Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when she plans to put the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority on a statutory basis.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to putting the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority on a statutory basis as soon as Parliamentary time allows. This will be part of an overall and comprehensive programme of reform taking account of the CMA’s findings and in response to what Sir Donald Brydon may recommend in his Independent Review on the quality and effectiveness of audit.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether she has commissioned an investigation into whether the Directors of All Star Lanes which went into administration should be disqualified from being company directors; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
When a company enters administration, the administrator must, usually within three months, provide a confidential report to the Insolvency Service on the conduct of the directors of the company. The Insolvency Service will assess the information received and will collect information from third parties including other government departments, to determine whether or not a full investigation is required. This may ultimately lead to director disqualification proceedings or other enforcement action.
As the administration only occurred last week, the administrator’s report is not expected yet.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
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 22 May 2018 to Question 146730 on energy: meters, whether his Department expects the Data and Communications Company to consult on the development of the solution to move SMETS1 meters onto the national communications infrastructure to enable consumers to retain their smart services upon switching; and whether that solution will be reported to Parliament when it is finalised.
Answered by Claire Perry
Both the Government and the Data and Communications Company (DCC) have consulted extensively on the enrolment and adoption of SMETS1 meters.
Government consultations are available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/enrolment-of-smets1-meter-cohorts-with-the-data-communications-company; https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/maximising-interoperability-for-first-generation-smets1-smart-meters.
DCC enrolment and adoption consultations are available online here: https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/about-dcc/future-service-development/enrolment-and-adoption.
The Government has committed to producing an annual report on the smart meter roll-out and, upon publication, will place the 2018 copy in the Libraries of the House. This will include progress towards moving SMETS1 meters into the national communications infrastructure to enable consumers to retain their smart services upon switching.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when second generation smart meters become available whether priority will be accorded to the conversion of first generation smart meters in circumstances where a consumer is switching energy supplier and their first generation meter is not compatible with their new supplier.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Data and Communications Company is developing a solution to move SMETS1 meters onto the national communications infrastructure to enable consumers to retain their smart services upon switching. We expect this to commence in late 2018.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
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 his Department's report, Gas security of supply: a strategic assessment of Great Britain's gas security of supply, published on 12 October 2017, whether that assessment does not assume any contribution from fracking activity.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
In order to provide a conservative estimate of supply, supply forecasts used in the report, and in the supporting analysis, assume no shale contributions in the forecast period.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the proposed cost savings outlined in the BIS 2020 programme have been calculated; and what estimate he has made of projected savings of relocating staff from the office in Sheffield to London.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has committed to delivering 30-40% reductions in the Department’s operating expenditure which equates to around £350m by 2020. Savings of this magnitude can only be delivered by changing the Department’s overall business model so that it is simpler, cheaper and better for users of BIS services. This involves reducing the number of offices, our number of partner bodies, and our headcount as well as rationalising customer support, grant giving and digital service delivery. The proposed move of policy teams into a single centre and proposed closure of the Sheffield office forms part of a larger programme to change our business model.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of retaining his Department's office at St Paul's Palace, Sheffield.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 27113 from the Hon Member for Sheffield Central.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the review carried out by McKinsey and Company into his Department's budget.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Department will not be publishing the McKinsey work on the grounds that to do so would be likely to reduce the Government’s ability to protect the policy-making process and maintain the delivery of effective Government.