technology projects and programmes. Cabinet Office & Government Digital Service are currently working together to define a comprehensive sourcing strategy for what we build, what we buy and how we partner. This will include use of open-source solutions.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who is liable for the cost of repairing damage incurred from installing insulation under the Great British Insulation Scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All installations under government energy efficiency schemes, including the Great British Insulation Scheme, must be carried out by a TrustMark registered business. TrustMark registered installers are required to provide consumers with guarantees from a TrustMark approved guarantee provider. TrustMark have a 3-step dispute resolution process for when things go wrong which includes liaising with the original installer to carry out any required repairs in the first instance. Further information on the steps consumers can take and financial protection for installations can be found on TrustMark’s website here: https://www.trustmark.org.uk/
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman underwent an independent peer review in 2023-24 facilitated by the International Ombudsman Institute. The review and the LGSCO’s response to its recommendations can be found on the LGSCO’s website.