Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative estimate his Department has made of the typical cost of (a) retrofitting eight solar panels to a home and (b) installing eight solar panels at the time of building a new home.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The cost of installing a domestic solar PV system varies with the type of solar panels, space for installation and roof design. In December 2021, the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities published indicative data on costs for fitting solar panel systems on new homes. The fixed cost to install a solar PV system of under 4kW capacity system is £1,100, with a variable cost of £600 for each kW installed[1]. Data published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in May 2021 indicate the mean cost per kW for installations smaller than 4kW, whether new build or retrofit, has reduced from £2,080 in 2013/14 to £ 1,628 per kW installed in 2020/21[2].
Research by consumers’ association Which?[3] and the Energy Savings Trust estimates that the cost of a typical domestic solar installation of 3.5kW capacity and comprising 10 to 15 panels, is around £4,800 [4].
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-pv-cost-data
[3] https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/solar-panels/article/solar-panels/solar-panel-costs-aDxBY2v7kr60
[4] https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/solar-panels/#jumpto-17 and https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/solar-panels/
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will delay the deadline for businesses to switch to UK conformity assessments for pyrotechnics by at least one year.
Answered by Paul Scully
We are working closely with the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ensure that a UK approved body for pyrotechnics is accredited as soon as possible.
We are also aware that pyrotechnics bodies are currently engaging with UKAS and are in the process of getting accredited.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
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 support trade in services with EU countries.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses to adjust to our new relationship with the European Union. We continue to signpost businesses and trade associations to information on how to best adapt to the changes through a variety of means.
We have published GOV.UK guidance to support businesses providing services to the EU, EEA and Switzerland. This includes enhanced guidance on Member States’ immigration systems providing UK business travellers with a better understanding of visa and work permit requirements (www.gov.uk/government/collections/travelling-to-the-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-or-liechtenstein-for-work) and a tool which UK businesses can use to check for relevant reservations as they sell services to customers in EU member states (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-eu-trade-and-cooperation-agreement-reservations).
We will continue to work closely with businesses, including with the Professional Business Services sector, to gather insights and to ensure the Government continues to provide businesses with the support they need in our new trading relationship with the EU.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on ensuring that employers are aware that (a) international postgraduate students and (b) other international students studying remotely will still be eligible for a post-study work visa if their degree does not finish during the 2020-21 academic year.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
BEIS is working closely with the Home Office and the Department for Education on visas, including the new Graduate route to attract and retain talent. Students will normally be expected to undertake their studies in the UK to be eligible for the Graduate route. However, if students are required to either continue their current studies or commence a new course by distance or blended learning due to Covid-19, they will still be eligible to switch into the Graduate route on a concessionary basis if they spent some time studying outside the UK, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria.
The Government have published guidance which covers these temporary concessions for students and student sponsors, and an introductory guide for employers that provides an overview of the new immigration system and the steps employers can take to prepare.
Successful applicants on the Graduate route, scheduled to be launched in summer 2021, will be able to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for a maximum period of two years. Graduates will be able to switch into skilled work once they have found a suitable job.