First elected: 5th May 2005
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Recognise Teaching Assistants as an important asset to schools by raising wage.
Gov Responded - 12 Aug 2022 Debated on - 17 Jul 2023 View Tim Farron's petition debate contributionsTeaching Assistants are an extremely important part of the running of schools in England, but are not currently recognised as this by our government when reflecting on the wage.
Create statutory legal duty of care for students in Higher Education
Gov Responded - 20 Jan 2023 Debated on - 5 Jun 2023 View Tim Farron's petition debate contributionsNo general statutory duty of care exists in HE. Yet, a duty of care is owed to students, and the Government should legislate for this. HE providers should know what their duty is. Students must know what they can expect. Parents expect their children to be safe at university.
Prohibit employers from requiring staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19
Gov Responded - 25 Nov 2021 Debated on - 24 Jan 2022 View Tim Farron's petition debate contributionsMake it illegal for any employer to mandate vaccination for its employees. This should apply to all public sector (including the NHS, armed forces, care workers), third sector and all private sector.
Ban Water Companies discharging raw sewage into water courses.
Gov Responded - 5 May 2021 Debated on - 15 Nov 2021 View Tim Farron's petition debate contributionsEnsure Water companies treat the sewage they are responsible for. Not discharge it into rivers and water courses. After all what goes into the ocean comes back as the fish we eat.
Prioritise teachers, school and childcare staff for Covid-19 vaccination
Gov Responded - 23 Feb 2021 Debated on - 11 Jan 2021 View Tim Farron's petition debate contributionsAdvice from the JCVI on the priority groups for a Covid-19 vaccine does not include school/childcare workers. This petition calls for these workers, who cannot distance or use PPE, to be kept safe at work by being put on the vaccine priority list when such a list is adopted into government policy.
These initiatives were driven by Tim Farron, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Tim Farron has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom to be granted to the family members of refugees and to refugees who are family members of British citizens and settled persons, to provide for legal aid to be made available for refugee family reunion cases, and for connected purposes
A Bill to provide for parliamentary approval of trade agreements; to place a duty on the Secretary of State to consider UK agricultural, environmental and animal welfare standards when negotiating trade agreements; to require the Trade and Agriculture Commission to assess the effects of potential trade agreements on farming, the rural environment and animal welfare and to produce associated reports; to require the Secretary of State to lay such reports before Parliament; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to provide for mandatory targets and timescales for the ending of sewage discharges into waterways and coastal areas; to make provision about the powers of Ofwat to monitor and enforce compliance with those targets and timescales; to require water companies to publish quarterly reports on the impact of sewage discharges on the natural environment, animal welfare and human health; to require the membership of water company boards to include at least one representative of an environmental group; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require that every child be offered at least one outdoor education experience during primary school years and at least one such experience during secondary school years; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to establish a new model of company structure for Thames Water, to be called a public benefit corporation; to require that public benefit corporation to consider public policy benefits, including reducing leaks and sewage dumping, as well as returns for shareholders; to limit the payment of dividends until a plan is in place to cut the corporation’s debt; and to require membership of the corporation’s board to include representatives of local environment groups.
