Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that social housing tenants who receive Universal Credit are not financially affected by the 53-week rent year in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the financial year 2024-25 social housing tenants will face 52 weekly rent payment days so Universal Credit will make provision for the exact amount of their liability.
Universal Credit always converts weekly amounts to monthly sums using 52 weeks. This may lead to a slight advantage to the claimant when converting weekly incomes and to a slight disadvantage when dealing with outgoings. The system is used because it is simple to operate and understand. The department has considered alternative options for those with weekly tenancies, but each have their own limitations and disadvantages for claimants and so there are no plans to change.
The legitimacy of this calculation formula in Universal Credit was confirmed by the High Court in 2020 who found it to be neither irrational or discriminatory.
Discretionary Housing Payments can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. Since 2011, the government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it remains her Department's schedule to deliver the Clean Heat Market Mechanism with the associated fines in April 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the recently published Clean Heat Market Mechanism Consultation Response Addendum, the Government plans to adjust the launch of the scheme from 1 April 2024 to 1 April 2025.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the number of heat pumps the Clean Heat Market Mechanism will deliver as part of the target to install 600,000 heat pumps in private domiciles by 2028.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In the response to the Clean Heat Market Mechanism consultation published in November 2023, the Government estimated that the scheme targets would amount to around 60,000 installations in 24/25 and around 90,000 in 2025/26. The Government said targets for 2026/27, and further future years, would be set at least six months in advance of the start of the year in question.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 15716 on Parking: Pedestrian Areas, what his planned timetable is to respond to the Local Government Association's report entitled The Path to Inclusive Footways, published on 10 February 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government welcomes the report from the Local Government Association, which it will consider in the development of future policies and programmes.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) training and (b) certification of technicians in the use of alternative products during the planned transition away from fluorinated gases.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are industry-led training courses already available on the use of alternative refrigerant gases. As noted in the Defra assessment report of December 2022 on the impact of the current Regulation on fluorinated gases, some industry stakeholders have suggested that mandatory training should be introduced for alternatives with flammability, toxicity and high-pressure properties. We are reviewing the provisions of the Regulation and intend to consult on proposals for change in due course.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish a revised response to the consultation on Improved food waste reporting by large food businesses.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government consulted on improved food waste reporting by large businesses in England and published a response in July 2023. The new Secretary of State has however decided to look again at how best to secure the benefits of food waste reporting, including mandatory measures for large businesses. We now intend to gather further evidence and re-consider all the options using the latest available data in order to retake the decision later this year.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the CO2 intensity for new internal combustion car engines in each of the last three years.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The carbon intensity of newly registered passenger vehicles is measured in grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre driven. The last three years of data held on the fleet wide average CO2 emissions of newly registered petrol and diesel cars in the UK shows an increase over time. Excluding zero emission vehicle registrations, the provisional average for new petrol cars only in 2020 was 140.0 grams of CO2 per kilometre, 143.3 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2021 and 143.0 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2022. The provisional average for new diesel cars only in 2020 was 153.8 grams of CO2 per kilometre, 161.0 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2021 and 164.0 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2022. When considering the overall fleet of new cars, including zero emission, the average CO2 intensity has decreased over the last three years. The provisional average for 2020 was 126.6 grams of CO2 per kilometre, 118.5 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2021 and 110.8g grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2022. This data set is available at: Vehicle licensing statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled The path to inclusive footways, published by the Local Government Association on 10 February 2024, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the views of local authorities on proposals to improve management of pavement parking.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local authorities are responsible for parking restrictions and already have powers to address pavement parking by implementing Traffic Regulation Orders. The Department has consulted on further options to help local authorities outside London tackle this issue and has been giving careful consideration to the views expressed by the LGA, individual councils and all other respondents. We will publish a formal response when final decisions have been taken.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased car (a) sizes and (b) weights on (i) road safety and (ii) climate change.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A width limit for passenger cars is already in place. All vehicles are required to meet rigorous requirements for safety to protect occupants and other road users and stringent environmental standards. With respect to climate change, our Zero Emission Vehicle mandate will put us on a pathway to ensuring that, by 2035, all new cars and vans will be zero emissions at the exhaust.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce a specific width limit for passenger cars.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A width limit for passenger cars is already in place. All vehicles are required to meet rigorous requirements for safety to protect occupants and other road users and stringent environmental standards. With respect to climate change, our Zero Emission Vehicle mandate will put us on a pathway to ensuring that, by 2035, all new cars and vans will be zero emissions at the exhaust.