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Written Question
Heat Pumps
Tuesday 20th September 2022

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an (a) estimate of the cost and (b) assessment of the feasibility of reinforcing the electricity network to achieve the Government's aim to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library of the House.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government and Ofgem jointly published an Electricity Networks Strategic Framework on 4 August 2022, which sets out a vision for the transformation of the electricity network needed to maintain our energy security while reducing emissions and our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Network regulation, including ensuring sufficient investment to deliver the capacity needed to meet demand, is a matter for Ofgem. The Government engages regularly with Ofgem and electricity network operators to discuss their plans to support connections of low carbon technologies, including heat pumps.


Written Question
Energy: Housing
Tuesday 6th September 2022

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the energy performance of homes to EPC band C or above.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this parliament to improve the energy efficiency of homes, including:

  • £1.75 billion announced for Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund as part of the Spending Review 2021.
  • Expanding the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme to £4 billion, improving an estimated 450,000 of the least energy efficient homes occupied by low income and vulnerable households in Great Britain.

In addition, the Government has launched a digitally led service https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency launched in July to provide impartial, tailored advice to help people improve their homes.


Written Question
Heat Pumps
Tuesday 6th September 2022

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

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 has conducted or commissioned research on potential options for improving the public interest and acceptance of heat pumps.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government has been conducting research through the £16 million Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project on approaches to improving public interest and acceptance of heat pumps, with results due to be published later this year.


Written Question
Heat Pumps
Tuesday 6th September 2022

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

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 the number of (a) engineers on the Gas Safe Register and (b) off-gas-grid installers were trained to install heat pumps in each year for which figures are available; and if his Department will make an assessment of whether there has been sufficient training uptake to deliver installation of 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Heating engineers are not required to report to Government when they undertake heat pump training. Microgeneration Certification Scheme estimates of the number of trained heat pump installers in the UK are in line with Heat Pump Association estimates of the number of installers needed for current levels of deployment. As demand for heat pumps increases, the number of trained installers will need to increase further. Industry groups are confident there is enough training capacity to meet demand for heat pump upskilling as heat pump deployment increases to meet the target of 600,000 installations per year by 2028.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Monday 7th June 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to ensure covid-19 booster vaccinations keep up with potential new variants.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the UK is prepared to respond to current and emerging COVID-19 variants as quickly as possible. This includes:

  • Working closely with vaccine manufacturers and Public Health England (PHE) to understand the efficacy of our current vaccine portfolio against new variants. In order to support this, in May 2021 the Government announced £29.3 million funding to boost PHE/Porton Down’s vaccine efficacy testing capability, including against different virus variants;
  • Supporting vaccine manufacturers who have decided to develop variant vaccines; and
  • Commissioning the Centre for Process Innovation’s National Biologics Manufacturing Centre to create a ‘variant mRNA library’ to shorten the pathway to deployment of a licensed vaccine. In order to support this, at Budget 2021 the Government announced funding of an additional £5 million on top of a previous £9 million

The Government has confirmed we are planning for a booster programme to take place this autumn. The Vaccine Taskforce is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Health Service on this booster programme. The Government will publish further details on the booster programme in due course and the final policy will be informed by advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).


Written Question
Redundancy: Females
Thursday 27th May 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

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 strengthen legislation to protect (a) pregnant women and (b) women on maternity leave from redundancy.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999 currently give women on maternity leave priority over other employees who are also at risk of redundancy. Employers have an obligation to offer women on maternity leave a suitable alternative vacancy where one is available.

The Government has committed to extending this protection from redundancy so that it will start at the point the employee informs the employer that she is pregnant and will continue for six months after she has returned to work.

We have been clear that we will introduce these measures as soon as Parliamentary time allows.


Written Question
Business: Luton
Monday 24th May 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times (a) he and (b) Cabinet colleagues met business leaders in Luton in (i) 2020 and (ii) 2021 to discuss plans to support Luton businesses through the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Paul Scully

Departments publish quarterly details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK. Details for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

The latest published data covers October to December 2020. Data for January to March 2021 will be published in due course.


Written Question
Conditions of Employment
Tuesday 23rd March 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Supreme Court's ruling of February 2021 on the employment status of Uber drivers; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Supreme Court Judgment upheld Employment Status law as it stands. It is now for Uber and other gig economy businesses to ensure that they are fulfilling their legal responsibilities. The Government is considering options to further clarify the law.


Written Question
Energy: Industrial Health and Safety
Monday 25th January 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the need for people that work as gas and electricity meter readers to be working in other people’s homes during January covid-19 lockdown.

Answered by Paul Scully

As visiting peoples’ homes is an essential part of a meter readers job, they need to ensure they follow the Safer Working guidance.

When meter readers need to enter other peoples’ homes, they should take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions such as socially distancing wherever possible, wearing a face covering or making sure there is appropriate ventilation.


Written Question
Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus
Monday 25th January 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s guidance on working safely during the covid-19 outbreak for (a) people that work as meter readers in other people’s homes and (b) other workers.

Answered by Paul Scully

As visiting peoples’ homes is an essential part of a meter readers job, they need to ensure they follow the Safer Working guidance.

When meter readers or other workers need to enter other peoples’ homes, they should take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions such as socially distancing wherever possible, wearing a face covering or making sure there is appropriate ventilation.