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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has in place to monitor and review the benefits of the minimum energy standards post-implementation in 2018; and what assessment his Department has made of the scope for strengthening those plans.

The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 require that all landlords of domestic (and non-domestic) privately rented properties in England and Wales ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach at least an energy performance rating of E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies.

The regulations require Government to carry out a review of the operation and effect of these Regulations at intervals of no more than 5 years, and we are currently putting in place a programme of qualitative and quantitative research to inform this. Evidence collected will be used to determine the scope and timing of an assessment of the benefits from the regulations, and to help ensure they are implemented as effectively as possible.