Sarah Olney

The COP15 meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity is a crucial moment in 2022 to ensure global action on tackling biodiversity loss by 2030.

The UK government is taking a wholly joined up approach to delivering world-leading climate & ecological commitments through our Net Zero Strategy, the Environment Act, and our Environmental Improvement Plan, including an historic target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.

We are committed to improving women’s health. Independent reports such as Baroness Cumberlege’s review in 2021 were a catalyst in shining a light on women’s experiences of the healthcare system. In December we published Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy, which sets out our ambitions for improving women’s health and reducing disparities – we will publish the Women’s Health Strategy this year.

We are also clear that wider patient safety must be a top priority for the NHS in England. Significant measures introduced by the Government and those being implemented by NHS England as part of the NHS Patient Safety Strategy are about improving the way the NHS learns from avoidable patient harm and the response to harmed patients.

Wraparound childcare is a Department for Education policy, therefore the Minister for Women and Equalities would not be best-placed to lead discussions on this issue with the Chancellor. The Equality Hub provides evidence and expertise to support cross-government work on economic and social recovery, working closely with the COVID-19 Taskforce and the relevant delivery departments. This includes working with the Department for Education to highlight the pressures faced by those balancing work with childcare, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we know that the majority of these pressures fall on women.

The UK continues to work closely with the UNFCCC Secretariat, UNFCCC Subsidiary Body Chairs, and COP25 Presidency Chile to ensure we maximise progress ahead of COP26. Decisions regarding the Bonn intersessional will be made by the UNFCCC COP Bureau, where all countries are represented.

The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department. Comprehensive details of Senior Officials’ Business Expenses, encompassing domestic flights are available on GOV.UK.

SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.

SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.

Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.

CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.

SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.

SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.

Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.

CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.

SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.

SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.

Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.

CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS), representing the Cabinet Office, Defra and its Ministers have worked closely together throughout the development of the proposed agreement.

Defra approached CCS in 2019 to consider the concept of developing a commercial strategy and procurement solution for food produce, specifically a holistic approach to the ordering, fulfilment, consolidation and delivery of food produce to customers.

CCS have been working alongside Defra to design a commercial solution, and Defra will be responsible for establishing the updated Government Buying Standards for Food. CCS and Defra continue to work closely together on this issue.

The tender for the proposed Buying Better Food Agreement has not yet been published. Invitations to Tender are expected in Summer 2023, with the contract going live in Spring 2024.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) have followed the public sector regulations by issuing a PIN notice, which is published on the government Find a Tender Service, used for all public sector opportunities. This notified the market of our intentions, and invited willing participants to engage with us.

As a result of this, a cross-section of the food and drink supply chain has been engaged and consulted through CCS’ ongoing market engagement process. These include micro SME producers to Tier 1 national providers.

Departmental helplines are not managed or run centrally. Therefore, each department is responsible for their own helpline, as well as response and waiting times.

Departmental helplines are not managed or run centrally. Therefore, each department is responsible for their own helpline, as well as response and waiting times.

For management and staffing purposes, the Prime Minister’s Office is an integrated part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office had 10,655 staff in 2022-23, and all devices are fully security encrypted. The following table includes the number of lost/stolen devices in the Cabinet Office in the last five years.

Given steps taken to secure information, we do not believe there has been any data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Questions of 5 December is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Questions of 5 December is attached.

As at 8am on 19 July, there are 3,349 adverts for 10,409 total postings advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website. The below table shows vacancies and posts by department.

a) The Cabinet Office staff resource for the dashboard was less than 1 FTE.

b) There has been no additional non-pay cost to the public purse by creating the dashboard. The process was led by the Cabinet Office, who commissioned Government Departments to find REUL within their legislation and compile an authoritative account of where REUL sits on the UK statute book.

The dashboard itself is made by the Government Strategic Management Office and is hosted on Tableau Public, which is a free platform for hosting public dashboards. The dashboard will continue to be updated at no additional cost.

No.

The Queen’s speech will set out in further detail the Government’s legislative programme in the normal way.

This legislation on retained EU law will be informed by the Cabinet Office's ongoing reviews into the substance and status of retained EU law. Legislation will be accompanied by the normal documents that will explain the benefits of making it easier to amend or remove retained EU Law.

The Queen’s speech will set out in further detail the Government’s legislative programme in the normal way.

This legislation on retained EU law will be informed by the Cabinet Office's ongoing reviews into the substance and status of retained EU law. Legislation will be accompanied by the normal documents that will explain the benefits of making it easier to amend or remove retained EU Law.

Following our withdrawal from the European Union, the UK is able to pursue an independent foreign, trade and security policy. As set out in ‘The Benefits of Brexit’, this gives us greater flexibility to pursue the UK’s international objectives: to sit at the heart of a network of like-minded countries, defend human rights and uphold global norms. This new and agile approach is demonstrated through AUKUS. AUKUS is a concrete articulation of the UK’s ambition, made in the ‘Integrated Review’, to deepen defence, security and foreign policy ties with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific and more widely across the globe. The agreement reflects the unique level of trust and cooperation between our three countries.

The review into the substance of retained EU law and departmental appraisals will be used to establish how best to meet the target. In due course, as we progress with this work, we will consider whether to publish a breakdown of the target.

Traffic flows and any congestion build up at the Short Straits are monitored 24/7 by officials on both sides of the English Channel, and the appropriate escalation routes are already in place, and well tested to mitigate the risk of delays at the border. The reasons why the Dover Traffic Assessment Project (TAP) has been activated recently are understood, and we are confident that new customs processes introduced from 1 January were not the cause of queues.

Officials continue to monitor the situation closely and are engaging with industry groups, Port of Dover and local stakeholders in Kent.

