Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the extended producer responsibility scheme on small food manufacturers.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the food sector, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging. Feedback from stakeholders has been factored into finalising the regulations, including consulting stakeholders on a draft of the pEPR regulations in 2023.

Government recognises the importance of protecting small producers from direct cost obligations. This is why the regulations include a de-minimis threshold of £2 million turnover and 50 tonnes which exempts approximately 70% of the UK's smaller producers from paying scheme fees.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department is using to allocate funding for school solar panel installation; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the most energy-inefficient school buildings are prioritised.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This £80 million partnership programme between the department and Great British Energy is targeting 200 schools and colleges in the 2025/26 academic year.

There will be a cluster of around 45 schools in each of the North West, North East and West Midlands, selected based on deprivation levels and other factors such as roof capacity. Each cluster will also include a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. There will also be a minimum of ten schools in each of the government office regions to ensure some regional spread.

This is just one element of the department’s strategy to ensure that the school estate is sustainable. We are providing support for all schools and colleges to get started on their journey towards net zero via our new online ‘Sustainability Support for Education’ platform and our climate ambassador programme.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to prevent companies fraudulently mis-selling (a) solar panels and (b) other energy generating equipment.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The sale of energy generation equipment is governed by consumer protection law.

There are opt-in consumer codes such as the Renewable Energy Consumer Code and standards such as the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. These are adopted by many companies selling generation equipment.

The Government is also undertaking a review of Ofgem’s role, to ensure that it has the appropriate powers to protect consumers. A recent call for evidence sought views on Ofgem’s remit in enforcing consumer protection law in respect of low carbon technologies.