Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
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Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure that the provision of energy support is not hampered by out of date names In (a) temporary and (b) accommodation.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For households in Northern Ireland that live in private rented accommodation, landlords are required to reflect in the price they charge for energy, the actual costs and any Government support they receive through Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland, and Energy Price Guarantee. This also applies to landlords with a commercial contract that may benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide support for energy bills for around 930,000 households in Great Britain and Northern Ireland without a domestic electricity supply. This is likely to include tenants in certain private and social rented homes. Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vital-help-with-energy-bills-on-the-way-for-millions-more-homes-across-great-britain-and-northern-ireland.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to use the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding process used in Great Britain in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All households in Northern Ireland will receive a £600 payment, which is a combination of the £400 EBSS payment and the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment. This combined payment reflects the different nature of the energy market in Northern Ireland and higher usage of alternative fuels, such as heating oil. As in Great Britain, households without a domestic electricity contract, such as residents of park homes, caravans on registered sites, and house boats, that do not receive this payment automatically, will receive equivalent payments through the EBSS Alternative Funding. Further details will be set out in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that vulnerable households in Northern Ireland receive energy support payments.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Households are receiving a £600 payment in January. This is comprised of £400 under the Energy Bills Support Scheme Northern Ireland, and £200 of support under the Alternative Fuel Payment. Households also continue to benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee which means that tariffs in Nothern Ireland are 30% cheaper than in the Republic of Ireland and are 20% cheaper than (EPG-subsidised) tariffs in Great Britain.
Further support in direct payments is also being provided to vulnerable households this year, including cost of living payments for pensioners, people receiving disability-related allowances and those on means-tested benefits.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
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 funds lost due to fraud and error in covid-19 loans schemes have been recovered; and what steps his Department is taking to (a) recover lost funds and (b) investigate fraudulent companies.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The delegated nature of the schemes places primary responsibility on lenders to recover money lost to fraud under the lender guarantee agreement.
Government continues to work with lenders, law enforcement, and partners to recover fraudulently obtained loans and protect taxpayers. £320 million worth of Bounce Back Loan facilities have been removed from guarantee cover by lenders to date, including £113 million due to facilities being ineligible for the scheme.
As of October 2022, Insolvency Service action has resulted in 391 director disqualifications and 2 criminal prosecutions, most relating to Bounce Back Loans. The National Investigation Service (NATIS) have also recovered £5.8 million to date.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) people who pay rent inclusive of utility bills to landlords, (b) park home owners and (c) farmers with business electricity accounts receive the £600 energy support for Northern Ireland households.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Landlords who charge rent that includes energy bills will be required to pass on the £600 to tenants in a just and reasonable way. Regulations will be introduced to mandate this and guidance will be made available.
Households with no domestic electricity contract such as park homes will be eligible for a £400 payment under the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding as in Great Britain, plus the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment.
If farmers with business accounts do not have a domestic electricity contract, they can qualify for the EBSS Alternative Funding and Alternative Fuel payment.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of immediately making Energy Support Payments for electric bills in Northern Ireland while developing a cashback option in parallel.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 19 December, the Government announced that all households in Northern Ireland will receive support with their energy bills this winter through a single payment of £600 comprising both the Energy Bills Support Scheme and the Alternative Fuel Payment. Payments will start reaching households in January through suppliers.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
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 compatibility of the replacement of retained EU law with Article 2 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government remains committed to proactively engaging with devolved governments at official and Ministerial level on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and the REUL reform programme .
To date, there have been regular official level discussions with the devolved governments, including the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and we will continue to engage with the devolved governments
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with officials from Northern Ireland Departments on the replacement of EU retained law.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government remains committed to proactively engaging with devolved governments at official and Ministerial level on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and the REUL reform programme .
To date, there have been regular official level discussions with the devolved governments, including the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and we will continue to engage with the devolved governments.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
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 capacity of Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Assembly to update or replace EU Retained Law by December 2023.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Departments will analyse their retained EU law carefully to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, as well as retained EU law that should be repealed, or amended.
The Government recognises the unique challenges Northern Ireland departments are facing in delivering plans for REUL reforms in the continued absence of a functioning Executive and Assembly. The Brexit Opportunities Unit which works closely with Northern Ireland Office, has established regular intergovernmental meetings intended to support devolved counterparts with identification of which REUL is devolved or reserved, as part of the REUL Reform Programme.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the cost to the public purse of the Energy Price Guarantee is not increased by the profit margins of energy providers.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Energy Price Guarantee discount is set by the Government. The costs of the scheme are linked to changes in energy wholesale prices, as reflected in the Ofgem price cap, and the volume of energy consumed by households.
Exchequer funding provided to the energy suppliers under the Energy Price Guarantee is directly equivalent to the savings made by domestic consumers in their gas and electricity bills. The Government does not pay any premium to energy suppliers.
HM Treasury will conduct a review to consider how to support households with their energy bills from April 2023.