A Bill to prevent and punish the theft of dogs and to deter the unlawful importation of certain animals into Great Britain; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require that every child be offered at least one outdoor education experience during primary school years and at least one such experience during secondary school years; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to provide that higher education institutions have a duty of care for their students; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to define the term “green jobs”; to require the Secretary of State to publish a strategy for their creation, including setting targets relating to green jobs, skills, and training; to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on performance in implementing that strategy; to require the Secretary of State to publish a plan to increase take-up of National Vocational Qualification courses related to low-carbon services; to establish a Commission to advise the Government and local authorities on increasing the availability of jobs in the low-carbon economy, including in areas with high levels of deprivation, and on ensuring access to good quality green jobs across the United Kingdom; to require the Commission to consult workers, communities, non-governmental organisations, businesses, and industry representatives; to require local authorities to report to the Commission on the availability in green jobs in their areas; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require Parliamentary approval of coal extraction from new coal mines commissioned after November 2022; to require the Secretary of State to set targets for phasing out the extraction and use of coal and to report to Parliament on performance against those targets; to require the Secretary of State to publish a strategy for increasing the use of renewable energy sources for steel production in place of coal; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to establish an independent regulatory body to monitor and enforce the compliance of public bodies with climate and environmental requirements and targets; to make provision for associated sanctions; to require the regulatory body to assess the environmental effects of potential trade agreements; to make provision about environmental standards, including in relation to animal welfare; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to terminate a rail passenger services franchise agreement in certain circumstances; to repeal section 25 of the Railways Act 1993; to make provision for local franchising authorities in England; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision to improve access to radiotherapy treatment in England; to define access in terms of the time that patients are required to travel to places providing treatment; to specify 45 minutes as the maximum time patients are to travel; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision to improve access to radiotherapy treatment in England; to define access in terms of the time that patients are required to travel to places providing treatment; to specify 45 minutes as the maximum time patients are to travel; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about the conditions to be met by male blood donors, including removing the restrictions relating to blood donation from men who have sexual intercourse with men; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about the award of asylum-seeker status in the United Kingdom to certain unaccompanied children from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea displaced by conflict and present within the European Union; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to undertake a programme of research into the costs and benefits of extending control of all aspects of Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes entirely to Local Authorities, including the operation and consequences of such schemes and the introduction of the right of Local Authorities to suspend them; to report to Parliament within six months of the research being completed; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to give local planning authorities the power to determine the requirements for affordable housing contributions from sites of fewer than 10 units as part of planning obligation agreements under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to give powers to the Secretary of State to provide for elections to be held to the governing boards of National Parks on a pilot basis; and for connected purposes.
Schools (Mental Health Professionals) (No. 2) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Munira Wilson (LD)
Primary care services (report) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Daisy Cooper (LD)
High Income Child Benefit Charge (report to Parliament) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Jim Shannon (DUP)
Carers and Care Workers Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Helen Morgan (LD)
Fire and Building Safety (Public Inquiry) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Daisy Cooper (LD)
Plastics (Wet Wipes) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Fleur Anderson (Lab)
Short and Holiday-Let Accommodation (Registration) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Karen Buck (Lab)
Vagrancy (Repeal) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Layla Moran (LD)
Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Andrew Rosindell (Con)
Jet Skis (Licensing) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Hywel Williams (PC)
Plastic Pollution (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alistair Carmichael (LD)
Prime Minister (Confidence) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tom Brake (LD)
Plastic Pollution Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alistair Carmichael (LD)
House of Peers Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christine Jardine (LD)
Representation of the People (Gibraltar) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Craig Mackinlay (Con)
Registration of Marriage (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Caroline Spelman (Con)
Refugees (Family Reunion) (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Angus Brendan MacNeil (Ind)
Public Authority (Accountability) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Andy Burnham (Lab)
Transparency and Accountability (European Union) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Caroline Lucas (Green)
The Bishop of London chairs the Church of England’s Covid Recovery Group and issued a statement on 15th June in which she said: “While we look forward to restrictions on worship being lifted in the near future, I will continue to press for ongoing appraisal of choral and congregational singing.” Also on 15th June the Bishop of Leeds raised concerns in a question in the House of Lords about inconsistencies on how restrictions are being applied.
Across our parishes live music is valued as integral to worship and for other well-being benefits that choral singing brings.
The Church continues to engage the Government through the Places of Worship Taskforce, and the Bishop of London has requested that the Taskforce reviews the future rules around singing before publication.
Meanwhile, singing under the current guidance remains possible within a very limited framework, both for indoor and outdoor singing.
