Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 has taken to engage with (a) coal generators and (b) the biomass sector on whether a future biomass auction will take place.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
We plan to hold the next Contracts for Difference allocation round in due course We will announce further details about the allocation round and engage with stakeholders in good time.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for publishing the Government's analysis of whole system costs.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Following peer review by experts in the field of whole system impacts, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will publish the methodology report of the Whole System Impacts of Electricity Generation Technologies project in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it her policy to implement the Competition and Markets Authority's recommendations in making all future auctions for renewable support contracts technology neutral.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The CMA recommendations are another step towards ensuring we have a competitive and effective energy market for consumers. We will now take action, along with Ofgem and other delivery bodies, to implement these recommendations.
The Competition and Markets Authority did not recommend making all future auctions for renewable support technology neutral.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to tackle anti-Semitism in English universities.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
There is no place in our society, including higher education, for anti-Semitism or any other form of bigotry, hatred and racism. We expect universities to act swiftly to investigate and address any anti-Semitic incidents reported to them. Responsibilities for ensuring students do not face harassment, abuse or violence rests with individual institutions, as a clear part of their duties under the 2010 Equality Act.
At the request of the Government, Universities UK have set up a taskforce to consider what more can be done to address harassment on campus, including on the basis of religion and belief. The taskforce has had meetings with or received evidence from a wide range of organisations which include the Union of Jewish Students, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Community Security Trust.
The taskforce is expected to report its findings in the autumn but has already identified the need for an improved data collection of incidents by institutions, to ensure universities are recording incidents effectively; the importance of complaints procedures that protect the identity of students who may be fearful of coming forward; and the need for better training for staff to respond to instances of harassment.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made on working with major energy suppliers on the smart meter roll-out to ensure that it provides maximum benefit to consumers.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
We are working closely with all energy suppliers on the roll-out to ensure that the consumer benefits are delivered.
Good progress has been made to date, with over 3 million meters having been installed. There is evidence that consumers are already saving energy. Recent British Gas research shows that smart meter customers have reduced energy consumption by around 3%, on average, for both gas and electricity.