Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 131224 on Refuges: Energy, what metrics his Department has used to asses the adequacy of the packages of support for energy bills for domestic abuse refuges.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has conducted a review of the operation of the Energy Bill Relief Schemes and it considered a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence, including input from businesses and stakeholders. As part of the review, BEIS developed a framework to assess which sectors may be most affected by rising energy prices based on financial vulnerability, energy intensity and ability to pass through costs. The results of this were used alongside results from a business survey conducted by BEIS, inputs from other government departments, and wider economic and public policy considerations, to support ministerial decision-making.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received from the domestic abuse sector on the level of Government support with energy bills for domestic abuse refuges.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities regarding increased energy costs and the Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the voluntary sector. This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been introduced, shielding eligible businesses and charities from soaring energy prices. Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non domestic customers including charities.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 estimate of the number of domestic abuse refuges that have accessed Government support with energy bills.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Refuges that are on a domestic electricity contract benefit from the Energy Bills Support Scheme and the Energy Price Guarantee. Refuges that have a non-domestic electricity contract benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the adequacy of Government support with energy bills for domestic abuse refuges.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business talks to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department regularly on a wide range of issues.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many reports have been received by Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline relating to illegal tobacco in each of the last five years.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The total number of cases referred to Trading Standards by Citizens Advice consumer service totalled 249,001 in the last financial year. Information on the main topics Citizens Advice clients seek advice on is provided via the Citizens Advice website.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 adequacy of Trading Standards' powers to regulate the sale of vaping products and tackle illicit vaping tobacco products.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Vapes are regulated through the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015. These regulations have allowed vapes to be available to support smokers quit while limiting access by children and non-smokers. The government continues to work with enforcement agencies to ensure these regulations are enforced in England.
Suspected illegal activity should be reported in the first instance to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 (www.citizensadvice.org.uk/).
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 made an assessment of the potential equality implications of the Royal Mail Group's proposal to move to five-day letter delivery.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government has no current plans to change the statutory minimum requirements of the universal postal service which are set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.
The Government remains committed to ensuring that the universal service obligation remains affordable and accessible to all users, and that it is financially sustainable in the longer-term.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Whether his Department plans to take further steps to help tackle late invoice payments to small businesses.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
We are tackling the culture of late payments with measures including Payment Practices Reporting, the Small Business Commissioner and Prompt Payment Code. Government is setting an example: the Cabinet Office Procurement Bill will ensure 30-day payment terms in contracts throughout the public sector supply chain.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 59578, what assessment his Department makes of the proportion of biomass that is generated sustainably.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government only supports sustainable biomass and there are strict sustainability criteria. Suppliers must demonstrate to the regulator Ofgem that they have met the criteria and their evidence is independently verified.
Consequently only biomass that complies with stringent sustainability criteria is eligible for support.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 provide a comprehensive roadmap of activities and milestones for the development of UK Conformity Assessment arrangements.
Answered by Dean Russell
The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking can already be used in Great Britain as a way to place products on the market. The Government has published extensive guidance on GOV.UK regarding the activities businesses need to undertake to meet UKCA requirements. Currently the CE marking can also be used to place products on the market in Great Britain. The Government will continue to provide updates, engage and communicate with industry.