Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 take steps to help ensure the Communication Workers Union and Royal Mail reach an agreement in their industrial dispute.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government is monitoring the situation closely however the industrial dispute is a matter for Royal Mail, as a private company, and the Communication Workers Union to resolve.
The Government strongly urges Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union to continue their negotiations to reach a resolution as soon as possible and minimise the disruption to consumers and businesses.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 his Department has held with Royal Mail about their capacity to fulfil their Universal Service Obligation.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Department has regular discussions with Royal Mail on a wide range of issues.
The Postal Services Act 2011 gives Ofcom responsibility to secure the provision of the UK’s universal postal service.
Ofcom has the powers and tools to protect the universal service and it has in place an effective monitoring regime that is able to identify any threats to it.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to assist (a) vulnerable, (b) disabled and (c) elderly people in the event of energy blackouts in winter 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. The Government is confident in its plans to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios this winter.
Electricity network operators are obliged to maintain a Priority Services Register to ensure support is given to the most vulnerable customers during power disruptions, including those who are disabled or elderly
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 his Department's most recent assessment on impact of the use of biomass fuels on the UK’s carbon emissions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In accordance with international guidelines, carbon dioxide emissions from biomass use are reported in Greenhouse Gas Inventories as a change in carbon stocks in the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector of the country where the biomass is harvested. They are also reported as a memorandum item in the country where the biomass is used, but are not counted in that country’s total emissions to avoid double counting.
In the latest year for which emissions estimates are available (2020), carbon dioxide emissions from UK biomass use, reported as a memorandum item in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, were 47.2 million tonnes.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 has taken pursuant to the Court ruling in The Queen (on the application of (1) Friends of the Earth Limited (2) ClientEarth (3) Good Law Project and Joanna Wheatley v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2022] EWHC 1841 (Admin) on the Government's Net Zero Strategy.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has applied for permission to appeal the judgment. The Government is seeking permission to appeal specific elements of the court’s judgment on the section 13 and section 14 duties. Its grounds of appeal have been lodged with the court and set out the legal detail.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 plans to publish a communications campaign in respect of the UKCA marking regime to raise awareness of that regime among businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy continues to deliver a comprehensive programme of communication with industry on the implementation of the UKCA marking. The Government will continue this work, with further communications and in person engagement, following our recent announcement of measures to make the UKCA regime easier for businesses.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department spent on consultancy fees in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Freeman
The table below shows the spend on consultancy fees in the core department in each of the last five years. The Consultancy spend is published in BEIS Annual Report & Accounts and spend relating to financial year 21/22 will be published in line with the timetable agreed with HM Treasury.
Financial Year | Consultancy Spend (£m) |
16/17 | £115 |
17/18 | £101 |
18/19 | £142 |
19/20 | £164 |
20/21 | £208 |
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has paid on average for each vaccine dose purchased from (a) AstraZeneca, (b) Moderna and (c) Pfizer BioNTech.
Answered by George Freeman
We are not able to disclose specific costs of individual vaccines procured to date, as details of contracts between the Government and vaccine manufacturers are commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 (a) any assessment undertaken and (b) the methodology of any such assessment on the cost and productivity differential between civil servants working from home and working in Whitehall.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to encouraging flexible working, which has many benefits for both individuals and employers. The Review of the Flexible Working Regulations 2014 showed that flexible working can reduce vacancy costs; increase skill retention; enhance business performance; and reduce staff absenteeism rates.
To help organisations realise the benefits of flexible working, we issued a consultation and accompanying impact assessment on “making flexible working the default” in Autumn of last year. The consultation closed on 1 December 2021, receiving over 1,600 responses. We will be publishing our consultation response in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.
Answered by George Freeman
Ministers regularly meet with departmental officials and external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.