In July 2020, the Government announced a £705 million package of investment in border infrastructure, staff and technology to ensure GB border systems would be ready for the transition period. This included the £200 million Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF), £270 million for inland infrastructure and a further £235 million for border IT, systems and recruitments.

As of early December 2021, £95.5 million in grants from the PIF had been disbursed to ports to cover verified expenditure to date. Of the £200 million PIF, we expect all of the £195 million allocated to ports to be spent by the end of the current (2021-22) financial year. Additionally, by December 2021, the Department for Transport had spent £292.2 million on inland border infrastructure and the running of Information and Advice sites.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has ongoing funding to deliver the key priorities for EU Exit. As of early December 2021, HMRC had spent, for example, £9 million scaling up the existing Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system, £45 million on the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) and an additional £76 million on Inland Border Facility (IBF) development.

Since departments have border-related funding built into their baseline budgets, it is not straightforward to provide the total cost to the Government of all new border infrastructure and IT systems to date. Spending is ongoing and will be accounted for by departments in the usual way.

Government officials and Ministers meet weekly with representatives of trade bodies that represent SMEs, such as the Federation of Small Businesses and the Confederation of British Industry, to discuss how best to target information at SMEs. We also engage larger companies to ensure they help prepare smaller companies in their supply chains for the changes ahead.

The Government has also prepared several freely available tools to assist all traders with the new import processes being introduced from 1 January 2022. This includes the publication and continuous updating of the Border Operating Model; over 200 webinars delivered by the Cabinet Office reaching around 20,000 UK and EU traders to date, and a haulier handbook translated into 17 languages.

In addition, our ‘Check, Change, Go’ communications campaign has been designed using polling and insights from SMEs. Based on these insights, all paid for marketing has been developed to target these audiences to ensure they are aware of the effect of new rules in place between the EU and the UK.

Given much of this activity falls within standard government business as usual, it is not possible to disaggregate all costs relating to communications specifically for preparing small and medium sized businesses. However the Cabinet Office publishes expenditure on gov.uk, including on public information campaigns on a rolling monthly basis as part of routine government transparency arrangements.

For management and staffing purposes, the Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Figures are not available for 2017. Subsequent figures for the whole of the Cabinet Office as a department are as follows:

To place this context, in 2020-21, the Cabinet Office (core department) had 9,248 staff.

All departmental IT is fully security encrypted.

Any mobile device reported as lost is immediately and remotely deactivated and the contents deleted. The user account on any laptop reported as lost is immediately and remotely locked.

The Departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.

There has been no data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 175882 on 28 April 2021.

In line with the commitment in the 2019 Conservative manifesto, the Government will scrap the rule that prevents British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from participating in UK parliamentary elections. Many British citizens overseas retain deep ties to the United Kingdom and it is right that we respect this.

May I apologise for the delay in answering the question. On 5 November, the Department for Health and Social Care acted swiftly in accordance with growing evidence of virus prevalence to put in place new national COVID-19 restrictions in England. Under these new restrictions, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are not permitted to take place, except in exceptional circumstances where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover. We recognise that the restrictions may be disappointing for those who are planning such events. However, by their nature, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are events that bring families and friends together from across the country and sometimes across the world, making them high risk events for transmission of the virus.

For further information on COVID-19 restrictions, please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november. Information for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is available on related websites.

The UK government is committed to implementing the Withdrawal Agreement, including Article 8.

The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 protects businesses from misleading advertising by other businesses, and are enforced by Trading Standards.

The Government recently introduced the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill to establish a new pro-competition regime that will force the most powerful tech firms to treat businesses in the UK fairly – including small businesses.

The options available to a business which believes its intellectual property (IP) is being infringed online depend on the type of IP, where it is registered and where the alleged infringement is taking place.

Workers should receive the money they are owed. We are committed to ensuring this happens and that they are protected from exploitation.

As stated in the answer to HL6685, data held on Employment Tribunal Penalties is derived from a live case management system used for internal purposes which has not been subject to sufficient validation that would be required for us to release this to Parliament at this time.

We will consider what data we may be able to publish on this subject in the future.

The Government has received over 100,000 responses to the consultation on the Choice on units of measurement: markings and sale and will publish its response in due course.

The Department for Business and Trade is reviewing all REUL in line with usual policy development to determine whether to repeal, replace or preserve it.

The Government will, in due course, provide further information regarding its plans for the Online Intermediation Services for Business Users (Enforcement) Regulations 2020.

Policy teams across the Department for Business and Trade consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle.

Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the Department for Business and Trade, including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.

The Cabinet Office has published best practice ‘consultation principles’ for Government Departments.

Due to the Machinery of Government changes we are unable to give total figures for the Department of Business and Trade.

The number of domestic flights (flights departing and arriving within the United Kingdom) taken by officials of the former Department of International Trade (DIT) in each of the last 5 financial years is published in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts.

The link to the DIT Annual Report and Accounts can be found at the following location: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts

In October 2022, the Government extended the Small and Micro Business Assessment process to include a new test for medium sized businesses of up to 499 employees. This will help ensure that the impact of new and renewed regulations on these businesses are considered, and exemptions or mitigations applied where it is appropriate. There are no plans to extend the threshold further.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was created in February 2023. The Department has not issued any consultations for which a response is outstanding.

