Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 is taking to implement climate change policies that (a) ensure the UK makes a proportionate contribution to limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures, (b) accurately record all UK carbon emissions, including shipping and aviation, (c) protect and restore diverse habitats along overseas supply chains and (d) restore UK soils, wildlife habitats and species populations.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the independent Climate Change Committee recognise, we have made world-leading progress in cutting our emissions while growing the economy. Since setting our net zero target, we have announced my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, as well as our Energy White Paper, which demonstrates our commitment to eradicating our contribution to climate change by 2050.
For its carbon targets, the UK follows the agreed international approach for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which is for countries to report the emissions produced within their territories. We are considering recommendations on International Aviation and Shipping carefully ahead of setting the sixth carbon budget.
The UK will be dedicating at least £3bn of international climate finance in the next five years to climate change solutions that protect and restore nature. In 2019, we launched the Global Resource Initiative (GRI) to advise on reducing the deforestation impacts of key UK supply chains. The GRI published 14 recommendations for action and government responded in November 2020, detailing how it would take this forward. As part of its COP26 Presidency, the UK also launched the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) dialogue to bring together governments of major producer and consumer countries to agree actions which reduce deforestation.
We are committed to protecting and restoring the UK’s natural environment. The 25 Year Environment Plan will create or restore 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat in England. We have also doubled funding to £80m for the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to kick start a programme of nature-based projects to address the twin challenges of halting biodiversity loss and tackling climate change.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 citizens' assemblies on Government climate change policy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Achieving our net zero target must be a shared endeavour between governments, businesses and individuals.
The Climate Assembly UK was commissioned by six Parliamentary Select committees to explore how the UK should reach net zero by 2050. We welcome the Climate Assembly UK’s recommendations, which demonstrate strong public support for the Government’s intention to deliver a UK economy which is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient.
In September 2020 we invited the Climate Assembly UK expert leads to present the Assembly’s findings to officials. These briefings were attended by over 400 officials. We are looking closely at the Climate Assembly UK report’s findings and government departments will consider its findings as we develop our plans for reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
As we develop our plans for reaching net zero emissions by 2050, we will continue to engage the public on the changes that are needed to develop our ambitions on net zero and we will listen very attentively to feedback.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government’s roadmap for exiting the covid-19 lockdown will include a timeframe for weddings and the wedding industry to resume without restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
As set out in Step 4 of the Government’s 'COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’, which will be introduced no earlier than 21 June, the attendee limit for wedding celebrations will be removed, subject to the outcome of the scientific Events Research Programme.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 potential merits of easing regulations to allows pubs to temporarily trade as off-licenses during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021 to give consumers the option of buying bottled and canned alcoholic products from their local pubs.
Answered by Paul Scully
While hospitality venues are not allowed to sell alcohol for takeaway under the new National Lockdown restrictions, they are allowed to continue to sell food and non-alcoholic drinks for takeaway until 11pm. All food and drink (including alcohol) can continue to be provided by delivery.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing pubs to sell takeaway alcohol in sealed containers during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
Hospitality venues are not allowed to sell alcohol for takeaway under the new National Lockdown restrictions, although they are allowed to continue to sell food and non-alcoholic drinks for takeaway.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the Government made the decision to close specialist shops classified as non-essential retail and allow mixed retailers deemed essential to continue to sell the same non-essential retail items during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown; and what assessment his Department has made of the equity of that decision.
Answered by Paul Scully
Throughout the national restrictions, we sought to keep as much of the retail sector open as possible, whilst balancing the need to reduce our day-to-day contact. All shops could continue offering?click and collect?and delivery services.
The decision to close non-essential retail was part of a wider package of measures to ensure that people stayed at home except for a limited set of exemptions.
We were clear that a business selling a significant amount of essential retail may also continue to sell goods typically sold at non-essential retail. For example, a supermarket that sells food was not required to close off or cordon off aisles selling homeware.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department received to inform its decision to include car showrooms on the list of businesses that have to close apart from facilitating collections while national covid-19 restrictions are in place from 5 November to 2 December 2020.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Health and Social Care created the guidance for the new national restrictions.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that customers are refunded the whole ticket price, including the booking fee, for live events that have been cancelled as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued guidance to explain to consumers and business the circumstances when refunds are due as a consequence of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. The Government has always been clear that these refunds must be paid when asked for by the consumer.
The guidance is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic.
The CMA has also created a Covid-19 taskforce and set up an online form to enable consumers to report any business they believe is behaving unfairly during the pandemic. The CMA has taken enforcement action in a number of cases as a result.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether unmanned automated car washes are required to close alongside hand car washes under the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 laid by the Department for Health and Social Care, car washes must be closed during England’s new national restrictions.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to (a) extend the repayment period from six to over 10 years and (b) increase the level of Government support for the loan from partial to total, to assist businesses in accessing the finance they require.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government continues to hold a regular dialogue with the British Business Bank and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) lenders to monitor its implementation.
We regularly engage with businesses themselves, and the finance industry association – UK Finance – to gather feedback on all the support schemes to identify areas for improvement.