The Church of England's own guidance on singing is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/COVID%2019%20advice%20on%20conducting%20public%20worship%20v3.5_0.pdf
The Government guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-suggested-principles-of-safer-singing/covid-19-suggested-principles-of-safer-singing
The Royal School of Church Music guidance is here: http://www.rscm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FAQs-re-Singing-19th-May-2021-1.pdf
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon Members Parliamentary Question of 19th December is attached.
The List of Ministerial Responsibilities has been published on 19 December and placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It can also be found on GOV.UK at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilities.
A revised List of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published in due course. In the meantime, departments are updating their ministers' pages on GOV.UK which also include portfolio information.
The Government's number one priority is the response to the covid-19 outbreak. As such many civil servants within departments are working on different aspects of the overall response to the pandemic, and have been redeployed to do so. Comprehensive details of these internal redeloyments are not held centrally. The Government Resourcing Hub is also moving civil servants to COVID-19 roles across different departments.
Negotiations with the EU are led by Task Force Europe. This is a small central unit within the Prime Minister’s Office led by the Chief Negotiator David Frost and currently has 42 staff. These negotiations are a cross-departmental effort and accordingly involve a larger number of staff overall. For example, more than a hundred UK staff have been involved in recent negotiating rounds, supported by FCO officials and others.
Paragraph 1.6 of the Ministerial Code sets out that Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public.
The Ministerial Code should be read against the background of the overarching duty on Ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life.
The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into effect on 1 January 2021, and secured protection for 7 of the most economically valuable UK Geographical Indications (GIs) from day one.
The department is having positive discussions with the Japanese government on completing the process of registering GIs and adding them to our agreement text. We look forward to seeing progress soon, though as these discussions are live it would be inappropriate to comment on specific timescales.
The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into effect on 1 January 2021, and secured protection for 7 of the most economically valuable UK Geographical Indications (GIs) from day one.
The department is having positive discussions with the Japanese government on completing the process of registering GIs and adding them to our agreement text. We look forward to seeing progress soon, though as these discussions are live it would be inappropriate to comment on specific timescales.
Information on the staffing of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.
The GCA does not employ its own staff but may make arrangements for staff to be seconded from any other public authority. It can also obtain support from temporary contractors. The numbers of secondees to the GCA at 31 March in each year since 2019 were as follows:
2018/2019 – 6 secondees
2019/2020 – 6 secondees
2020/2021 – 4 secondees
2021/2022 – 7 secondees
2022/2023 – 7 secondees
Information on the funding of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.
The GCA is funded through a levy on the designated retailers which is approved annually by the Secretary of State. The total levy imposed each year from 2018/19 was:
2018/2019 - £2 million
2019/2020 - £2 million
2020/2021 - £2 million
2021/2022 - £1.9 million
2022/2023 – £2 million
No assessment has been made.
As part of Project Gigabit, in November 2022 we awarded a £109 million contract to the supplier Fibrus to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to up to 59,000 premises across Cumbria that are not included in suppliers’ commercial plans.
By the end of the contract, it is expected that over 99% of premises in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency will have access to a gigabit-capable connection, through both subsidised and commercial delivery. This is a huge leap in gigabit-capable coverage across the constituency, which currently stands at slightly over 48%.
Up to 59,000 premises are included in the £109 million Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Fibrus in Cumbria. Approximately 98% of these premises fall into the Cumbria County Council area.
There are approximately 5,200 premises within Project Gigabit in Cumbria which are currently planned to be delivered in 2026, the final year of the project.
There are also 22,000 premises which are in the ‘deferred scope’ of the contract. The deferred scope covers premises within active voucher projects, or where there is a reasonable likelihood of commercial coverage. To allow delivery through alternate means and the best use of public subsidy, these premises are held until the latter stages of the contract, and brought into plan if required. The likelihood is that the majority of premises within ‘deferred scope’ will be reached by other means, but otherwise they will be brought forward in the Project Gigabit plan.