As part of the Machinery of Government changes, the Government inherited 34 ongoing consultations from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

- Review of the energy intensive industries exemption scheme;

- Considerations for future Contracts for Difference (CfD) rounds;

- Capacity Market 2023: strengthening security of supply and alignment with net zero;

- Improving boiler standards and efficiency;

- Smart Meter Targets Framework: minimum installation requirements for Year 3 (2024) and Year 4 (2025);

- Review of consents for major energy infrastructure projects and Special Protection Areas, 2022;

- Data sharing regulations for a safeguard energy tariff;

- Energy retail: opt-in and testing opt-out switching;

- Designing a framework for transparency of carbon content in energy products: call for evidence;

- Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes;

- Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme: request for information;

- Review of consents for major energy infrastructure projects and Special Protection Areas;

- Proposals for hydrogen transport and storage business models;

- Decarbonisation readiness: call for evidence on the expansion of the 2009 Carbon Capture Readiness requirements;

- Future of the energy retail market: call for evidence;

- 1st Offshore Carbon Dioxide Storage Licensing Round Appropriate Assessment;

- UK Emissions Trading Scheme free allocation review: call for evidence;

- Greenhouse gas removals (GGR) business models;

- Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating systems in businesses and public buildings off the gas grid;

- Re-coupling Great Britain electricity auctions for cross-border trade;

- Exemptions from the requirement for an electricity licence: call for evidence;

- Climate Change Agreements (CCAs): proposals for a future scheme;

- Future policy framework for power with carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS): call for evidence;

- Land rights and consents for electricity network infrastructure: call for evidence;

- Introducing a performance-based policy framework in large commercial and industrial buildings;

- Role of biomass in achieving net zero: call for evidence;

- Cost of energy review: call for evidence;

- Improving home energy performance through lenders;

- Potential of marine energy projects in Great Britain: call for evidence;

- Designing the Green Heat Network Fund: call for evidence;

- Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid;

- Green Gas Support Scheme 2022 annual tariff review: call for evidence;

- Third-party intermediaries in the retail energy market: call for evidence;

- Non-domestic Private Rented Sector minimum energy efficiency standards: EPC B implementation.

We will respond to these consultations as soon as possible.

Regional data is not yet available. Electricity suppliers, who deliver the automatic enrolment element of the scheme, will provide MPAN-level delivery data to Government shortly. The Alternative Fund for the Alternative Fuel Payment, the element which requires an application, launched recently on 6 March and early data is still being collected. Transparency data will be published in due course.

The Government wants everyone who is eligible to redeem their prepayment meter vouchers and get £400 to help with their energy bills. Unlike direct debit customers, pre-payment meter customers need to take action in order to access the £400 support and represent some of the most vulnerable groups in society which is why it’s vital they are made aware of how to access this funding.

Ministers have pushed for suppliers to do more to help vulnerable customers and, alongside using all of its existing relationships and networks, the Government have expanded campaign activity to reach eligible customers with additional advertising across multiple channels including community radio, social media and national magazine titles. The cost of advertising targeted at people with pre-payment meters to drive take-up will be £469,000 this financial year.

The Autumn Statement set out a commitment to work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024, including options such as social tariffs, as part of wider retail market reforms.

Officials are considering the options and proactively discussing these with stakeholders. As part of this work, the Government is working with disability organisations, assessing the need for specific support for disabled people including families with disabled children.

In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment.

There are no plans to hold discussions with energy suppliers on this matter. The independent regulator, Ofgem, requires licenced energy suppliers to provide and maintain a Priority Services Register for vulnerable customers with additional, non-financial needs. The services that suppliers are required to offer to customers on a Priority Services Register are a matter for Ofgem.

The Department was established on 7 February 2023. As a result, there has been no decision yet on whether we will publish the (a) number and (b) destinations of all domestic flights taken by officials in this Department in each of the last 5 years

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Putney on 27 February to Question 147486.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme is for households not businesses.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme is delivering a £400 non-repayable government discount to households across the United Kingdom to help with energy bills this winter. The £400 is for domestic use and is not provided to electric vehicle charge point operators.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) speaks to representatives of the creative industries on a regular basis and its officials have met with them on text and data mining (TDM), in relation to former proposals to introduce a broad exception for data mining, as well to discuss the current work to develop a code of practice on TDM. DSIT officials have also worked in close partnership with officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to understand the key insights on TDM gained from their engagement with the creative industries.

Relevant Ministers and officials at DCMS and DSIT have engaged extensively across creative industries and the wider AI sector. This has included professional associations representing the creative industry, holders of rights to creative content, platforms that host creative content, broadcasters, creative industry professional associations and unions, as well as providers of content-creation tools.

The Government has already announced it will work with creative industries and AI developers to develop a code of practice on text and data mining licensing by the Summer.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday 25 April.

The Government has already announced that it will not proceed with its previous policy for a broad copyright exception for data mining. Instead, it will work with AI developers and right holders to develop a code of practice by the Summer. The Government seeks to strike a balanced and pragmatic approach which allows AI innovators and the creative industries to grow in partnership.

The Government recognises that this is a difficult time for families across the country who are struggling to pay their bills as a result of the global rise in the cost of living.

The sector remains highly competitive and UK consumers can currently access some of the lowest mobile pricing in Western Europe. However, it is important that contracts are transparent and consumers understand what they are signing when taking out a new communications service. Ofcom recently announced it has begun a programme of work to consider whether contracts are sufficiently transparent. I look forward to their findings.

In June 2022, leaders from broadband and mobile operators agreed on a set of industry commitments to help people through the global rise in the cost of living. These include manageable payment plans and allowing households, who may be mid-contract but struggling with their bills, to switch to cheaper packages without penalty.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was created in February 2023. The Department has not issued any consultations for which a response is outstanding.

As part of the Machinery of Government changes, we inherited 5 ongoing consultations from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:

- The future of connected and automated mobility in the UK: call for evidence;

- Project Gigabit: open market review request for information - Wales;

- Wireless Infrastructure Strategy: call for evidence;

- Open Market Review: Superfast and Gigabit broadband infrastructure in Scotland - request for information;

- Online Advertising Programme.

We will respond to these consultations as soon as possible.

The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation is responsible for The Intellectual Property Office and the relevant minister is Viscount Camrose.

