Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what reassurances he has received from Ofgem on the selection of members to the gas network (a) Customer Challenge and (b) Customer Engagement Groups to ensure that no single body carries disproportionate influence over the outcomes from those groups.
Answered by Claire Perry
Ofgem are the independent regulator for the energy sector, as such the Government has no role in the process for appointments to Ofgem stakeholder groups.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 cost to the consumer of Ofgem's creation of Customer Engagement Groups in each energy network; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network regulation, including the creation of stakeholder groups as part of price control planning, is a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator. By law, Government has no role in this process. As network charges make up approximately 25% of the average dual fuel bill (i.e. both gas and electricity) it is right that Ofgem, in line with its principal duty to protect consumers, increases efforts to engage consumers as it plans for the next energy network price control and Government is supportive of the work of the regulator in this area.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 General Data Protection Regulation, what steps he is taking to support manufacturers to track appliances sold to customers to enable effective product corrective action.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Manufacturers and distributors are responsible for ensuring they have effective systems in place to prevent risks to consumers if a product that they have placed on the market is found to be unsafe.
On 21st January I announced the creation of a new Office for Product Safety and Standards to co-ordinate rapid and effective action on national product safety issues. The new Office is supporting the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop a code of practice on corrective action and recalls which aims to help business to prepare and deal with any product safety issue which may arise.
The code will provide guidance on the use of data, including that it should be handled in accordance with data protection legislation, which would include the General Data Protection Regulation when it comes into force in May 2018. The code will be published shortly.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 amount of the financial reserves held under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme; and what plans he has for the use of those reserves.
Answered by Claire Perry
The latest verified accounts for the MCS Service Company are published on the Companies House website. This states that as of 29 February 2016 there was £6,794,171 held in the account on behalf of the Secretary of State (of the Department for Energy and Climate Change; now the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). At that time there was also £1,895,623 held in Escrow.
The MCS Service Company has the right to use funds drawn from the account in relation to the day to day activities of the Company. Negotiations are currently taking place for the Scheme to be transferred to the MCS Charitable Foundation, at which point the reserves will be the responsibility of the MCS Charitable Foundation.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 19 October 2017 to Question 106663, on energy: housing, what discussions he has had with operators of existing trader quality mark schemes on the introduction of the Each Home Counts quality mark.
Answered by Claire Perry
Each Home Counts was an independent review, which reported in December 2016. The majority of the recommendations, including creation of a quality mark, were directed at industry rather than Government, and it is for industry to propose how it will be implemented.
As stated in the review’s report, the intention of the quality mark is to bring better clarity and protection to all those operating in the sector, and to those benefiting from energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, as well as to simplify the landscape and seek to remove complexity and bureaucracy for businesses wherever possible. It is also intended to provide consumers with confidence in the benefits they will receive from having measures installed in their homes and in the quality of the advice they receive on energy saving measures and their installation.
As there is no regulatory requirement Government does not plan to conduct a dedicated economic impact assessment for Each Home Counts.
Ministers have not had discussions with existing providers of quality marks or other schemes on the introduction of the Each Home Counts quality mark, but officials have participated in discussions with the Implementation Board, which operates on a voluntary basis, and a number of stakeholders including businesses and trade bodies.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 19 October 2017 to Question 106663, on energy: housing, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the Each Home Counts quality mark; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
Each Home Counts was an independent review, which reported in December 2016. The majority of the recommendations, including creation of a quality mark, were directed at industry rather than Government, and it is for industry to propose how it will be implemented.
As stated in the review’s report, the intention of the quality mark is to bring better clarity and protection to all those operating in the sector, and to those benefiting from energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, as well as to simplify the landscape and seek to remove complexity and bureaucracy for businesses wherever possible. It is also intended to provide consumers with confidence in the benefits they will receive from having measures installed in their homes and in the quality of the advice they receive on energy saving measures and their installation.
As there is no regulatory requirement Government does not plan to conduct a dedicated economic impact assessment for Each Home Counts.
Ministers have not had discussions with existing providers of quality marks or other schemes on the introduction of the Each Home Counts quality mark, but officials have participated in discussions with the Implementation Board, which operates on a voluntary basis, and a number of stakeholders including businesses and trade bodies.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 take steps to ensure transparency in the appointment of members to the Each Home Counts steering group and implementation board.
