Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 establish an inquiry into the use of Individual Voluntary Agreements as a means of exploiting low-income and vulnerable consumers.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Individual voluntary arrangements, used appropriately, are a very useful tool for helping people to deal with problem debt and there are no current plans to review their use. However, Government has recently consulted on the implementation of a “breathing space” scheme, which aims to give people legal protection from creditor action while they seek debt advice from an independent, approved debt adviser about their options. This will help to ensure that an individual in problem debt can enter a debt solution most appropriate for their circumstances. The Government’s response to this consultation will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) Whirlpool’s and (b) the Office for Product Safety and Standards' response to problems with Whirlpool tumble dryer safety.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government’s priority is to keep consumers safe.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) review considered the adequacy of Whirlpool’s response on tumble dryer safety. As a result, OPSS has issued a Decision Letter to Whirlpool setting out further actions for the company to take in relation to risk management and communications with customers. OPSS will hold Whirlpool to account in regard to these requirements as part of the company’s obligations with regard to the safety of products.
The OPSS review was conducted by scientific, legal and product safety experts including input from the Government’s Health and Safety Laboratory and it was peer reviewed by the BEIS Chief Scientific Advisor.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 that steps to (a) remove the electricity price disparity for the steel industry, (b) establish a Future Steel Challenge Fund, (c) strengthen the steel procurement guidelines and their reporting mechanisms, and (d) remove plant and machinery from business rates valuations.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government is committed to minimising energy costs for businesses to ensure that the UK economy remains strong and competitive. We recognise that the UK’s industrial electricity costs are currently higher than those of our competitors, and so we have taken steps to reduce the cumulative impact of energy and climate change policies on the price of industrial electricity for key industries, such as steel. This includes providing the steel sector with over £285m of compensation since 2013 for the indirect costs due to the EU Emission Trading System, carbon price support mechanism, Renewable Obligation, and small-scale Feed-in Tariff.
The steel sector is actively engaged with UK Research and Innovation in shaping the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: we are providing up to £66m for the ‘Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge’, subject to industry co-funding. In addition, up to a further £170 million has been provided to develop a ‘net-zero carbon’ industrial cluster, that will help heavy industries – including steel – to share expertise and innovate low-carbon solutions as we move to a greener, cleaner economy. We have also created an important new fund – the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – which is worth up to £315 million, and supports businesses with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future, and cut their bills in the process through increased energy efficiency. Recently, we have launched an informal consultation, and are seeking views and evidence on how we can design the fund to maximise its benefits whilst ensuring value for money.
The Government published information from departments, and their arm’s length bodies, on the amount of steel procured over the last financial year, and the application of the steel procurement guidance. Departments have confirmed that, where applicable, the guidance for steel procurement has been fully complied with on major projects, and we will continue to work closely with these departments and arm’s length bodies to improve procurement guidance awareness, and the quality of the information provided. We have also published an update of the Steel Pipeline, signalling upcoming steel requirements for national infrastructure projects to UK producers and suppliers.
The Government has carefully considered the case for removing plant and machinery (P&M) from business rates valuations, but has decided against doing so. Most process P&M is not rateable, and removing service P&M from rating would mean exempting equipment which is integrated into buildings such as heating, lighting, and plumbing.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of prospects for a sector deal for the steel industry.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government remains open to discussing a Sector Deal with the steel industry, and has been meeting regularly with companies in this sector to continue this conversation. To support the sector develop a long-term strategy, BEIS commissioned independent research which identified future domestic market opportunities for the UK steel sector worth an additional £3.8 billion per year. We are actively encouraging this sector to come forward with plans to exploit these opportunities, and remain committed to work with the sector, trade unions, and devolved administrations to help deliver these plans.
The Government is committed to minimising energy costs for businesses – including the steel industry – to ensure that the UK economy remains strong and competitive. We recognise that the UK’s industrial electricity costs are currently higher than those of our competitors, and so we have taken steps to reduce the cumulative impact of energy and climate change policies on the price of industrial electricity for key industries, such as steel. This includes providing the steel sector with over £285m of compensation since 2013 for the indirect costs due to the EU Emission Trading System, carbon price support mechanism, Renewable Obligation, and small-scale Feed-in Tariff.