The Department and the Intellectual Property Office are both committed to supporting innovators as the UK looks to embrace the science and innovation that is at the heart of our economic plan. Intellectual property (IP) plays a key role in how businesses compete, at home and in world markets. Getting the IP framework right is central to the UK’s ability to generate growth and jobs.

The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation is responsible for The Intellectual Property Office and the relevant minister is Viscount Camrose.

The Department and the Intellectual Property Office are both committed to supporting innovators as the UK looks to embrace the science and innovation that is at the heart of our economic plan. Intellectual property (IP) plays a key role in how businesses compete, at home and in world markets. Getting the IP framework right is central to the UK’s ability to generate growth and jobs.

The Department was established on 7 February 2023. As a result, there has been no decision yet whether we will publish the (a) number and (b) destinations of all domestic flights taken by officials in his Department in each of the last 5 years.

Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are responsible for funding Local Authority Trading Standards Services (LATSS). Local authorities are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate. Local government expenditure is determined by the block grant to local authorities, with the remainder raised from local taxation. This funding is used to resource LATSS.

The Department established National Trading Standards (NTS) in England and Wales, to better enable local authorities to take coordinated action against consumer scams. Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) was created to provide a similar role in Scotland. The resources are supplementary and distinct from LATSS funding. Funding in each of the last five years is provided below.

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, published a report on service standards across the telecoms industry, including call waiting times in May 2022. A copy of the report can be found at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/best-and-worst-telecoms-customer-service-revealed.

The Government expects all firms to treat their customers fairly, but does not have plans to amend the consumer protection law in this area. How customer services are operated is a matter for firms, and there are many different channels of communication firms offer.

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, published a report on service standards across the telecoms industry, including call waiting times in May 2022. A copy of the report can be found at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/best-and-worst-telecoms-customer-service-revealed.

The Government expects all firms to treat their customers fairly, but does not have plans to amend the consumer protection law in this area. How customer services are operated is a matter for firms, and there are many different channels of communication firms offer.

The Department does not own any buildings. BEIS is the primary occupier of the building at 1 Victoria Street, London. The most recent Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating for this building was D and expired October 2022. The landlord has been asked to make the necessary arrangements for its renewal. The current Display Energy Certificate (DEC) is E and expires April 2023.

The Government asked specific questions about impact in the consultation on AI and IP, but very limited quantitative evidence was submitted. However, smaller users such as small businesses and start-ups, as well as many researchers, have indicated that - when seeking to analyse works from multiple sources - licences have been out of reach on the grounds of cost or complexity.

The Minister has cleared the below:

At the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London, the net spend on energy for the last five financial years was as follows:

Our records show the following devices were reported lost or stolen in each year in the last five years. The data was captured on 7th December 2022.

BEIS have a policy for the controlled use of memory sticks. These are only permitted with a valid and approved business case and using authorised, hardware encrypted devices. Once approved, individual Directorates are responsible for controlling the memory sticks, therefore no figures on loss are held centrally.

BEIS have a policy for the controlled use of external hard drives. These are only permitted with a valid and approved business case and using authorised, hardware encrypted devices. Once approved, individual Directorates are responsible for controlling the external hard drives, therefore no figures on loss are held centrally.

All departmental IT is fully security encrypted.

The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.

As the expert independent regulator, Ofgem is responsible for operating the price cap. Ofgem remains the sole decision-maker over how it is calculated and has consulted extensively on its methodology for determining the cap level. The Government has confidence in Ofgem, as the expert independent regulator, to set the cap at a level that reflects the underlying efficient costs of supplying energy.

The Government has launched a period of stakeholder engagement on implementation options for its proposals for text and data mining and aims to conclude this engagement in early 2023. The Intellectual Property Office will invite views on implementation options from stakeholders representing both rights holders and users of data mining techniques.

The proposed exception will only apply to copying for data mining conducted in the UK. A non-UK- technology company may seek to benefit from the exception by basing their business in the UK or the part which conducts data mining. An impact assessment will be published alongside the legislation when laid.

The Government does not comment on speculation or the commercial affairs of private companies.

The Government is committed to securing investment into the automotive sector, which will play an important role in levelling up across the UK and driving down emissions to net zero by 2050. The Government has met frequently with Britishvolt since the start of September, including two meetings with the Secretary of State on 16 September and 21 October. Record of ministerial meetings will be published in accordance with the Government’s standard quarterly transparency publications.

The Government is investing over £6.6 billion this parliament to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise heating.

Through the Government’s ‘Help to Heat’ capital schemes, domestic consumers could potentially save between £300 and £700 per annum, based on the current price cap.

In the summer the Government launched a GOV.UK digital service (‘Find ways to save energy in your home’) providing impartial, tailored advice to homeowners on ways to improve the energy performance of their homes. This will be supported in the coming months by the launch of telephone advice and specific local area advice for energy consumers.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a Government scheme that enables small-scale generators with eligible technologies on their properties, including solar panels, to receive payment for any electricity exported to the grid.

The Department publishes annual statistics on the percentage of households in fuel poverty in England, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics.

Please see below the annual business counts for the SIC code 56302 (Public houses and bars) for UK regions for the past 10 years. Note that some figures have been rounded by ONS to prevent disclosure. All figures are drawn from the Inter-Departmental-Business-Register via NOMIS.

The standing charge remains capped under the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), which means that a household with typical energy use in Great Britain will pay, on average, around £2,500 a year on their energy bill up till April 2023, when the EPG will be reviewed.

The energy regulator, Ofgem, recently reviewed the components of the standing charge to see if they could be reduced. Ofgem concluded that while some low consuming users, might benefit from change, some higher consuming users, including vulnerable users, would pay more. Retaining the current methodology would protect users with greater energy needs, such as disabled users and electric heating users.

