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Written Question
Equal Pay
Thursday 1st December 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the minimum wage on the gender pay gap since 2019.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government has repeatedly increased the National Living Wage, with black and minority ethnic individuals, women, and disabled people among those more likely to benefit from these increases. The LPC evidence suggests that this has reduced the gender and ethnicity pay gaps since its introduction in 2016.

In April 2023, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 23 years and over by 9.7% to £10.42, remaining on track to achieve its manifesto commitment for the NLW to equal two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. We will publish an updated Impact Assessment next year when laying the relevant legislation.


Written Question
Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups
Thursday 1st December 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

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 an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of the ethnicity pay gap since 2017.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

This Government remains committed to tackling all areas of disparities in this country, including in employment. It is crucial that everyone is treated fairly in the workplace, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential and we want to ensure that everyone has access to the same employment opportunities.

In March 2022 we published the Inclusive Britain action plan which includes over 70 actions to improve outcomes across education, health, employment and criminal justice for ethnic minority groups.


Written Question
Minimum Wage
Wednesday 30th November 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

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 an assessment of the potential impact of the level of the minimum wage on (a) women, (b) ethnic minorities, (c) disabled people and (d) young people in the next three years.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government has repeatedly increased the National Living Wage, with black and minority ethnic individuals, women, and disabled people among those more likely to benefit from these increases. The LPC evidence suggests that this has reduced the gender and ethnicity pay gaps since its introduction in 2016.

In April 2023, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 23 years and over by 9.7% to £10.42, remaining on track to achieve its manifesto commitment for the NLW to equal two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. We will publish an updated Impact Assessment next year when laying the relevant legislation.


Written Question
Minimum Wage: Poverty
Wednesday 30th November 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

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 an assessment of the potential impact of the level of the minimum wage on (a) child, (b) fuel, (c) food and (d) other forms of poverty in the next three years.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

In April 2023, the Government will increase the National Living Wage by 9.7% to £10.42, remaining on track to achieve the manifesto commitment for it to reach two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. The National Minimum Wage rates, designed for younger workers, will increase by a similar amount.

We expect the increases to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage to give a pay rise to over 2.5 million workers, supporting the lowest paid and most vulnerable in our society. For example, a full-time worker on the National Living Wage will see their annual earnings rise by over £1,600.


Written Question
Equal Pay: Minimum Wage
Wednesday 30th November 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the level of the minimum wage on the ethnicity pay gap.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government has repeatedly increased the National Living Wage, with black and minority ethnic individuals, women, and disabled people among those more likely to benefit from these increases. The LPC evidence suggests that this has reduced the gender and ethnicity pay gaps since its introduction in 2016.

In April 2023, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 23 years and over by 9.7% to £10.42, remaining on track to achieve its manifesto commitment for the NLW to equal two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. We will publish an updated Impact Assessment next year when laying the relevant legislation.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Monday 25th April 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the higher price cap for pre-payment meters on (a) low income families and (b) people such as property guardians who are unable to change from a pre-payment meter.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ofgem, as independent regulator, is responsible for setting the level of the price cap.

Protecting consumers, and especially vulnerable consumers, is a top priority of this government. To help people with the costs of energy, the Government has announced a package of support measures, including a £200 rebate for households delivered via their energy bill this autumn. This is in addition to other schemes like the Warm Home Discount which support the most vulnerable and low-income households. In addition, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments are available to those in receipt of qualifying benefits.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Monday 25th April 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons the energy price cap is higher for those in prepayment meters than default tariffs.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ofgem, as the independent regulator, is responsible for setting the level of the price cap.

Ofgem have set out that the infrastructure that sits behind prepayment meters has higher operating costs than for customers on credit meters paying via direct debit.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate
Friday 25th February 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether district heating customers will be included in the £200 discount available to households.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Energy Bills Rebate scheme will see all energy suppliers provide a £200 discount to the electricity bills of over 28 million British households, including customers using district heating to heat their homes.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Tuesday 18th January 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to include people living in properties with district or communal heating systems in Ofgem's review of the energy price cap.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Default Tariff Act requires Ofgem, as the gas and electricity markets regulator, to put licence conditions in place for a cap on domestic default gas and electricity tariffs. District or communal heating systems typically buy their energy through commercial contracts which are not covered by the Act.


Written Question
Energy: Prices
Tuesday 18th January 2022

Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of energy price increases on the bills of people living in properties with district or communal heating systems.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Default Tariff Act requires Ofgem, as the gas and electricity markets regulator, to put licence conditions in place for a cap on domestic default gas and electricity tariffs. District or communal heating systems typically buy their energy through commercial contracts which are not covered by the Act.