Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of retrofitting heat pumps into existing gas piping in domestic properties.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Analysis conducted by Government suggests it is technically feasible to install a heat pump in around 90% of British homes currently on the gas grid, based on analysis of homes’ current energy efficiency and internal electrical limit. Practical considerations, like space availability or compliance with planning regulations, may limit where heat pumps can be installed, but the Government supports innovation to develop solutions to these challenges.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to maintain the provision of school transport services in rural areas.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s school transport policy aims to ensure that no child of compulsory school age is unable to access education because of a lack of transport. Local Authorities must arrange free travel to school for children aged 5 to 16 who attend their nearest school and cannot walk there due to the distance, route safety, or as a result of special educational needs, disability or mobility problems. There are additional rights to free transport for low-income families aimed at helping them exercise school choice. Home to school travel and transport guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.
The majority of central Government funding for home to school transport is made available to Local Authorities through the Local Government Finance Settlement, administered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The Department provides grant funding to Local Authorities as a contribution towards the cost of extended rights transport, which is just under £45.8 million in the 2023/24 financial year.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the consultation entitled Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid, published on 19 October 2021, when he plans to publish his Department's response to that consultation.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government consulted on phasing out the installation of heating systems using high carbon fossil fuels in homes, businesses and public buildings in England off the gas grid during the 2020s. The Government will respond to these consultations in due course.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of Brucella Canis were reported between April 2021 and January 2022; and what data her Department holds on reported cases of Brucella Canis between January 2011 and April 2021.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We consider a case to be a single epidemiological event. Each event may involve 1 or more dogs.
For example, many cases are just 1 dog (imported rescue dog) while another case may involve a breeder of a litter of dogs where more than 1 dog is infected.
So between 1st April 2021 – 31st January 2022: Cases = 35 (37 positive dogs).
Prior to April 2020 we have data identifying 3 cases: 2 in 2017 and 1 in 2018 (all single dogs imported from eastern Europe).
1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021: Cases = 14 (53 positive dogs)
Total January 2011 – April 2021 is the sum of these 17 cases (56 positive dogs).
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect the domestic poultry industry from unfair competition from other countries which have lower energy costs or lower production standards.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is proud of the high food safety and animal welfare standards that underpin our high-quality Great British produce. We put British farming at the heart of our trade policy and have no intention of undercutting our own reputation for quality by lowering our standards in pursuit of a trade deal.
In all trade agreements we negotiate, we will stand up for British farming and aim to secure new opportunities for the industry. We will always look to ensure that UK Free Trade Agreements are fair and reciprocal, and that any ‘opening up’ does not cause an unwanted downturn for domestic producers.
We are also working hard to support a thriving and profitable domestic industry. In December 2022 I hosted a roundtable for UK egg producers to discuss the challenges that the industry has been facing due to the increase in input costs. We have relaxed marketing rules on the sale of defrosted seasonal poultry products and allowed concessions to the sale of free-range eggs impacted by Avian Influenza housing restrictions. In addition, since November 2022, the poultry industry has been able to access the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). In January 2023 the Government announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) that will replace EBRS when it comes to an end on 31st March 2023. This new scheme will run until 31st March 2024. Following a review of the EBRS, the Government will target a higher level of support under the EBDS at the most energy and trade intensive sectors – which are primarily manufacturing businesses – in addition to the broader EBDS support. Poultry meat processing falls within the remit of the Government’s Energy Intensive Industries exemption scheme and will therefore also qualify for the enhanced level of support.
We continue to keep the sector under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to egg producers under Section 1 of the Agriculture Act 2020.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK egg industry operates in an open market and the value of egg commodities, including the farm gate egg price, is established by those in the supply chain. While the Government may act in exceptional circumstances, we do not set retail food prices nor comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies.
Defra does not believe it would be appropriate to intervene in the market by providing specific financial support to egg producers under Section 1 of the Agriculture Act 2020 at this time. Other agricultural sectors have experienced similar challenges related to rising input costs such as energy, feed and fuel. On energy costs, the government has already provided financial support to the agricultural industry via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. We have also seen supply chains themselves adjusting to address the challenge of rising input costs.