The data used for insolvency statistics is compiled from information at Companies House. The registered office address for a company may not be representative of its trading location, and often it is changed upon insolvency to the address of the appointed Insolvency Practitioner dealing with the case. Subject to these caveats, the table below sets out the data on estimated company insolvencies in the second quarter, 1^st April to 30^th June, in London in each year from 2017 to 2022.

Estimated number of company insolvencies in London in Q2 (April to June) 2017 to 2022

Source: Insolvency Service and Companies House

The data used for insolvency statistics is compiled from information at Companies House. The registered office address for a company may not be representative of its trading location, and often it is changed upon insolvency to the address of the appointed Insolvency Practitioner dealing with the case. Subject to these caveats, the table below sets out the data on estimated company insolvencies by year and region for companies in the food and beverage service activities division (SIC code 56) between 2017 and 2022. The 2022 figures are up to the 30^th June 2022.

Table 1: Estimated company insolvencies in the food and beverage services division by region and year, 1^st January 2017 to 30^th June 2022, United Kingdom

Source: Insolvency Service

On 12^th October 2022, the Government introduced a new Energy Prices Bill to ensure vital support gets to British consumers this winter. This includes new powers to help break the link between high global gas prices and the cost of low-carbon electricity. The powers allow for the establishment of a temporary Cost-Plus Revenue Limit to reduce the impact of unprecedented wholesale prices on consumers and the taxpayer. This limit will apply to low-carbon generation and allow generators to cover their costs and receive an appropriate revenue that reflects their operational output, investment commitment and risk profile.

The Energy Bills Relief Scheme will provide support to all businesses and other non-domestic energy users, including those in the voluntary and public sector who are on eligible energy supply contracts. Details on the eligibility criteria have been published at this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers#eligibility.

I am the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business.

I am the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business.

This Department launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the Hospitality Strategy in July 2021 to support the sector across a range of policy areas, grouped into three themes: Reopening, Recovery, and Resilience. The Council last met on 18 July and is scheduled to meet on 24 October.

Between meetings, council members provide regular insights and data on the energy challenges faced by businesses, informing the development of Government support including the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Government engages regularly with hospitality businesses and organisations to understand the pressing issues and challenges that they face, including cost pressures, supply chain disruptions and the impact of rising energy prices on businesses of all sizes.

Official data[1] show that, between 2013 and 2022, there were an average of 31,200 pubs and bars, 48,500 restaurants and 35,900 takeaways and mobile food stands operating each year across the UK. In 2022, there were approximately 30,300 pubs and bars, 58,100 restaurants, and 43,700 takeaways and mobile food stands. Full business counts data are provided in Annex A.

Annex A: Business counts, UK, 2013 - 2022

[1] ONS business counts data, 2013-2022.

From January 2022 until the end of June 2022 there were an estimated total of 251,000 registered business closures[1]. This compares with 276,000 between January and June 2021, 176,000 between January and June 2020 and 178,0000 between January and June 2019[2].

From January 2020 until the end of June 2022 there were an estimated total of 1,004,000 registered business closures[3]. The corresponding figure for between January 2017 and June 2019 is 833,000[4].

Data is not available to estimate the number of closures for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) specifically, however, given 99.9% of registered businesses are SMEs[5], it is likely that the total number of registered business closures is very close to the total number of SME closures.

[1] ONS Business demography, quarterly experimental statistics

[2] ONS Business demography, quarterly experimental statistics

[3] ONS Business demography, quarterly experimental statistics

[4] UK business; activity, size and location Statistical bulletins

[5] BEIS Business population estimates, 2021

ONS business deaths data[1] shows that 4,200 businesses in the beverage serving sector (which includes pubs) and 12,800 business in the restaurants and mobile food services sector ceased trading in 2020.[2] ONS business deaths statistics are not timely enough to provide estimates of the number of business closures since January 2022.

[1] ONS business demography statistics, UK.

[2] These industry breakdowns are the most granular available for the hospitality sector.

Over half of energy meters in Great Britain are now smart meters. The vast majority are operating as intended, providing consumers with automatic meter readings and near-real time usage information via the In-Home Display. Estimates, based on the current typical household bill, indicate the rollout is delivering over £0.5 billion in annual bill savings.

Allowances for operational factors such as maintenance or faults are already factored into industry’s cost bases. Energy suppliers have commercial incentives to ensure these costs are minimised, including having active programmes to address faults where they do exist.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy works closely with Ofgem to monitor suppliers' performance.

Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers' smart meters are fully functional. Ofgem is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against these obligations and against the Standards of Conduct, which set out expectations regarding behaviour and customer service.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy works closely with Ofgem and industry to monitor and support a positive consumer experience of smart meters.

Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are fully functional and are obligated to provide customers with complete and accurate information. Ofgem is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their licence obligations.

Household refrigerators are subject to regulations that set minimum energy performance standards and mandatory energy labelling, both of which were updated in 2021 to improve the efficiency of appliances on the market, making them cheaper to run and helping consumers to choose the right product for them. In making those changes, the Department did not make the specific assessment referred to in the question.

BEIS works closely with the Department for Education which leads on the collection of skills data for business sectors. The Employer Skills Survey[1] 2019 found that skill-shortage vacancy density was highest in the Construction and Manufacturing sectors.

BEIS is working with other relevant departments and industry to address skills and workforce issues with a focus on construction and manufacturing where the data suggest skills challenges.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-skills-survey-2019-uk-excluding-scotland-findings

The Government does not have this data at constituency level, however, data is compiled of households with pre-payment meters by region, which can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/quarterly-domestic-energy-price-stastics.

BEIS Ministers and officials regularly meet with construction, manufacturing and hospitality businesses and representatives from all three sectors to discuss a range of issues including labour shortages. Employment in the hospitality sector is now above pre-pandemic levels.

