Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2020 to Question 106216 on Green Homes Grant Scheme: Park Homes, what steps he is taking to enable park home owners to comply with the requirement to obtain three qualified TrustMark registered installers under the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme when only two businesses are certified installers; and if he will extend the expiry date of the scheme for park home installations beyond 31 March 2021 in recognition of the delay before park home owners became eligible to apply.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
As of 10 November, five TrustMark registered businesses were certified to install measures in park homes. We are aware of the relatively low numbers registered and are working closely with the industry to help more businesses obtain the relevant certifications.
As set out in out the Green Homes Grant scheme guidance, although customers are advised to obtain three quotes, only one is required for application to the scheme.
The Green Homes Grant scheme will be time-limited, to help stimulate the economic recovery and support and create tens of thousands of green jobs. Any potential funding allocations for future years will be considered as part of the spending review.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many installers have accreditation to carry out insulation on park homes for the purposes of the Green Homes Grant 2020; if he will ensure that park home owners are informed of the identity of certified installers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
As of 15:00 on 20 October, there were 2 businesses which are TrustMark registered and certified to install insulation measures in park homes under the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme.
We are working with trade and certification bodies to support the accreditation of installers as quickly as possible. BEIS has launched a £6.9 million skills competition to provide training opportunities for the energy efficiency and low carbon heating supply chains to deliver works and scale up to meet additional consumer demand.
Park homeowners are able to search for suitably certified installers to insulate their properties on the Simple Energy Advice website.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
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 tackle defects in smart meters; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Energy suppliers are required by their licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to install and maintain a fully functioning smart metering system for their customers.
When smart meters are installed, if a fault is identified then the customer should be made aware of the problem, what the resolution is likely to be, who will be resolving the fault, and the approximate timescales of the resolution.
Ofgem, as the energy market regulator, is responsible for overseeing energy supplier conduct and can take enforcement action if energy suppliers do not meet their rollout obligations.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the contract for the Meteorological Office Civil Contingency Aircraft is not being renewed; and what alternative arrangements his Department is making to (a) assess the risk and (b) mitigate the potential effect of future volcanic eruptions on the economy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Due to the significant reduction in flying associated with Covid-19, the Met Office will not receive the expected funding for its aviation services through the airline charging mechanism and, in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is reviewing and prioritising the aviation services it provides. Several options were considered in consultation with CAA and it was decided to not renew the current contract for the Met Office Civil Contingency Aircraft.
Since the UK was last affected by volcanic ash in 2010, a number of significant improvements have been made in ash monitoring and modelling, which will help to improve forecasting in any future eruption scenario. This includes investment by the Government in a UK-wide LIDAR network, providing the capability to detect ash from the ground, and in improved satellite data on ash-cloud and particulate matter. In addition, the Met Office is exploring options for an interim standby aircraft with other European institutions and work has begun on options for a longer-term replacement airborne volcanic ash monitoring capability.
The Met Office works very closely with the Icelandic Meteorological Office to monitor and assess the risk from volcanic activity. All volcanoes in Iceland are currently at colour state green, which means that activity is at normal levels.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February to Question 14947, when the consultation with the Consumer Protection Partnership will begin; and if he will publish the (a) outcome of and (b) Government response to that consultation.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP) meets regularly to review evidence and prioritise enforcement action. The Department has raised park homes with the CPP intelligence gathering group, and the CPP will discuss the issue at a meeting on 23 April. The CPP and the agencies that are members of the group will then decide on next steps.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2020 to Question 14949, how many of the 33,860 scaleups identified are in (a) Dorset and (b) the South West of England.
Answered by Paul Scully
We define scale-ups using the OECD definition of high growth, i.e. an enterprise with a cumulative average annual growth in employees or turnover greater than 20 per cent per annum over a three-year period, and with more than 10 employees at the beginning of the period.
According to ONS data (Business demography – High Growth Enterprises 2018), the number of scaleups in (a) Dorset is 190 and (b) South West of England is 2,745.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if her Department will support a referral to the Competition and Markets Authority of alleged unfair and anti-competitive practices by some owners and operators of residential park home sites in England; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to tackling consumer rip-offs and bad business practices. The Department is engaging with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to follow up the evidence gathered by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on park homes regarding alleged unfair practices. The Government plans to consult with the Consumer Protection Partnership to review this evidence and agree what actions can be taken. The Consumer Protection Partnership is a network bringing together consumer bodies covering all aspects of consumer protection and includes the Competition and Markets Authority as a member.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what definition of scale-up businesses her Department uses; and what steps she is taking to support those businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
We define scaleups using the OECD definition of high growth, i.e. an enterprise with a cumulative average annual growth in employees or turnover greater than 20 per cent per annum over a three-year period, and with more than 10 employees at the beginning of the period.
Scaleups play an important role in the UK economy: they generate around 20% of all turnover in the economy and around 15% of employment, and Scale Ups can play a role in driving innovation. The number of scaleups has risen overall by 25% over the 5 years to 2018 to 33,860.
We have taken a number of actions to create the right conditions for businesses to achieve their potential to grow to scale, including:
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent comparative assessment his Department has made of the costs and benefits of the use of solar thermal collectors as alternatives to water heated by heat pumps and solar PV panels; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The use of electricity from solar PV to heat water is most commonly achieved by directly heating water in a thermal store using an immersion heater rather than a heat pump. As heating water with heat pumps and solar PV panels is relatively uncommon, and this method is not considered to be a potential major source of renewable heat generation in the future, the Department has not made a comparative assessment of the costs and benefits of the use of solar thermal collectors against water heated by heat pumps and solar PV.