Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to include (a) energy and (b) water saving showers in any successor scheme to the Green Homes Grant Scheme.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Government recently announced an extra £300 million of funding to be invested to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s homes through energy efficiency and low carbon heating schemes, delivered through the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Scheme and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
Through the LAD scheme, all eligible measures must be included within the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). Eligible measures are any energy efficiency and heating measures that will help improve homes. These products should be covered by SAP and when bidding for funding Local Authorities should list the measures they would like to install in their regions. Local Authorities are encouraged to focus on installing the most cost-effective measure to improve the overall efficiency of the building such as wall insulation and low carbon heating.
Design guidance for the SHDF scheme is currently being developed. A wide range of possibilities will be examined to ensure successful delivery of the fund.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
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 Prime Minister's statement on covid-19 on 12 October 2020, which beauty services are included within the definition of the personal care sector.
Answered by Paul Scully
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister addressed the nation on Saturday 31 October setting out new national restrictions. These restrictions will apply nationally for four weeks up to Wednesday 2 December, and will override the current Local Alert Level restrictions.
Personal care facilities include: hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what evidence base the Government used to determine that beard trimming was safer than facial beauty treatments for the purposes of easing covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
As defined by consultation with the industry and with medical advisors, the highest risk zone is the area in front of the face. SAGE has advised that the highest risk of transmission is through aerosols and droplets when people are in prolonged close, face-to-face contact within 2m.
Services should only be provided where they can be carried out in a fully COVID-secure way, and away from the highest risk zone.
For instance, beard services should only be provided where they can be carried out safely from the side or from behind to avoid the high-risk zone. Any intricate detailing, outlining or shaving of beards should not be carried out as this would be within the highest risk zone.
Many of the treatments currently not allowed, such as facial beauty treatments, would require the practitioner to be very close to the highest risk zone in front of the client’s face for an extended period of time, thus increasing the risks for both client and practitioner. In these circumstances it would be best to avoid these treatments.
The National Hair & Beauty Federation, British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology, and British Beauty Council have been consulted and support this approach, as the safety of their staff and customers is paramount. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England have also signed off this approach.