I hosted an egg industry roundtable on 6 December 2022. This involved the participation of representatives from across the UK egg supply chain. The roundtable focused on the various challenges that the sector is facing. The meeting was productive with a clear willingness from all parties to address issues affecting the supply chain.
We continue to keep the egg sector under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which was set up by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor the UK market across all key agricultural commodities.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support poultry farmers with increased energy costs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK poultry sector operates in an open market and the value of poultry commodities is established by those in the supply chain including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. We have already seen supply chains adjusting to address the challenges related to rising input costs, including feed, fuel, fertiliser and energy costs.
Since November 2022, the poultry industry has been able to access the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). In January 2023 the Government announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) that will replace EBRS when it comes to an end on 31st March 2023. This new scheme will run until 31st March 2024.
Following the review of EBRS, beyond the broad baseline support provided for all sectors under EBDS from 1st April 2023, the government will target higher levels of support at the most energy and trade intensive sectors (ETIIs) – which are primarily manufacturing businesses. Poultry meat processing falls within the remit of the Government’s Energy Intensive Industries exemption scheme and will therefore also qualify for the enhanced level of ETII support.
Within the context of the wider economy, we do not consider there is a case for further financial support to the poultry sector at this time. We continue to keep the sector under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments.The UK poultry sector operates in an open market and the value of poultry commodities is established by those in the supply chain including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. We have already seen supply chains adjusting to address the challenges related to rising input costs, including feed, fuel, fertiliser and energy costs.
Since November 2022, the poultry industry has been able to access the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). In January 2023 the Government announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) that will replace EBRS when it comes to an end on 31st March 2023. This new scheme will run until 31st March 2024.
Following the review of EBRS, beyond the broad baseline support provided for all sectors under EBDS from 1st April 2023, the government will target higher levels of support at the most energy and trade intensive sectors (ETIIs) – which are primarily manufacturing businesses. Poultry meat processing falls within the remit of the Government’s Energy Intensive Industries exemption scheme and will therefore also qualify for the enhanced level of ETII support.
Within the context of the wider economy, we do not consider there is a case for further financial support to the poultry sector at this time. We continue to keep the sector under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to change the Renewable and Low Carbon Energy guidance to allow development of solar installations on grade 3b agricultural land.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Protecting our environment, backing British farmers and delivering long-term energy security with more renewables is at the heart of HM Government’s manifesto.
Best and Most Versatile (BMV) Land is defined in the National Planning Policy Framework and Natural England’s guide to assessing development proposals on agricultural land as land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out clearly that local planning authorities should consider all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, when making plans or taking decisions on new development proposals. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality.
Planning Practice Guidance does not mention BMV land but sets out a preference for the use of lower quality agricultural land.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the independent report entitled Regulation of Property Agents: working group report, published on 18 July 2019, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that report's findings; and when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on regulating service charges on new build estates.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
As part of a fair and just housing system, the Government is committed to making sure that homeowners and tenants are protected from abuse and poor service. This commitment includes raising professionalism and standards amongst property agents (letting, estate and managing agents), protecting consumers while defending the reputation of good agents from the actions of rogue operatives. We therefore welcome the ongoing work being undertaken by the industry itself to raise professionalism and standards across the sector, including on codes of practice for property agents. The Government is considering the recommendations in the final report on the regulation of property agents from Lord Best’s working group. We will continue to work with industry on improving best practice.
When parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to legislate to ensure that freehold homeowners who pay estate rentcharges have the right to challenge their reasonableness and to go to the tribunal to appoint a manager to manage the provision of services.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dental practices in the Elmet and Rothwell constituency have (a) become wholly private and (b) reduced their NHS commitment since March 2020; and what urgent steps his Department is taking to ensure that residents living in the Elmet and Rothwell constituency have access to an NHS dentist.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We do not hold data at the requested level or on private dental practices.
In September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care. This plan will help increase access to NHS dentistry whilst making the NHS dental contract more attractive to dental practices, including in Elmet and Rothwell. We have taken action to implement these changes, including through regulations that came into effect on 25th November 2022.
In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance. Further reforms are planned for this year.