Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to meet the manifesto pledge to create 650,000 green jobs; what plans they have to create those jobs; and what progress has so far been made towards it.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The clean energy transition represents one of the UK’s largest opportunities for economic growth and high-quality job creation this decade. In October 2025, we published the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, which highlights that the UK’s clean energy workforce could double by 2030, supporting up to 860,000 high quality jobs across every nation and region.
Progress has already been made on commitments in the Plan. In April, we announced five Clean Energy Technical Excellence Colleges delivering training for clean energy jobs in Liverpool, the Tees Valley, Somerset, London and Colchester. The Plan also includes the expansion of the Energy Skills Passport, up to £20 million of funding to support the North Sea transition, and a new North Sea Jobs Service offering end-to-end career support for oil and gas workers.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to cut energy bills for households by up to £300 by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling affordability is this government’s number one priority.
As recently announced by the new Prime Minister and Chancellor, the government will conduct a tax cut to remove VAT from domestic electricity bills from October 1, in time to impact the next Ofgem price cap. Cutting VAT on electricity bills is expected to take around £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap in October. This immediate action applies and is funded for this financial year.
This is on top of the £150 removed from bills at the last Budget – a decision which is now factored into bills for the years to come.
In addition, around 6 million families are benefitting from the expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount.
Any further action, including on funding for longer-term measures, will be taken at the Budget.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the UK-USA Free Trade Agreement.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
In May 2025, the UK and US announced the General Terms for the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), which will protect thousands of jobs, support key British industries and help drive economic growth.
We have implemented reciprocal duty-free quotas for beef, and the US has implemented a 100,000-unit annual quota for automobiles, reducing tariffs to 10%. On 24 July 2026, the US implemented the removal of tariffs on UK whisky and medical technology.
Discussions on the EPD continue.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reduce the cost of employment for employers.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government is taking action to help employers manage employment costs while supporting growth. Employers can benefit from National Insurance Contributions reliefs for under-21s and apprentices under 25, meaning they pay no employer NICs on eligible earnings up to £50,270. These reliefs are estimated to be worth around £2.5 billion in 2025/26. We are supporting SMEs by providing a £4.3 billion business rates support package and committing to lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses We will continue to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with (1) trade unions, and (2) businesses, on the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government is undertaking an extensive programme of engagement around implementation of the Employment Rights Act and the broader Plan to Make Work Pay. The Government has committed to delivering employment rights changes in partnership with businesses, trade unions, public sector employers, and civil society.
The reforms are being delivered in phases so that employees and employers have time to plan and prepare.
We will continue working alongside Acas to provide support and guidance to help businesses to get ready, and will continue to consult with businesses, trade unions and civil society to make sure we get the detail right.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of steel tariffs in protecting Britain’s domestic steel industry.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
This steel trade measure has been carefully designed to take account of UK industry needs, and to ensure continued supply of necessary imports to meet these aims.
An Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the relevant legislation was published on 30 June, setting out the expected impacts of this measure on different types of businesses.
We have engaged with steel producers and downstream industries and will continue to do so as the measure is implemented. We will continue to monitor the measure and review it after 12 months.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much the London Borough of Ealing receives annually in total government grant; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
In 2014-15, the London Borough of Ealing is forecast to receive £421 million in government grants, excluding mandatory housing benefits. Including mandatory housing benefits, the forecast is £701 million (source: Revenue Account Budget returns).
Total grants (excluding mandatory housing benefits) are forecast to be equivalent to £3,224 per dwelling, which is in the top twenty highest grants to any local authority in England. Ealing residents will also benefit from funding given to the Greater London Authority for its statutory functions (e.g. police, fire, transport, strategic housing and planning). The Greater London Authority is forecast to receive £4.5 billion in government grant, equivalent to a London average of £1,311 per dwelling in 2014-15. Taken together, this is equivalent to £4,535 per dwelling in Ealing.
Leaving aside school spending which has changed due to the funding shift from Local Education Authorities to Academies, in 2014-15, Ealing’s net current expenditure excluding education services is forecast to be £541 million (source: Revenue Account Budget returns). This compares with £450 million in 2009-10 (source: Revenue Outturn Summary returns). This represents a 20 per cent increase in cash terms.
I am aware that the local council leader is claiming that Ealing’s funding will be cut to £5 million in 2018. Not only is this manifestly untrue given no funding settlement has been determined beyond 2015-16, but the figures above illustrate how council services actually remain well funded. Of course, every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off the deficit left by the last Labour Government, including local government which accounts for a quarter of all public spending. Yet the claims in some parts of the local government sector about “cuts” are completely over-stated and actually mislead the public.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the level of employment.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
There are more people in work than ever before with the latest figures showing the fastest increase in employment since records began in 1971. Since the Coalition came into power employment has increased by more than one and half million and unemployment has fallen by over 300,000, with over 2 million private sector jobs created since early 2010. Over this period for every public sector job lost over 5 have been created in the private sector.The female employment rate is at its highest since records began in 1971.
By tackling the economy's problems head on and getting people back into work we are helping to boost living standards for hard working families.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent progress has been made on enabling the continuation of money transfer abroad from UK financial institutions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The UK Government is committed to supporting a healthy and legitimate remittance sector, and ensuring that UK citizens are able to continue to remit funds safely to family abroad. The progress of the Action Group on Cross Border Remittances is on track and the group is next due to meet on 27 June 2014. Further information on the Action Group, including future meeting dates can be found on the group's web page: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-developing-countries-economies-to-grow/supporting-pages/enabling-the-continued-flow-of-remittances
A key output of the group is improved guidance, both for financial institutions which provide banking facilities for MSBs and for MSBs themselves on how to comply with their anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism obligations. These two key pieces of guidance were endorsed by the Action Group in its most recent meeting and are subject to normal approval processes.
The UK Government is liaising closely with the Somali Government on activity underway to ensure the continued flow of remittances from the UK to Somalia. The Ambassador of Somalia to the UK (or his representative) has attended all of the Advisory Group Meetings for the UK-Somali Safer Corridor. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and World Bank have also held bilateral meetings with the Ambassador.
Asked by: Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with its Somali counterpart on ensuring that remittances can continue from UK financial institutions.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The UK Government is committed to supporting a healthy and legitimate remittance sector, and ensuring that UK citizens are able to continue to remit funds safely to family abroad. The progress of the Action Group on Cross Border Remittances is on track and the group is next due to meet on 27 June 2014. Further information on the Action Group, including future meeting dates can be found on the group's web page: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-developing-countries-economies-to-grow/supporting-pages/enabling-the-continued-flow-of-remittances
A key output of the group is improved guidance, both for financial institutions which provide banking facilities for MSBs and for MSBs themselves on how to comply with their anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism obligations. These two key pieces of guidance were endorsed by the Action Group in its most recent meeting and are subject to normal approval processes.
The UK Government is liaising closely with the Somali Government on activity underway to ensure the continued flow of remittances from the UK to Somalia. The Ambassador of Somalia to the UK (or his representative) has attended all of the Advisory Group Meetings for the UK-Somali Safer Corridor. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and World Bank have also held bilateral meetings with the Ambassador.