BDUK will continue to monitor supplier plans in the area as the contract progresses, which will enable us to form an accurate picture of the premises that will be classified as ‘gigabit white’ at the end of 2025. These premises will be brought within the scope of Project Gigabit where possible.
Premises that are not reached as part of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, or through suppliers’ commercial build plans, may become eligible for other interventions such as the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme or potential future interventions aimed at connecting very hard to reach premises.
Up to 59,000 premises are included in the £109 million Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Fibrus in Cumbria. Approximately 98% of these premises fall into the Cumbria County Council area.
There are approximately 5,200 premises within Project Gigabit in Cumbria which are currently planned to be delivered in 2026, the final year of the project.
There are also 22,000 premises which are in the ‘deferred scope’ of the contract. The deferred scope covers premises within active voucher projects, or where there is a reasonable likelihood of commercial coverage. To allow delivery through alternate means and the best use of public subsidy, these premises are held until the latter stages of the contract, and brought into plan if required. The likelihood is that the majority of premises within ‘deferred scope’ will be reached by other means, but otherwise they will be brought forward in the Project Gigabit plan.
BDUK will continue to monitor supplier plans in the area as the contract progresses, which will enable us to form an accurate picture of the premises that will be classified as ‘gigabit white’ at the end of 2025. These premises will be brought within the scope of Project Gigabit where possible.
Premises that are not reached as part of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, or through suppliers’ commercial build plans, may become eligible for other interventions such as the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme or potential future interventions aimed at connecting very hard to reach premises.
Up to 59,000 premises are included in the £109 million Project Gigabit contract being delivered by Fibrus in Cumbria. Approximately 98% of these premises fall into the Cumbria County Council area.
There are approximately 5,200 premises within Project Gigabit in Cumbria which are currently planned to be delivered in 2026, the final year of the project.
There are also 22,000 premises which are in the ‘deferred scope’ of the contract. The deferred scope covers premises within active voucher projects, or where there is a reasonable likelihood of commercial coverage. To allow delivery through alternate means and the best use of public subsidy, these premises are held until the latter stages of the contract, and brought into plan if required. The likelihood is that the majority of premises within ‘deferred scope’ will be reached by other means, but otherwise they will be brought forward in the Project Gigabit plan.
BDUK will continue to monitor supplier plans in the area as the contract progresses, which will enable us to form an accurate picture of the premises that will be classified as ‘gigabit white’ at the end of 2025. These premises will be brought within the scope of Project Gigabit where possible.
Premises that are not reached as part of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, or through suppliers’ commercial build plans, may become eligible for other interventions such as the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme or potential future interventions aimed at connecting very hard to reach premises.
The Government does not hold this information.
Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.
Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.
Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.
The Government does not hold this information.
Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.
Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.
Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.
The Government does not hold this information.
Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.
Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.
Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.
The Government does not hold this information.
Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.
Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.
Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.
The Government is open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives. Revised guidance in the energy National Policy Statement will be published shortly.
Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), a division of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is the delivery body for the geological disposal facility (GDF). NWS meets with officials from the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man under the auspices of the regular UK-Ireland Contact Group to update them on the siting process for a GDF, including sighting them on potential impacts of activities it undertakes to identify a suitable location. The community consent-based process to identify and select a site in England is at an early stage. Currently, four possible areas are under consideration – three in Cumbria and one in Lincolnshire.
As promised in the Net Zero Strategy, the Government has created a Community Energy Contact Group to discuss policy and delivery issues relevant to community energy, including the contribution that community energy can make, to strengthen engagement with the sector.
Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss a range of issues relating to the energy market.
The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with local authorities to support the development of UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government is working with the sector to deliver a programme which will support local authorities develop community-led energy groups and projects. The Government has provided £10m funding to community energy groups through the Rural Community Energy Fund.
The Government has not made a formal assessment of the role of community energy in reducing household energy bills.
The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with local authorities to support the development of UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government is working with the sector to deliver a programme which will support local authorities develop community-led energy groups and projects. The Government has provided £10m funding to community energy groups through the Rural Community Energy Fund.
