Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has made an assessment of whether statutory minimum breaks remain sufficient for people working long shifts, including care workers.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Government has not made such an assessment.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to encourage high street retailers to reduce their carbon footprint.
Answered by Claire Perry
Achieving clean growth, while ensuring an affordable energy supply for businesses is at the heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, and the Government is taking steps to encourage high street retailers to reduce their carbon footprint. Minimum energy efficiency standards and energy labelling regulations for energy-using products are making lighting and appliances that they buy more energy efficient. The Energy Technology List encourages high street retailers to invest in the most energy efficient plant and machinery, as part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) for energy-saving technologies. Through energy efficiency programmes such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) and Climate Change Agreements (CCAs), high street retailers are encouraged to make improvements to the way in which they use energy.
We also require certain companies to measure and report their energy use and carbon emissions. This helps them to lower their energy costs, gain a better understanding of exposure to the risks of climate change, and demonstrate leadership to strengthen their green credentials in the marketplace. We have recently consulted on proposals to introduce a new and streamlined energy and carbon reporting framework.
Government provides support to businesses, public sector and non-profit organisations in meeting the cost of installing renewable heat technologies through the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The scheme is designed to bridge the gap between the cost of fossil fuel heat sources and renewable and low carbon heat alternatives through financial support for owners of participating installations.
The Government is also committed to ensuring that small businesses in the country are offered a smart meter by the end 2020. Smart metering will give high street retailers access to the information they need to understand and manage their energy use better, save money on bills and reduce carbon emissions.
There is also a role for behaviour change in emissions reduction. The government has published guidance to help businesses, especially SMEs, identify simple measures like not having doors propped open for convenience, which can help save up to 30% of heating costs.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to encourage high street retailers to reduce their carbon footprint.
Answered by Claire Perry
Achieving clean growth, while ensuring an affordable energy supply for businesses is at the heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, and the Government is taking steps to encourage high street retailers to reduce their carbon footprint. Minimum energy efficiency standards and energy labelling regulations for energy-using products are making lighting and appliances that they buy more energy efficient. The Energy Technology List encourages high street retailers to invest in the most energy efficient plant and machinery, as part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) for energy-saving technologies. Through energy efficiency programmes such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) and Climate Change Agreements (CCAs), high street retailers are encouraged to make improvements to the way in which they use energy.
We also require certain companies to measure and report their energy use and carbon emissions. This helps them to lower their energy costs, gain a better understanding of exposure to the risks of climate change, and demonstrate leadership to strengthen their green credentials in the marketplace. We have recently consulted on proposals to introduce a new and streamlined energy and carbon reporting framework.
Government provides support to businesses, public sector and non-profit organisations in meeting the cost of installing renewable heat technologies through the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The scheme is designed to bridge the gap between the cost of fossil fuel heat sources and renewable and low carbon heat alternatives through financial support for owners of participating installations.
The Government is also committed to ensuring that small businesses in the country are offered a smart meter by the end 2020. Smart metering will give high street retailers access to the information they need to understand and manage their energy use better, save money on bills and reduce carbon emissions.
There is also a role for behaviour change in emissions reduction. The government has published guidance to help businesses, especially SMEs, identify simple measures like not having doors propped open for convenience, which can help save up to 30% of heating costs.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that consumers can access the cheapest energy tariffs without the need to install a smart meter.
Answered by Claire Perry
There are now over 60 suppliers operating in the domestic energy market, some of which offer very competitive prices, especially for fixed term tariffs. We have already halved the time it takes to switch supplier to 21 days (including the statutory cooling off period). Ofgem is leading a programme across industry to introduce faster and more reliable switching by 2020.
Smart metering will make it easier and more convenient for consumers to engage with their energy use so they can reduce their bills and identify the best tariff and energy supplier for their needs. Smart Energy GB, who are responsible for national consumer engagement on smart meters, have found that 86% of people with a smart meter said they made energy saving changes to their behaviour.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has reviewed the effect of the green deal on average energy bills.
Answered by Claire Perry
Without having undertaken such a review, our broad assumption would be that overall the Green Deal would have had very limited effect on average bills. This is because of the small number of Green Deal Plans taken out and the “Golden Rule”, which helps to ensure that loan repayments should not exceed the savings expected to be made on energy bills.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure electrical chargers comply with regulatory standards.
Answered by Margot James
Electrical chargers must comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations which require manufacturers to only put safe products on the market. These Regulations are primarily enforced by Local Authority Trading Standards.
The Government is now considering a recommendation made by the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety to provide more central capacity to support consumers on product safety, including with regard to electrical products, and we will respond to that recommendation in due course.