The Government has also announced an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – on which we are currently consulting – backed by up to £315m of investment, to help businesses with high energy use cut their bills through increased energy efficiency, and transition UK industry to a low carbon future.
The steel sector is actively engaged with UK Research and Innovation in shaping the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: we are providing up to £66m for the ‘Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge’, subject to industry co-funding. In addition, up to a further £170 million has been provided to develop a ‘net-zero carbon’ industrial cluster, that will help heavy industries – including steel – to share expertise, and innovate low-carbon solutions as we move to a greener, cleaner economy.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 regulations governing earthquakes as a result of fracking.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Traffic Light System for monitoring induced seismicity was introduced after consideration of advice from three scientists, following operations at Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall site in 2011. The level of magnitude 0.5 at which operators must pause operations, was set in consultation with industry as an appropriate precautionary measure. These regulations have been working as intended and there are no plans to review the traffic light system.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what legislation will give effect to advances in EU employment rights being replicated in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has committed that following further cross-party talks, we will bring forward detailed proposals to ensure that as we leave the EU, we not only protect workers’ rights, but continue to enhance them.
We intend that the legislation will give Parliament a vote on whether it wishes to follow suit whenever the EU standards in areas such as employment rights and health and safety at work are judged to have been strengthened. It would also allow Parliament to ensure that leaving the EU will not lead to any lowering of these standards.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216983 on Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries, whether Vauxhall has (a) applied successfully, (b) applied unsuccessfully and (c) not applied for support through those programmes conducted independently of the Government.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
As noted in my response of 11 February to Question 216983 on the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, the Government has continued to support the automotive sector via a number of routes including the Regional Growth Fund which supports individual investment projects.
I can confirm that Vauxhall has made two applications to the Regional Growth Fund, both of which were successful.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government will consider extending statutory leave and pay for parents whose baby is admitted to neonatal care by every week their baby stays in hospital.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department is conducting a short, focussed internal review of the provisions for parents of premature babies and sick babies and those that experience multiple births. The purpose of this work is to obtain a high-level understanding of the barriers to participating in the labour market that these parents can face. It would not be appropriate to announce future policy without first establishing an appropriate evidence base.
BEIS officials are working with organisations who represent the interests of these parents (The Smallest Things, Bliss, and TAMBA) to better understand the issues that parents can face and have also held focus groups with a small number of parents themselves. This will inform our policy consideration.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his oral contribution of 4 February 2019, Official Report column 73, how many car manufacturers operating in the UK have (a) applied successfully, (b) applied unsuccessfully and (c) not applied for support through those programmes conducted independently of the Government.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government has continued to support the automotive sector via a number of routes including the Regional Growth Fund to support individual investment projects and the Advanced Propulsion Centre which is aimed at research and development to bring forward the next generation of low carbon technologies to keep the UK at the cutting edge of low carbon automotive innovations.
The number of awards made by these routes are set out in the table below.
Scheme | (a) – number of UK car manufacturers which have applied successfully1 | (b) – number of UK car manufacturers which have applied unsuccessfully1 | (c) – number of UK car manufacturers which have not applied |
Regional Growth Fund (since 2010) | 10 | 5 | 24 |
Advanced Propulsion Centre (since 2013)6 | 82 | 33 | 35 |
1 some companies appear in both category (a) and (b) 2 excludes niche vehicle manufacturers and non-passenger car vehicle makers such as bus and off highway 3 two further applications were withdrawn 4 two volume UK car makers have never applied to RGF 5 three volume UK car makers have never applied to APC 6155 unique organisations are participating in APC collaborative R&D projects | |||
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 31 January 2019 to Question 211109 on Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Contracts, if he will set out the rates of pay in numeric format of staff employed through his Department's facilities management contractor to undertake work for his Department.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Specific rates are a matter for each individual contractor, but assurances are provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Living Wage. In April 2019 Government will increase the National Living Wage to £8.21 per hour. This is an above inflation increase that will see a full-time minimum wage worker over £2,750 better off over the course of a year compared to when the policy was introduced.
We value all of our staff and they all deserve a fair and competitive wage, whether they are directly employed or working through our contractors. The Department has agreed with its facilities management contractor that they will align the pay of their cleaning, catering, mailroom and security staff to the appropriate median rates for that occupation, as identified in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The median applies from 1 March 2019 and will be aligned annually.