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Written Question
Public Houses
Tuesday 13th December 2022

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 support pubs and breweries during the cost-of-living crisis; and what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) guidance and (b) support to community groups seeking to have pubs listed as Assets of Community Value.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognise that hospitality businesses are facing cost of living pressures.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that businesses are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced a range of support measures regarding business rates worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years.

Councils are responsible for the oversight, administration and publication of their local Assets of Community Value scheme. The Government does not hold a central list of this information and does not require Local Authorities in England to submit updates on the number of Assets of Community Value which they have listed or rejected.


Written Question
Disclosure of Information: Protection
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 assessment of the potential merits of introducing stronger protection for whistle-blowers, as proposed by Compassion in Care in their campaign for Edna’s Law; and what steps he is taking to support whistle-blowers.

Answered by Dean Russell

The Government values the important contribution whistleblowers make when they shine a light on wrongdoing. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 gives legal protection to those who speak up in the public interest.

The Government has made numerous improvements to the whistleblowing framework. This includes extending protections to student nurses and midwives, regularly updating the list of prescribed persons, and introducing a legislative requirement for most prescribed persons to produce an annual report on whistleblowing disclosures they receive.

The Government has committed to review the whistleblowing framework. We are considering the scope and timing of this review.


Written Question
Parental Leave and Parental Pay
Monday 26th September 2022

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government will introduce the right to 12 weeks neonatal leave and pay for parents of babies under 28 days who spend more than 7 days in hospital.

Answered by Dean Russell

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill, introduced by the Hon. Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East as a Private Member's Bill and backed by the Government, will deliver these changes. It is currently progressing through Parliament and has now completed Commons Committee Stage.


Written Question
Parental Leave
Monday 25th April 2022

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 introduce additional paid parental leave entitlements equivalent to the time parents have to take off from work as a result of their baby's health complications.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Government recognises that having a baby with health complications is particularly stressful for parents. This is why we are committed to introducing additional paid parental leave entitlement for neonatal care, to support those new mothers and fathers who need it during some of the most difficult days of their lives.


Written Question
Paternity Leave
Friday 22nd October 2021

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 potential merits of extending paid paternity leave to new employees whose period in work is less than 26 weeks.

Answered by Paul Scully

As set out in our Manifesto, we are committed to making it easier for fathers to take Paternity Leave. In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay, this consultation included Paternity Leave and Pay. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.


Written Question
Sick Leave: Coronavirus
Tuesday 21st September 2021

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 prevent companies using the Bradford Factor from penalising employees who are forced to self-isolate.

Answered by Paul Scully

Government guidance is clear that employers should support employees who have to self-isolate. It is also clear that they should exercise discretion about the need for medical evidence where an employee is advised to self-isolate in accordance with public health advice.


Written Question
Biofuels: Subsidies
Friday 10th September 2021

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reallocating Government subsidies for biomass energy to other renewable energy sources.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government follows scientific advice which indicates that sustainable biomass could play a role in decarbonising the energy sector as part of a diverse renewable energy mix and in achieving net zero. Recent reports from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) all support this view.

We have no plans to remove support for electricity generation from biomass prior to 2027 for generators that are already supported under the Renewables Obligation (RO) and the Contract for Difference (CfD).


Written Question
Biofuels
Friday 10th September 2021

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of biomass energy on (a) CO2 emissions and (b) animal biodiversity.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government follows scientific advice which indicates that sustainable biomass could play a role in decarbonising the energy sector as part of a diverse renewable energy mix and in achieving net zero. Recent reports from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) all support this view.

The UK only supports biomass which complies with strict sustainability criteria which considers a range of environmental issues including protecting the biodiversity of forests from which the biomass is sourced, irrespective of its location.


Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Waste Disposal
Thursday 9th September 2021

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 merits of introducing a dedicated scrapping system for diesel and petrol vehicles ahead of the transition towards zero emission vehicles by 2030.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

The Government is investing £2.8 billion to support the transition to zero emission vehicles, including to support the uptake of zero and ultra low emission cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, taxis and buses, as well funding to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces, on residential streets and across the wider roads network, to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car.


Written Question
Flexible Working
Thursday 9th September 2021

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

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 merits of giving workers the right to flexible working from the first day of employment.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Government’s manifesto included a commitment to encourage flexible working and to consult on whether flexible working can be made the default unless employers have good reasons not to. We will issue this consultation in due course.