Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of senior civil service graded posts in his Department classified as (i) deputy director, (ii) assistant director, (iii) team leader and (iv) policy manager have been based outside London in each year since 2014.
Answered by Margot James
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was created in July 2016; therefore no data for the department exists prior to that date.
The number and proportion of our Senior Civil Service graded posts in the department classified as (i) deputy director, (ii) assistant director, (iii) team leader or (iv) policy manager, as at 30 September 2016, are shown in the table below.
Total number of Deputy Directors | 191 |
Total number of Deputy Directors based outside London | 13 |
Percentage of Deputy Directors based outside London | 6.8% |
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what contingency plans the Government has in place for winter 2016-17 to support pensioners and other vulnerable people in the event of a prolonged spell of below average temperatures.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has various policies in place that will support pensioners and other vulnerable people with their energy bills throughout winter 2016/17,irrespective of temperature.
The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible households with a £140 energy bill rebate. This winter, over 2 million low income and vulnerable households, of which over 1.2 million are pensioner households, will be helped under the scheme.
Over 12 million pensioners receive the Winter Fuel Payment of up to £300 each winter while people on certain benefits, including Pension Credit, receive a £25 Cold Weather Payment for each seven day period of freezing temperatures.
The Government is also reforming the Energy Company Obligation to have a greater focus on vulnerable and low income households. It will have a value of £640m a year, will run from 2017 until 2022, and and homes helped under the new obligation could see their energy bills fall by up to £300 per year.
In addition, we are providing £1.3m to fund the Big Energy Saving Network and running the Big Energy Saving Week again. This is a grant scheme that supports vulnerable consumers to take action to reduce their energy costs by switching supplier and taking up energy efficiency, through outreach by trusted and trained community and third sector organisations.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
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 number of (a) Japanese, (b) American and (c) European pharmaceutical companies based in the UK; and how much those companies have invested in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
There is no comprehensive data on the country of registration for the Global Ultimate Owner (GUO) of every company active in the UK pharmaceuticals sector.
We have incomplete data and therefore cannot accurately calculate how much these companies have invested in the UK in each of the last five years.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many children in England were classed as living in fuel poverty in each year since May 2011.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Fuel poverty is measured at the household level. We do not publish the number of children in fuel poverty as we cannot accurately estimate personal level information.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial support his Department provides under the Energy Heroes scheme run by E.ON in (a) England, (b) the North West of England and (c) Denton and Reddish constituency.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Energy Heros scheme is operated by E.ON independently of Government. We do not hold information on it.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what monitoring his Department undertakes of the number of homes which have successfully applied for the Energy Heroes scheme run by E.ON.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Energy Heros scheme is operated by E.ON independently of Government. We do not hold information on it.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
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 plans to ask energy suppliers to reconsider the use of income-differential tariffs.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Energy supply companies are required to ensure customers are on the cheapest tariff that is in line with their preferences and specifically, as to their chosen payment method and to the type of tariff (fixed term or variable) they prefer.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on ensuring that energy efficiency in the private rented sector is improved to meet new regulations regarding E-grade standards for properties to be let.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 requires that all landlords of domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies.
The Department has undertaken, and will continue to undertake, engagement activity with landlord groups to help them understand the requirements of the regulations. Officials are currently preparing guidance to assist non-domestic landlords in complying with their obligations under the regulations, and we will prepare similar guidance for domestic landlords in due course.
The Department is also developing a landlord exemptions register, a requirement of the Regulations, which will be used by enforcement authorities to help target their enforcement activities, and which will allow landlords to register online any exemptions that apply.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
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 make it his policy to place a legal obligation on energy suppliers automatically to transfer pensioner households to their lowest possible tariff.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Energy supply companies are required to ensure customers are on the cheapest tariff in line with their preferences: specifically, as to their chosen payment method and to the type of tariff (fixed term or variable) they prefer.
All pensioners receive help with energy bills each winter through the Winter Fuel Payment, receiving £200-£300 depending on circumstances. Pensioners on Pension Credit may also receive assistance under the Cold Weather Payment and Warm Home Discount.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
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 and develop the UK life sciences industry; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Government remains committed to ensuring that the UK has one of the most competitive and productive life sciences sectors in the world, which is at the forefront of 21st century healthcare and technology. That is crucial to ensuring both improved health outcomes for patients and wider prosperity and economic growth.
The Government has created a supportive life sciences environment, including through significant support for research and development, both through the Research Councils and the National Institute for Health Research; support for innovation via Innovate UK; and support for exporters from the Department for International Trade. In 2014 UK Government spend on health research and development stood at just over £2.2bn[1].
The Government’s investment in life sciences benefits many areas of the UK. For example, Government has invested £20m in a joint fund between Greater Manchester and Cheshire & Warrington Local Economic Partnerships, through Growth Deals.
[1] ONS UK Government Expenditure on Science, Engineering and Technology, http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/researchanddevelopmentexpenditure/datasets/scienceengineeringandtechnologystatisticsreferencetables