Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many pubs and social clubs were operating in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the North East, (d) Northumberland and (e) Wansbeck on 20 March 2020.
Answered by Paul Scully
BEIS does not hold this information. According to data from the ONS, as of March 2019 there were 30,885 pubs and bars in the UK[1]. ONS data for March 2017 shows that there were 38,935 pubs and bars in the UK. 33,045 of these were in England, 1,065 were in the North East and 255 were in Northumberland[2].
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses entered administration in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the North East and (d) Wansbeck constituency in each month since May 2015.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Insolvency Service collates national data on insolvency cases.
(a) and (b): administrations in the UK and England
Insolvency data back to 2015 are held on a quarterly basis for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is not possible to identify only companies in England as the legal jurisdiction and recorded location is ‘England and Wales’. Quarterly information on companies entering administration since 2015 is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/company-insolvency-statistics-releases.
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, insolvency data have recently been compiled on a monthly basis to provide faster indicators of the impact of the pandemic on insolvency. However, this information only includes a short historical time series back to January 2019. The first monthly report was published in May 2020 and covers England and Wales, and Scotland. Monthly Northern Ireland data were not available for this release. Monthly information on companies entering administration since January 2019 is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monthly-insolvency-statistics.
(c) and (d): administrations in the North East and in Wansbeck constituency
Annual data are held on enterprises entering insolvency at regional level each year between 2015 and 2017, in response to (c). These statistics are available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/corporate-insolvencies-by-size-age-and-location-2015-to-2017.
The Insolvency Service does not hold information in response to (d). Breakdowns of corporate insolvency by Parliamentary constituency are not available.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
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 effect of the covid-19 outbreak on CO2 emissions.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Covid-19 has had a significant short-term effect on emissions – for example, BEIS statistics estimate that road fuel sales between 23 March and 24 May were 43 per cent below the preceding eight weeks, and electricity consumption has also reduced. Renewables have regularly been providing more than 50% of our power. But the fundamental challenge of climate change has not changed – these reductions are likely to be short-term and the need to tackle climate change and reaching net zero remains as urgent as ever.
Many of the actions we need to take to meet our future carbon budgets can also support our recovery from Covid-19 – for example through the investments we committed to in the Budget to support carbon capture and storage, electric vehicle infrastructure, and low carbon heating.
We will be setting out further plans in key sectors such as transport, heat and buildings this year.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the event that businesses are unable to ensure the safety of their workers during the covid-19 outbreak, what steps the Government plans to take to support those businesses and their workers until they are able to reopen safely.
Answered by Paul Scully
Every business is unique, and each employer will need to consider what COVID-19 means for their organisation. In order to help businesses consider this, we have provided guidance on how to carry out risk assessments to work safely in a number of different working environments, such as offices, factories, and working outdoors, so that employers can use the guidance which is most relevant to them. If a business does not reopen following a risk assessment, then that is its own choice.
We have announced unprecedented support for business and workers including the Bounce Bank Loans scheme. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has also extended the Job Retention Scheme to the end of October. Future decisions on the scheme will have to take into account the wider context of the economic conditions, social distancing and the public health response, the affordability of the scheme, and the need to provide certainty to employers and employees.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
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 risk of floodwater to coal slag heaps in ex-mining communities in England.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
As part of its statutory responsibilities the Coal Authority, one of the Department’s Partner Organisations, has regular contact with Local Authorities in former coal field areas on a range of issues relating to liabilities arising from former coal workings. Following the recent floods, the Coal Authority will be writing to all Local Authorities to remind them of their responsibilities in relation to the management and oversight of coal tips, offering support and advice where required.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to allocate funding to scientific research in the North East.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
We are committed to making the UK a global science superpower that attracts brilliant people and businesses from across the world.
The Government has already committed over £42m Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund funding to organisations registered in the North East
We have announced plans for an ambitious place strategy for UK R&D to ensure funding builds on strengths in the regions, and nations of the UK including the North East. We will work closely with UK Research and Innovation to develop a strategy that ensures the whole country contributes to and benefits from the national 2.4% R&D target.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many excess winter deaths in Wansbeck constituency in 2018-19 were due to people unable to heat their homes.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The number of households living in fuel poverty in Wansbeck constituency in 2017 can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2019, Table 5
The total number of excess winter deaths in Wansbeck constituency in 2016-17 can be found at the following link:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/009366excesswintermortalitybyparliamentaryconstituencyenglandandwales2016to2017. Figures are not published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for specific causes at Parliamentary Constituency level because the number of excess winter deaths are very low.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the number of households living in fuel poverty in Wansbeck constituency.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The number of households living in fuel poverty in Wansbeck constituency in 2017 can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2019, Table 5
The total number of excess winter deaths in Wansbeck constituency in 2016-17 can be found at the following link:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/009366excesswintermortalitybyparliamentaryconstituencyenglandandwales2016to2017. Figures are not published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for specific causes at Parliamentary Constituency level because the number of excess winter deaths are very low.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to preserve international co-operation on climate change when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Leaving the EU does not change the UK's commitment to domestic and international action to tackle climate change. On 27 June, the UK became the first major economy in the world to set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. We will continue to work closely with our European and other international partners to secure ambitious climate objectives. We will do this through continued cooperation in multilateral groups - including the UNFCCC, G7, G20, the Commonwealth and the International Energy Agency – as well as continued strong bilateral relationships on climate with countries around the world. Our recent bid to host COP26 in 2020, under a UK Presidency in partnership with Italy, demonstrates our continued commitment to play a global leadership role in galvanising action on climate change.