Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on ensuring those who are off grid are able to access the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government confirmed that further funding would be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by the Energy Bill Support Scheme. This will include those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier. The Government has had initial engagement with the Welsh Government on this Alternative Funding and will engage with relevant parties over the coming weeks.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on ensuring those in park homes are able to access the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government confirmed that further funding would be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by the Energy Bill Support Scheme. This will include those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier. The Government has had initial engagement with the Welsh Government on this Alternative Funding and will engage with relevant parties over the coming weeks.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when off-grid customers will be able to access financial support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for St Albans on 22nd September to Question 48498, and the answer given by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the noble Lord Teverson on 8th November 2022 to Question HL2900.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when park home customers will be able to access financial support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As announced on 29 July, the EBSS Alternative Funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the households who will not be reached through the EBSS. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.
The Government is working with a range of organisations, such as local authorities, as well as Devolved Administrations and across UK Government, to finalise the details of the Alternative Funding and have the process up and running for applications this winter.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason lenders under the Covid Recovery Loan Scheme do not provide reasons to companies which they deem not to match the loan criteria.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is delivered by the British Business Bank (BBB) through a network of accredited lenders. Decision-making on whether a company is eligible for RLS and whether it is suitable for them is fully delegated to these accredited lenders.
The terms of RLS do not specify how lenders should communicate with prospective borrowers. Lenders may provide feedback to prospective borrowers in accordance with their own commercial processes.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 publish data for the Covid Loan Recovery scheme on all companies that been successful.
Answered by Paul Scully
The British Business Bank (BBB) publishes data on loans offered under the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS). The latest data was published in October 2021 and is available on the BBB’s website: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/press-release/recovery-loan-scheme-offers-over-1bn-to-smaller-businesses/.
Some information about individual loans accessed through RLS 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. Where this does not apply, the Department does not currently plan to publish information about individual loan recipients.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the Covid Recovery Loan companies are only accessible through a broker.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is delivered by the British Business Bank (BBB) through a network of accredited lenders. The scheme is open to small and medium sized businesses that:
Further information on who is eligible for the scheme can be found on the BBB’s website: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/recovery-loan-scheme/for-businesses/.
Decision-making on whether a company is eligible for RLS and whether it is suitable for them is fully delegated to the accredited lenders. Prospective borrowers do not need to use a broker to access the scheme and are able to apply to lenders directly, subject to each lender’s internal processes. Where a company has applied for an RLS facility and been unsuccessful, the lender is responsible for explaining why the company’s application was declined.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government takes to help explain why a company may have been unsuccessful in a bid for a Covid Recovery Loan.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is delivered by the British Business Bank (BBB) through a network of accredited lenders. The scheme is open to small and medium sized businesses that:
Further information on who is eligible for the scheme can be found on the BBB’s website: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/recovery-loan-scheme/for-businesses/.
Decision-making on whether a company is eligible for RLS and whether it is suitable for them is fully delegated to the accredited lenders. Prospective borrowers do not need to use a broker to access the scheme and are able to apply to lenders directly, subject to each lender’s internal processes. Where a company has applied for an RLS facility and been unsuccessful, the lender is responsible for explaining why the company’s application was declined.