Additionally, BEIS officials recently met with the National Manufacturing Skills Task Force to discuss how Government and industry can work together to address the skills and workforce challenges of manufacturing employers. Officials are in active dialogue across all sectors.

It is Ofgem’s role, as the independent regulator, to set a fair level for the price cap. The Government is in regular contact with Ofgem and industry to discuss the impact of unprecedented global gas prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure consumers are protected.

Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

The latest published data covers January to March 2022, further data will be published in due course.

Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

The latest published data covers January to March 2022, further data will be published in due course.

The Government continues to engage with businesses to understand the impacts of high global energy prices.

The price cap for households was put in place because the Competition and Market’s Authority found that a loyalty penalty exists for the disengaged households. The CMA did not find evidence of this in the business sector.

The price cap prevents suppliers making excess profit, but it cannot reduce wholesale energy costs. The cap allows suppliers to recover the efficient costs of supplying its customers.

Drivers should be getting a fair deal for fuel across the UK. Healthy competition between forecourts is key to achieving this, with competition working to keep pressure on prices. The Government has asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to conduct an urgent review of the fuel market, as well as a longer-term market study under the Enterprise Act 2002, to explore whether the retail fuel market has adversely affected consumer interests. As part of this, the Government has asked for the CMA’s advice on the extent to which competition has resulted in the fuel duty cut being passed on to consumers and the reasons for local variations in the price of road fuel.

The second statutory review of the Pubs Code and the Pubs Code Adjudicator covers the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022.

BEIS has already started the review by considering a range of publicly available evidence. On 26 May 2022, I published an invitation seeking stakeholders’ views and evidence which will also be considered as part of this review.

This can be accessed through GOV.uk at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pubs-code-and-pubs-code-adjudicator-invitation-for-views-on-the-second-statutory-review-2019-to-2022 and stakeholders have until 17 August 2022 to respond.

A report on the findings of the review will be published as soon as practicable and laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State.

In order to participate in government schemes, an installer business must be TrustMark registered, and PAS 2030:2019 or Microgeneration Certification Scheme certified. There are 1,690 installer businesses that meet those requirements, as of 28^th April 2022. There are also 2,832 TrustMark registered Retrofit Coordinators and Retrofit Assessors.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (CCRs) require traders to provide consumers with specified pre-purchase information including information about the main characteristics of goods, services or digital content but this does not necessarily include the country of origin. The Government have no plan to change this rule.

However, consumers are free to enquire from the seller as to the origin of products, and to base their decision of whether or not to purchase on the reply. Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs), traders are banned from giving consumers false information or using misleading statements or presentation about the geographical or commercial origin of products including in response to requests for information by consumers. The Regulations carry criminal penalties and are enforced by local trading standards officers.

The Renewables Obligation Order (RO) and Contracts for Difference (CfD) sustainability criteria require that electricity generation from biomass does not exceed a set greenhouse gas threshold and produces life-cycle emission savings:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contracts-for-difference-cfd-allocation-round-4-standard-terms-and-conditions

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/renewables-obligation-sustainability-criteria.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 9 March 2022 to Question 134378.

Some information about loans accessed through the Government’s Covid-19 loan guarantee schemes are made available on the European Commission State Aid Transparency Database and the UK Subsidy Transparency Database, where required to ensure compliance with EU and international law.

Some information about loans accessed through the Government’s Covid-19 loan guarantee schemes are made available on the European Commission State Aid Transparency Database and the UK Subsidy Transparency Database, where required to ensure compliance with EU and international law.

A variety of complex legal, contractual and commercial considerations apply in relation to any additional release of loan recipient data.

We are not aware of any private sector companies using large scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.

Ofgem publishes data relating to UK derived biomass on its website which can be accessed here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2019-20.

In order to be eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme or the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, a business was required to be trading in the United Kingdom. We do not hold data on whether recipients of the schemes have premises or registered interests in the Russian Federation.

OneWeb is currently assessing options for alternative launches. The Government is working closely with other shareholders to discuss next steps.

OneWeb is currently assessing options for alternative launches. The Government is working closely with other shareholders to discuss next steps.

OneWeb is currently assessing options for alternative launches. This exercise is commercially sensitive. The Government is working closely with other shareholders to discuss next steps.

The OneWeb Board has voted to suspend all launches scheduled from Baikonur. OneWeb is currently assessing options for alternative launches. This exercise is commercially sensitive. The Government is working closely with other shareholders to discuss next steps.

As I noted on 27 February, BEIS is rapidly reviewing all Russian beneficiaries of UK science, research, technology and innovation funding. This is a fast moving policy area and the Government will provide an update in due course.

The Government only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that comply with strict sustainability criteria.

The Government does not hold this information. The Government only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with strict sustainability criteria.

Impact assessments are an established part of the normal civil service policy-making process and the cost of undertaking them is not assessed individually.

The Government is committed to bringing forward legislative proposals on the introduction of paid neonatal leave, to support those new mothers and fathers who need it during some of the most stressful days of their lives.

The Government will bring forward these reforms to our employment framework when Parliamentary time allows.

In October 2021, the Government published ‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’, which set out its approach to economy-wide Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, including reporting against the UK Green Taxonomy. This underlines the Government’s commitment to the taxonomy being science-based, accessible, and built for the UK to support a global transition to net zero. The Government has been working with the Green Technical Advisory Group and the Energy Working Group during the development of draft Technical Screening Criteria to achieve this ambition.

As the Prime Minister has stated, the Government intends to consult on the inclusion of nuclear in the draft technical standards for a UK green taxonomy and the development of Technical Screening Criteria is currently ongoing. As set out in the Roadmap, the Government expects to consult on draft Technical Screening Criteria in coming months, ahead of legislating by the end of the year.

