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 the Institution of Civil Engineers and All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure report entitled What are the public behavioural changes required to meet net zero?, published in February 2024, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his polices of the finding that funding safe active travel infrastructure may support people looking to change their behaviour to reduce carbon emissions; and what steps his Department is taking to incentivise transport choices that reduce carbon emissions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government’s approach to decarbonisation is not to stop people doing things, but to enable people to do the same things differently and more sustainably. The Government set out its plans for decarbonising transport in its 2021 Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) and has continued to build on these plans.
The Government agrees that funding safe active travel infrastructure can enable more people to choose walking, cycling and wheeling for short journeys, and that this in turn can reduce carbon emissions. The TDP includes an assessment of the carbon savings that are projected to be delivered by the Government’s current and projected future support for active travel. This support includes the investment of around £3 billion over the current Parliament, much of which will directly support the roll-out of safe and attractive active travel infrastructure.
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, with reference to page 7 of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Consultation Response, published on 14 March 2024, on what evidential basis her Department removed the requirement to fulfil the recommendations for loft and cavity wall insulation provided on an energy performance certificate for new applicants for the boiler upgrade scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government response to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme consultation sets out a summary of the responses to each consultation question. Of the 205 responses to question 2 on whether we should maintain the requirement for a valid EPC with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation, 95 respondents said ‘yes’, 14 respondents did not answer and 96 respondents said ‘no’ meaning just over 50% agreed with the removal of the requirement.
Removing the insulation requirements will reduce barriers to the scheme and support more property owners to move from polluting fossil fuel heating systems to low carbon heating.
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, with reference to the Government Response to the consultation entitled Proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations, published on 14 March 2024, how many and what proportion of responses supported the proposal to cease requiring grant applicants to comply with any fabric-related Energy Performance Certificate recommendations.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government response to the consultation on proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme regulations sets out the volume and summary of responses to each consultation question. Of the 205 responses to question 2 on whether we should maintain the current requirement for a valid EPC with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation, 95 respondents said ‘yes’, 14 respondents did not answer and 96 respondents said ‘no’ meaning just over 50% agreed with the removal of the requirement.
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, when she plans to respond to the consultation entitled Empowering drivers and boosting competition in the road fuel retail market, published on 16 January 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The consultation ‘Empowering drivers and boosting competition in the road fuel retail market’ closed on 12 March 2024. We are currently analysing and considering the consultation responses received and will publish the government response shortly.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on incorporating connectivity measures into National Development Management Policies.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Work is underway to prepare National Development Management Policies, and officials will be working with their counterparts in other departments where they have an interest, including the Department for Transport. We are aware that access to services is an area that a number of departments have an interest in. We intend to consult fully on both the scope and content of the policies before any are put in place.
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 - Minister of State (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.