Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many businesses have received assistance through the small business rate relief scheme.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Approximately 600,000 businesses are benefitting from Small Business Rate Relief with approximately 400,000 paying no rates at all.
Measures in the Localism Act made it easier for small firms to claim the business rate relief to which they are entitled. We announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 business rates bills in England, bringing the total support from 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement measures to £1.4 billion in 2015-16. That includes amongst other things:
· the doubling Small Business Rate Relief for a further year (2015-16);
We have also given authorities powers to grant their own local discounts and we now fund 50% of any local discount granted.
We also announced at Autumn Statement that we will review the future structure of business rates. The review will report by Budget 2016.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect to make betting shops and payday loan shops into a separate planning use class; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consulted on a range of planning measures to support our high streets, including requiring a planning application for the change of use to a betting shop or pay day loan shop. An announcement on the outcome of the Technical consultation on planning will be made in due course.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment as to the benefits of delivering smart meter roll out and national home energy efficiency programmes together; and if not, whether there are plans to do so.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The Government considered the potential for delivering smart meter rollout and national home efficiency programmes together in the course of developing the smart meter Consumer Engagement Strategy in 2012:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/smart-meter-consumer-engagement-strategy
The Government recognised that the smart meter installation process provides an opportunity to support other home energy efficiency programmes and it asked suppliers to consider how they can bring together obligations to deliver initiatives such as the Affordable Warmth element of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) with the smart meter roll-out. In addition, energy suppliers are required to comply with an Installation Code of Practice that requires installers to demonstrate the smart metering system, offer energy efficiency advice, and inform the consumer how they can obtain additional and impartial information or assistance in improving energy efficiency. This includes, for example, generic information about programmes such as the Green Deal and ECO.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the following data in relation to smart meters will be made publicly available after the scheme roll out starts in 2015: (1) the average cost charged to consumers for a gas smart meter installation visit, (2) the average cost charged to consumers for an electricity smart meter installation visit, (3) the average cost charged to consumers for a gas smart meter, and (4) the average cost charged to consumers for an electricity smart meter.
Answered by Baroness Verma
Costs will not be charged upfront to consumers for either the installation visit or the smart meter. Industry costs, net of efficiency savings, will be recovered over the lifetime of the equipment via energy tariffs, as is the case now for traditional metering equipment. DECC has already committed to report on the costs and benefits of the roll out and is developing arrangements for this ahead of the main installation phase.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the energy industry concerning efficiency savings that could be made by sharing procurement, assets and information during the nationwide smart meter rollout.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The Government does not object to industry parties co-ordinating their activities in accordance with the rules of competition law. It has developed a governance structure for the Smart Metering Programme that enables the Government, industry and other parties to share information and discuss a range of potential improvements to the efficiency of industry-wide processes and practices. This includes the establishment of groups dedicated to technical and business processes and industry-wide installation and safety issues.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will monitor efficiency savings made by the energy industry through sharing procurement, assets and information during the nationwide smart meter roll out.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The smart meter roll-out is being led by energy suppliers, who operate in a competitive market. This is expected to deliver the roll-out in the most cost-effective way. Government is developing a reporting framework which will be used to monitor efficiency savings made during the roll-out.