In October 2021, the Government published ‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’, which set out its approach to economy-wide Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, including reporting against the UK Green Taxonomy. This underlines the Government’s commitment to the taxonomy being science-based, accessible, and built for the UK to support a global transition to net zero. The Government has been working with the Green Technical Advisory Group and the Energy Working Group during the development of draft Technical Screening Criteria to achieve this ambition.

As the Prime Minister has stated, the Government intends to consult on the inclusion of nuclear in the draft technical standards for a UK green taxonomy and the development of Technical Screening Criteria is currently ongoing. As set out in the Roadmap, the Government expects to consult on draft Technical Screening Criteria in coming months, ahead of legislating by the end of the year.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires that asset managers disclose clearly the nature of their commitment to the Financial Reporting Council’s UK Stewardship Code. Where an asset manager chooses not to follow the Code, it must disclose its alternative investment strategy. The FRC continues to gather evidence of the quality of stewardship practice and reporting under the revised Stewardship Code introduced in 2020. The FRC and the FCA are due to review the regulatory framework for effective stewardship formally in 2023, including the operation of the revised Code.

Businesses have significant power to drive change towards achieving our domestic net zero goal. To underline the importance of this area, last year the Government led the Race to Zero campaign targeting small and microbusinesses across the UK. Over 2,700 have joined the Race to Zero to date.

The Government has worked closely with the international UN-backed SME Climate Hub, which is part of the global Race to Zero campaign, to embed a UK campaign page known as the UK Business Climate Hub. This campaign page offers free advice to small business on how to be greener and save money, along with inspiring UK case studies. Upon making their SME climate commitment to join the Race to Zero, businesses gain free access to a suite of resources to help them measure, reduce and report on emissions.

Businesses have significant power to drive change towards achieving our domestic net zero goal. To underline the importance of this area, last year the Government led the Race to Zero campaign targeting small and microbusinesses across the UK. Over 2,700 have joined the Race to Zero to date.

The Government has worked closely with the international UN-backed SME Climate Hub, which is part of the global Race to Zero campaign, to embed a UK campaign page known as the UK Business Climate Hub. This campaign page offers free advice to small business on how to be greener and save money, along with inspiring UK case studies. Upon making their SME climate commitment to join the Race to Zero, businesses gain free access to a suite of resources to help them measure, reduce and report on emissions.

Throughout negotiations, it was a UK priority to agree a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) across as many sectors as possible with the EU. We were not able to reach an agreement on this proposal.

MRAs remain a useful tool, and we will continue to seek them in negotiations with partners where this would be beneficial. Nevertheless, the priority and key focus for the UK now is implementing our deal with the EU and supporting industry to adjust to the changes and opportunities ahead.

The Government wants to provide businesses with the option to use the crown stamp symbol so that it can appear on pint glasses once again. The use of the crown stamp symbol on pint glasses will be voluntary. Businesses will have freedom to choose whether or not to apply the symbol to pint glasses, alongside the legally required UKCA and M markings. No additional conformity assessment processes will be required and we do not anticipate any impact on GDP.

We are reviewing the EU ban on the use of imperial units for markings so that businesses have more choice over the measures they use.

This is an important step in taking back control of our national rules, and we will consult to ensure that we have the best evidence available on which to make changes. An assessment of the economic impact on businesses will be carried out in due course.

Projections of renewable generation are taken from BEIS Energy and Emissions Projections: Net Zero Strategy baseline (partial interim update), Annex J – Total electricity generation by source, published 7th December 2021. BEIS does not publish a disaggregation of renewables sources.

The UK only supports biomass that complies with strict sustainability requirements and generators only receive subsidies for compliant biomass

The Government wants to ensure it has a detailed and up to date understanding of the umbrella company market and how it is continuing to evolve. Therefore, the Government launched a Call for Evidence on 30 November 2021, which is intended to complement the Government’s commitment to bring umbrella companies into scope of state enforcement.

We are not able to disclose costs of vaccines procured to date, as details of contracts between the Government and vaccine manufacturers are commercially sensitive.

As announced in the Spending Review of October 2021 the Government has now made available £9.6 billion for key COVID-19 programmes and related health spending over this Spending Review period.

The Government will issue a response to the ECO4 consultation in due course.

The Government outlines its approach to tackling fuel poverty in England in its “Sustainable Warmth” policy paper, published in February 2021. The Government’s fuel poverty target for England is to ensure that as many fuel poor homes as feasibly possible achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band C, by 2030.

There are a range of schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures to low-income households. For example, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the Home Upgrade Grant and the Energy Company Obligation will all help deliver against the Government’s 2030 target, and 2025 milestone.

The Government will continue to monitor the delivery of schemes to ensure support reaches those qualifying households and progress towards the 2030 target and interim milestone.

The Government committed £60 million of funding to continue upgrading the least efficient social housing in the Autumn 2020 Spending Review. This was increased to around £160 million for the first Wave of the fund, in March 2021. The Government launched the grant competition for Wave 1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in August 2021 and will provide circa. £160 million funding in 2021/22 financial year, delivering up to March 2023. The bidding window closed on 15 October 2021 and the outcomes of bids will be disclosed in due course.

In the Heat and Buildings Strategy and Net Zero Strategy, launched in October 2021, the Government announced that a further £800 million had been committed for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in the 22/23 to 24/25 financial years as part of the 2021 Spending Review process.

The current rising energy costs has been precipitated by unprecedented conditions in global energy markets. The Energy Price Cap continues to protect households, ensuring they pay a fair price for their energy.

Extensive engagement continues across government at both ministerial and official level on this situation to understand, and help mitigate the impacts of, high global energy prices. The Government’s priority is to ensure costs are managed and energy supplies maintained.

The recent consultation on a Future System Operator closed on the 28th September. Within the consultation the Government invited views on a whole systems approach, including joining up planning and co-ordination of networks in the gas and electricity sectors and improving strategic decision making in the energy system. A response to this consultation will be published in due course.