The Government has not made a formal assessment of the role of community energy in reducing household energy bills.
The Government has carefully considered the introduction of a price cap to help heating oil customers with high fuel prices. However, government analysis indicates that a cap would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.
The existing gas and electricity price cap was designed to protect consumers on default tariffs from the loyalty penalty, which the Competitions and Markets Authority warned was causing customers to be overcharged. The structure of the heating oil market is different and imposing a price cap below wholesale costs would drive companies out of the market, reducing competition and possibly result in supply shortages.
The Government understands that fuel prices are an important component of UK household and business expenditures and is sympathetic to the impact of domestic fuel costs on UK consumers.
The Government recently announced a £15 billion package to support households with the cost of living, in addition to the over £22 billion that had already been committed.
At present there are no plans to decrease the 500-litre minimum required for a delivery of heating oil.
For many years the industry standard for a minimum delivery of oil for efficiency reasons has been 500 litres, using mechanical meters calibrated and sealed by Trading Standards using tamper proof seals.
Whilst legislation allows the minimum delivery to be lower than 500 litres using electronic meters, any equipment must meet statutory requirements in terms of the accuracy of delivery, and type approval for the equipment must be obtained.
The vast majority of heating oil delivery vehicles are fitted with mechanical meters only.
The National Measurement and Regulation Office advise that smaller deliveries than the certified amount should not be made without the tankers meter being approved for smaller deliveries.
However due to the costs involved in making smaller deliveries and the reduction of productivity levels, the price per litre is likely to be proportionately much higher.
The Government believes it is essential that consumers of domestic fuels get a fair deal. There is an open market for the supply of heating oil in the UK as we believe this provides the best long-term guarantee of competitive prices. A price cap is not necessary as consumers can shop around and switch supplier more easily than for gas and electricity.
Customers who are not on the gas grid will be protected by the energy price cap if they are on a default tariff with their electricity supplier.
The Government is providing targeted funding to support the installation of heat pumps in off-gas grid buildings. This includes the £1.1bn Home Upgrade Grant, which will improve the worst performing low-income, off gas grid homes through energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures, and the £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which will provide upfront grants to households and small businesses wishing to transition to low carbon heating, including buildings in off gas grid areas.
The Government has also consulted on proposals to end the installation of new fossil fuel heating in off-gas grid buildings, with a ‘heat pump first’ approach to replacement heating systems. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.
The Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy commits the Government to work with the Steel Council to consider the implications of the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035’. Hydrogen-based steelmaking, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), and electrification are some of the technological approaches being examined as part of this process.
Published in October, the Net Zero Strategy committed to provide further support for research and innovation to enable the fuel switch to low carbon hydrogen on industrial sites, such as integrated steelworks. This will be delivered through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and initiatives led by the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre.
The Government recognises the vital role that the sector plays across the UK to benefit our economy. We will continue to work with the sector to support its decarbonisation.
In March 2021, the Government published the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy in which we committed to working with the Steel Council to consider the implications of the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee to ‘set targets for ore-based steelmaking to reach near-zero emissions by 2035 and the business environment necessary to support the transition. We will provide further information in due course.
Published in October, the Net Zero Strategy committed to provide further support for research and innovation to enable the fuel switch to low carbon hydrogen on industrial sites, such as integrated steelworks. This will be delivered through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and initiatives led by the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre.
Planning is a quasi-judicial process, and solely a matter for my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Ministers in BEIS have had no discussions with him on the proposed mine at Whitehaven.
The Government has committed to phasing out unabated coal generation in Great Britain by October 2024. Coal’s share of our electricity supply has already declined significantly in recent years – from almost 40% in 2012 to less than 2% in 2020.
To achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we will need to decarbonise virtually all heat in buildings. Government analysis indicates that heat pumps are likely to play an important role in this transition, which is why my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced our ambition to reach 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028. In combination with an increase in electric vehicle deployment, this is likely to increase demand for electricity.