Answered by Claire Perry
Each Home Counts was an independent review, led by Dr. Peter Bonfield, which published its report in December 2016. Implementation of Each Home Counts is being led by industry with the support of Government, in line with the recommendations of the review. Appointments to the Implementation Board and steering groups are made by industry where members provide expertise from across the sector, reflecting the scope of recommendations identified by the review. Board members participate on a voluntary basis, and receive no remuneration for doing so.
The Board has encouraged constructive stakeholder participation and a broad range of industry stakeholders have been involved in Each Home Counts, including representatives from the heating sector. The Chair of the Board last met representatives of the heating industry on 6 July and is due to meet them again on 24 October.
All members of the Implementation Board and workstream leads are required to declare any conflicts of interest. Where conflicts are identified individuals are excluded from any decision making process in which they would have an actual or perceived conflict. Due to the independent nature of the Implementation Board, it would be for the Chair and members to consider sharing minutes of their meetings. Information about Board meetings is shared with stakeholders in the fortnightly Each Home Counts newsletter.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 take steps to make available the minutes of the Each Home Counts implementation board.
Answered by Claire Perry
Each Home Counts was an independent review, led by Dr. Peter Bonfield, which published its report in December 2016. Implementation of Each Home Counts is being led by industry with the support of Government, in line with the recommendations of the review. Appointments to the Implementation Board and steering groups are made by industry where members provide expertise from across the sector, reflecting the scope of recommendations identified by the review. Board members participate on a voluntary basis, and receive no remuneration for doing so.
The Board has encouraged constructive stakeholder participation and a broad range of industry stakeholders have been involved in Each Home Counts, including representatives from the heating sector. The Chair of the Board last met representatives of the heating industry on 6 July and is due to meet them again on 24 October.
All members of the Implementation Board and workstream leads are required to declare any conflicts of interest. Where conflicts are identified individuals are excluded from any decision making process in which they would have an actual or perceived conflict. Due to the independent nature of the Implementation Board, it would be for the Chair and members to consider sharing minutes of their meetings. Information about Board meetings is shared with stakeholders in the fortnightly Each Home Counts newsletter.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Chair of the Each Home Counts implementation board last met representatives of the heating industry.
Answered by Claire Perry
Each Home Counts was an independent review, led by Dr. Peter Bonfield, which published its report in December 2016. Implementation of Each Home Counts is being led by industry with the support of Government, in line with the recommendations of the review. Appointments to the Implementation Board and steering groups are made by industry where members provide expertise from across the sector, reflecting the scope of recommendations identified by the review. Board members participate on a voluntary basis, and receive no remuneration for doing so.
The Board has encouraged constructive stakeholder participation and a broad range of industry stakeholders have been involved in Each Home Counts, including representatives from the heating sector. The Chair of the Board last met representatives of the heating industry on 6 July and is due to meet them again on 24 October.
All members of the Implementation Board and workstream leads are required to declare any conflicts of interest. Where conflicts are identified individuals are excluded from any decision making process in which they would have an actual or perceived conflict. Due to the independent nature of the Implementation Board, it would be for the Chair and members to consider sharing minutes of their meetings. Information about Board meetings is shared with stakeholders in the fortnightly Each Home Counts newsletter.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 take steps to ensure that there is no conflict of interest for individuals leading work streams under Each Home Counts.
Answered by Claire Perry
Each Home Counts was an independent review, led by Dr. Peter Bonfield, which published its report in December 2016. Implementation of Each Home Counts is being led by industry with the support of Government, in line with the recommendations of the review. Appointments to the Implementation Board and steering groups are made by industry where members provide expertise from across the sector, reflecting the scope of recommendations identified by the review. Board members participate on a voluntary basis, and receive no remuneration for doing so.
The Board has encouraged constructive stakeholder participation and a broad range of industry stakeholders have been involved in Each Home Counts, including representatives from the heating sector. The Chair of the Board last met representatives of the heating industry on 6 July and is due to meet them again on 24 October.
All members of the Implementation Board and workstream leads are required to declare any conflicts of interest. Where conflicts are identified individuals are excluded from any decision making process in which they would have an actual or perceived conflict. Due to the independent nature of the Implementation Board, it would be for the Chair and members to consider sharing minutes of their meetings. Information about Board meetings is shared with stakeholders in the fortnightly Each Home Counts newsletter.