Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 16 January 2023 to Question 121055, on Alternative Fuel Payments: Biofuels, whether he has made an assessment of the impact on the activities of off-grid sports and community organisations of delays in the delivery of the Alternative Fuel Payments scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to delivering the Non-Domestic Alternative Fuel Payment Scheme and will announce further details in the near future.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the average increase in energy costs for (a) sports and (b) community organisations using alternative fuels since 1 January 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
BEIS does not hold information at that level of detail for sports and community organisations.
Latest published statistics on standard grade burning oil show prices were 30.7% higher in December 2022 compared to January 2022 (with prices peaking in June 2022). The price of coal (domestic use only) increased by 29.0% in December 2022 compared to January 2022.
Notes:
1). The latest published data for standard grade burning oil and coal is up to December 2022.
2). Standard grade burning oil is sourced from BEIS Monthly and annual prices of road fuels and petroleum products (table 4.1.1).
3). BEIS figures are based on mid-monthly figures rather than first day of the month.
4). ONS data is sourced from RPI: Average price of smokeless fuel per 50kg dataset within the Consumer price inflation time series
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 5 December 2022 to Question 99945 on Alternative Fuel Payments: Biofuels, when the fixed payment of £150 to off-grid non-domestic consumers will be made.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government will deliver support this winter. The UK is in discussions with electricity suppliers and will set out the timings for payments as soon as possible.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 potential merits of increasing the minimum tariffs that energy suppliers are required to offer homeowners who contribute electricity generated by solar panels on their property.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a cost-reflective and market led mechanism and it is for suppliers to determine the value of the exported electricity and to take account of the administrative costs associated when setting their tariffs.
Ofgem reports annually on the range, nature and uptake of tariffs offered by suppliers in response to their SEG obligations. The Government will continue to review this to monitor whether the market is delivering an effective range of options for small exporters. To date, the market has responded positively, with a range of SEG tariffs.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what level of energy requirements his Department expects to set for non-domestic consumers to qualify for the planned top-up payments provided for as part of the Alternative Fuel Payments scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As part of the Non-Domestic Alternative Fuel Payments, a top-up payment will be available for large users of heating oil (kerosene) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take account of their higher usage. Further detail on eligibility will be provided shortly.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether non-domestic consumers of biomass energy will be eligible for payments through the Alternative Fuel Payments scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government will provide a fixed payment of £150 to all UK non-domestic consumers off the gas grid who use alternative fuels, such as biomass.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the research by the Chartered Institute of Building entitled Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, published on 11 May 2020, and the research by Mates in Mind and The Institute for Employment Studies entitled Supporting the mental health of self-employed construction workers, published in June 2022, if he will take steps to help ensure that (a) employers and (b) suppliers in the construction industry are implementing measures to support the mental health and well-being of workers in that sector.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to working to improve health and safety, as well as mental and occupational health in the construction sector, to enable the sector to recruit and retain the workforce that it needs in future. This work is being taken forward through the Construction Leadership Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group, which brings together the Health and Safety Executive, industry representatives and trade unions, to develop and circulate information about best practice in relation to mental health and practical guidance for the industry.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 research by the Chartered Institute of Building entitled Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, published on 11 May 2020, and the research by Mates in Mind and The Institute for Employment Studies entitled Supporting the mental health of self-employed construction workers, published in June 2022, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of procurement demands on the mental health of workers in (a) construction industry supply chains and (b) other parts of the construction industry.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Government is committed to working to improve health and safety, as well as mental and occupational health in the construction sector, to enable the sector to recruit and retain the workforce that it needs in future. This work is being taken forward through the Construction Leadership Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group, which brings together the Health and Safety Executive, industry representatives and trade unions to develop and circulate best practice and practical guidance for the industry.
The Government is also aware that procurement and contractual practices in the sector can have an impact on mental health. The Government has set out its commitment to improving procurement processes, and ensure there are fair and transparent payment and contractual provisions in relation to government construction projects and programmes in the Construction Playbook.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What assessment he has made of the impact of the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme on local authorities' ability to improve the energy efficiency of homes of low-income households.
Answered by Paul Scully
BEIS commissioned an independent evaluation of Phases 1 and 2 of the Local Authority Delivery scheme in October 2020. This evaluation includes impact analysis of the scheme’s core objectives to improve energy efficiency in low-income households and will report findings following scheme completion.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance the Government has issued to local authorities on whether physiotherapy clinics that share premises with businesses that are not permitted to operate during the covid-19 lockdown should be required to close.
Answered by Paul Scully
Healthcare professionals, including physiotherapists, can continue operating under the National Lockdown regulations. Where a clinic is based in premises that is required to close, for example a gym, it will be a commercial decision for the gym owner to decide whether the physiotherapists can continue to practice there.