Ensuring the adequacy of the electricity network is the responsibility of electricity network companies, and they are incentivised to do so through the regulatory framework set out by Ofgem, the independent regulator. Electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) submitted their draft business plans for the next price control (RIIO ED2), which will run from 2023-28, on 1 July. Final draft business plans submissions are expected to be made by DNOs in December of this year. As part of this, DNOs, including Electricity North West who are the licensed operator for the distribution network in the North West, will include forecasts for the uptake of renewable heating systems and how they plan to ready the network for these technologies.
A new Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, developed jointly by BEIS and Ofgem, will be published shortly. The plan will set out how deploying low carbon technologies, including heat pumps, in a smart and flexible way can reduce the requirement for large increases in generation capacity and support the balancing of the electricity system. This approach benefits all electricity system users by reducing overall system costs and carbon emissions, while also supporting system stability.
As announced in the Ten-Point Plan, we aim to install 600,000 hydronic heat pumps per year by 2028. We are putting together a comprehensive policy package to support this ambition, including targeted regulatory, market-based and public investment measures.
These measures include the Future Homes Standard that will ensure new homes are built with high levels of energy efficiency and low carbon heating from 2025, the Clean Heat Grant scheme, launching in 2022, and a new market-based policy putting industry at the heart of growing the heat pump market.
Heat pumps have already been proven to work at scale in buildings, delivering effective heating with lower emissions than fossil fuel heating. However, there are a range of potential low carbon heating solutions, including hydrogen, heat networks and biomethane that could help deliver our net zero target. We will set out further details on how we accelerate uptake of heat pumps and our approach to other low carbon heating technologies in our forthcoming Heat and Buildings Strategy
Monthly data on business closures during the 2007-2008 financial crisis are not available.
Data on total annual business closures have been provided in the table below, showing annual numbers of business closures between 2006 and 2010.
Table: Annual number of business closures, 2006 to 2010, all registered businesses
Year | Number of business closures |
2006 | 207,000 |
2007 | 224,000 |
2008 | 223,000 |
2009 | 277,000 |
2010 | 250,000 |
Source: Office for National Statistics ‘Business Demography, UK: 2011’
Monthly data on business closures since April 2020 are not available.
Quarterly data on business closures since April 2020 can be provided.
The table below contains this information, along with numbers of business closures in each quarter of 2019 and quarter 1 2020 for reference.
Table: Quarterly UK business closures, 2019 to 2020, all registered businesses
Quarter and Year | Number of business closures |
Q1 2019 | 85,260 |
Q2 2019 | 101,505 |
Q3 2019 | 83,145 |
Q4 2019 | 77,815 |
Q1 2020 | 120,235 |
Q2 2020 | 93,055 |
Q3 2020 | 76,265 |
Q4 2020 | 106,400 |
|
|
Source: Office for National Statistics 'Business demography, quarterly experimental statistics, UK'
We are determined to seize the opportunities of the net zero transition, which by one estimate could support up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan will create long-term advantage for the UK in low-carbon technologies and services. Investment in the green economy across sectors including offshore wind, nuclear, low carbon heating, CCUS and clean hydrogen will benefit regions across the UK.
We will bring forward the Local Recovery and Devolution White Paper, detailing how the Government will build a sustainable economic recovery across the country. We have also launched the Green Jobs Taskforce to advise what support is needed for people in transitioning industries. The taskforce will conclude its work in spring 2021, with the actions feeding into our Net Zero Strategy to be published later in the year.
The Government’s actions are delivering results in the North West. We have invested in excess of £4m of the Local Growth Fund in Cumbria for developing skills in higher and further education, working alongside employers to support high quality jobs in new and emerging sustainable and green technologies. This includes support for Kendal College on training for future jobs such as electric vehicle maintenance, with over 600 apprentices supporting employers in the green economy in South Lakeland.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution will create long-term advantage for the UK in low-carbon technologies and services. It will support up to 250,000 green jobs, levelling up regions across the UK, and reinvigorate our industrial heartlands. The Plan will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030.