Ministers at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have spoken to a wide variety of stakeholders with regards to the UK’s exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime.

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. The potential impact of an international exhaustion regime on the UK’s book industry is likely to form part of the overall assessment, alongside the potential effect on other sectors of the economy. The Government will provide an update on this consultation in due course.

Consumption of aviation turbine fuel in 2019 and 2020 is published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics table 3.2-3.3.

The Department publishes details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

We recently established a Supply Chain Advisory Group and Industry Taskforce, which provides a link between business and the Government to identify causes of supply chain issues and what Government action may be proportionate.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has lost or had stolen the following numbers of laptops and mobile phones:

Information about the loss or theft of memory sticks and external hard drives is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The right to file resolutions is an important means through which shareholders can exercise effective stewardship, including on environmental matters. The law needs to provide a balance between giving shareholders such opportunities whilst at the same time ensuring that companies are not burdened with handling resolutions from shareholders who do not represent any significant body of opinion amongst the investor base.

The Department keeps this (and other aspects of company law) under review and is currently considering recommendations made by the Asset Management Taskforce’s Stewardship and Stakeholder Working Groups and the Pension Scheme Voting Implementation Taskforce for Government to consider lowering the thresholds for filing shareholder resolutions.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) forms part of a package of employment rights and protections available specifically to the employed. These rights do not extend to the self-employed because of the difference in the nature of the employment. If you are self-employed and expecting, you can apply for Maternity Allowance which is designed for the flexible nature of self-employment and will support you to take a break from your business prior to, and after, giving birth.

The Government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter takes time off work to care for and bond with their child. So far, the Government has focused on supporting employed parents as they do not generally have the same level of flexibility and autonomy over how and when they work as self-employed parents do. Statutory adoption guidance says that Local Authorities should consider making a payment - equivalent to Maternity Allowance - in cases where adopters do not qualify for any statutory payment because of their self-employment.

As set out in the 2020 Government response to the corporate transparency and register reform consultation, the Department will proceed with the proposal to allow applications to suppress a historic registered office address when it is a director’s residential address. The Department will also proceed with proposals to allow applications to suppress a residential address when it is the registered office address of a live company, if a valid, alternative address is provided, or when in use at the point at which a company was dissolved. These proposals require primary legislation and we will legislate when Parliamentary time allows.

The UK financial services industry, with their access to global capital pools and outstanding professional services, are poised to enable private capital to flow into our net zero investment needs. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we are colloquial instead, ensuring more disclosure and transparency in the financial markets on climate risks through new Sustainability Disclosure Requirements.

At the same time, targeted public intervention via the British Business Bank (BBB), UK Export Finance and the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) coupled with strong policy frameworks, will bring down the cost of capital and will bring investment from the private sector.

The Government has been a global champion in promoting safer, better, greener pensions. On 1 October 2021, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures regulations and statutory guidance came into force, requiring trustees to consider, assess and report on the financial risks and opportunities of climate change within their portfolios.

Estimates of potential guarantee claims by lenders under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) were provided in the Department’s 2019/20 Annual Report and Accounts.

The Government recognises that decarbonising our country’s 30 million buildings is essential to meet our ambition of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Government is investing £9 billion in improving the energy efficiency of our buildings, including £1.3 billion this financial year.

This August, the UK published the first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy, alongside key policy detail on how we will support new low carbon hydrogen production and ensure standards are in place to deliver the carbon emissions savings we need to meet net zero. This is the most substantive hydrogen strategy and policy package of its kind in the world and one that places the UK firmly at the forefront of the race to develop hydrogen as a promising replacement for fossil fuels in the global transition to net zero.

By setting out our approach not only for the financial mechanisms that will support new hydrogen production facilities, but also making firm commitments across networks, markets, standards and sector development, this package includes steps that have not been taken elsewhere in the EU or any of its member states.

The UK Hydrogen Strategy sets out the government’s ‘twin-track’ approach to supporting both electrolytic ‘green’ and carbon capture (CCUS)-enabled ‘blue’ hydrogen production. The UK has expertise and assets to support these and other low carbon production routes, helping us drive cost effective supply volumes in the 2020s in line with our 2030 5GW ambition, whilst scaling up electrolytic hydrogen.

We are currently consulting on new policy interventions to support low carbon hydrogen, including the £240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, a hydrogen business model to incentivise the production and use of low carbon hydrogen, and a UK standard to ensure the hydrogen production we support is sufficiently low carbon.

Solar is a key part of the government’s strategy for low-cost decarbonisation of the energy sector. Achieving our ambitious 2050 Net Zero target will require significant increases in renewable electricity generation, and we will need to increase deployment across a range of technologies, including solar PV.

Since 2010, we have quadrupled the electricity we generate from renewables – installing 99% of the UK’s solar capacity and over 800,000 installations – exceeding out historic projections on solar PV deployment. We now have over 13.3GW of solar capacity installed in the UK, which is enough to power over 3 million homes.

On 25 March, the Government announced an additional £1.5 billion relief for ratepayers who have not been able to access existing relief throughout the pandemic. The new £1.5 billion relief will enable councils to provide a meaningful and certain level of support to those most affected.

Further funding has been made available via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) to support those businesses that have had their trade adversely affected. Local Authorities in England have been allocated £2bn in this additional discretionary funding, to provide support that best suits their area. It should be used as quickly as possible when and where most needed. The FAQs issued to Local Authorities on 6 May reiterate that ARG funding can be used as a top-up for businesses that are in receipt of grants under other schemes.

Additionally, the Government have extended the moratorium on commercial landlords’ right to forfeiture for the non-payment of rent to the 25 March 2022 and we will introduce legislation to help landlords and tenants resolve historic Covid-19 rent debt through binding arbitration if necessary.