Delivering clean investment at the scale and pace required will mean taking bold steps. That is why we will issue the UK’s first Sovereign Green Bond and we will create a new infrastructure bank for the UK which will co-invest alongside private sector investors in infrastructure projects.
As part of the Plan, we announced £1 billion for the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio to develop the cutting-edge technologies needed to reach our energy ambitions. We are also investing up to £500 million for low carbon hydrogen production across the decade with £240 million confirmed out to 2024/2025 and £1 billion to capture carbon from power stations and industry, helping to support 50,000 jobs.
The Government is committed to improving the building stock as part of reaching our net zero targets. We recognise the importance of providing industry with certainty over demand in future years in order for them to have confidence to invest and grow their businesses.
We are working to provide that certainty and have therefore confirmed that the delivery dates for Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator will extend into 2021/22 to provide assurance that work will be available. Outside of support schemes, we are creating the regulatory environment to drive retrofit and on 30th September we published a consultation on further improving the energy performance of privately rented homes over the 2020s, which provides a clear signal on how Government is committed to improving the housing stock.
On 1 May 2020 during a call to Local Authorities, the Government announced that a further up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants as part of the suite of Business Support grants to support businesses and local economies across England.
Businesses that have received Self-employment Income Support are not eligible for funding under the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.
Whether or not a business is liable for Business Rates, or occupies business premises, is not a consideration under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
To be eligible for a facility under CBILS, a smaller business must:
Based on current medical advice, the Government has stated that workers can continue to work when they cannot work from home, show no symptoms of Covid-19, and live in a household where no person is self-isolating.
We encourage households to engage with tradespeople on this basis, so urgent health and safety issues within homes can be inspected or remedied. Where such work takes place, Public Health England’s social distancing guidelines should be followed, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-in-the-workplace-during-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance#tradespeople-and-working-in-peoples-homes.
Construction and utility workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services, maintaining the nation’s infrastructure and providing and maintaining safe, decent homes for people to live in. The Government has stated that construction and utilities work should continue where it can take place in line with the guidance provided by Public Health England.
Construction and utility workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services, maintaining the nation’s infrastructure and providing and maintaining safe, decent homes for people to live in. The Government has stated that construction and utilities work should continue where it can take place in line with the guidance provided by Public Health England.
Construction and utility workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services, as well as in providing and maintaining safe, decent homes for people to live in.
Based on current medical advice, utility workers who cannot work from home, who show no symptoms of Covid-19, and who live in households where no person is self-isolating, can continue to go to work. We encourage households to continue to engage with tradespeople on this basis so that essential repairs and maintenance can be carried out. Where such work takes place, Public Health England (PHE) guidelines should be followed, including social distancing measures where possible.
Construction activity can continue in line with PHE guidance. Through the Construction Leadership Council, the construction industry has issued Site Operating Procedures (SOP), which align with PHE guidance. The SOP set out that, where it is not possible or safe for workers to distance themselves from each other by 2 metres, then employers should closely consider whether the activity needs to continue for the site to operate.
Construction and utility workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services, as well as in providing and maintaining safe, decent homes for people to live in.
Based on current medical advice, utility workers who cannot work from home, who show no symptoms of Covid-19, and who live in households where no person is self-isolating, can continue to go to work. We encourage households to continue to engage with tradespeople on this basis so that essential repairs and maintenance can be carried out. Where such work takes place, Public Health England (PHE) guidelines should be followed, including social distancing measures where possible.
Construction activity can continue in line with PHE guidance. Through the Construction Leadership Council, the construction industry has issued Site Operating Procedures (SOP), which align with PHE guidance. The SOP set out that, where it is not possible or safe for workers to distance themselves from each other by 2 metres, then employers should closely consider whether the activity needs to continue for the site to operate.