Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with (a) publicans, (b) breweries and (c) associated trade bodies on the effect of the Government's decision not to permit pubs to sell takeaway alcohol in sealed containers during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
I regularly meet with a wide range of representatives from the hospitality sector to understand the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and jobs.
Over the course of the pandemic, the Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support to businesses, including those in the hospitality sector, which we keep under review.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
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 the covid-19 pandemic on the financial viability of dog kennels, catteries and other animal boarding facilities.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government understands the considerable difficulties faced by UK businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Animal boarding facilities have not been required to close at any point during the pandemic, as there remains a requirement to care for the pets of people hospitalised from Coronavirus and for key workers, and vulnerable people who may not be able to care for their pets. Wee have advised pet owners[1] that they may leave their home to access animal boarding services. This should be by appointment only, and only if the boarding service does not offer a collection or drop-off service.
The Government has put in place a range of business support measures since March 2020. These include loans, small business grants through local authorities, mortgage holidays and VAT deferral. These measures have been updated in line with local and national restrictions. In November, at the beginning of the second national lockdown, Government made available £1.1bn in discretionary funding allocated to each local authority to support businesses via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). This was topped up with a further £500m in January 2021.
Local authorities have significant discretion in the businesses they support and the amount of grant funding per business based on local priorities.
Given the new national restrictions, other amendments now include:
We would always encourage businesses that have been unable to access support, or who are unsure about what support is available, to contact their nearest Business Growth Hub for advice. The Government has established a network of 38 of these hubs, one in each Local Enterprise Partnership area in England. Businesses of all sizes are able to access free, tailored guidance from expert advisers who make up the Hub teams. All contact details are online www.lepnetwork.net/local-growth-hub-contacts/.
The free Business Support Helpline offers advice to businesses across England (FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098) provides with free, impartial business support.
Firms based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales can access business support through their devolved Governments.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens 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 announcement of a one-off grant for businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure businesses on 5 January 2021, if he will advise local authorities to include wholesale distribution businesses in the eligibility criteria.
Answered by Paul Scully
Officials are working closely with local authorities to deliver the one-off grant for businesses, announced by the Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 5th January.
Through the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment Grant, all rate-paying businesses mandated to close may eligible for a grants of up to £9,000. This is alongside the Local Covid Restrictions Grant (Closed) Addendum for 5 January onwards scheme, which provides grants of up to £4,500 per six-week period of closure.
For those businesses not mandated to close but who have had their trade adversely affected by the national and localised Covid-19 Restrictions, the Chancellor announced a further top up of £500 million to the exiting £1.1bn in Additional Restrictions Grant Fund. Local authorities have discretion to use this funding to support businesses in the way they see fit in their local area.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his (a) policy and (b) strategy is on (i) the use of nuclear power and (ii) its future role in the UK.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister published his Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution on 18th November, in which he affirmed the Government’s objective to advance nuclear as a clean energy source. This includes large scale nuclear and developing the next generation of small and advanced reactors. The Ten Point Plan highlights the key role of nuclear in delivering deep decarbonisation of our electricity system alongside renewables and other technologies. One of the key targets is the publication of the Energy White Paper, in which further information will be provided.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
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 job losses in the retail sector during the covid-19 outbreak an on regional inequalities.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises the impact that the coronavirus is having on retailers and businesses as a whole, which is why we have delivered one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support globally.. Retailers are benefitting from the removal of business rates for 12 months and have been able to access grants through the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure Grant Fund.
Retailers have been able to benefit from The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and an extension on the moratorium on commercial landlords’ right to forfeiture for the non-payment of rent to 31 December 2020.
Additionally the Job Retention Bonus will encourage businesses, including retailers, to keep on furloughed workers, helping to protect jobs and our economic recovery.
We have announced a new Plan for Jobs – making available up to £30 billion with a clear goal to create, protect, and support jobs. This includes a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme creating hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country and £1.6 billion investment in scaling up employment support schemes, training, and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job.
We are ramping up and bringing forward investment, creating jobs in every part of the UK. At the Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £88 billion of capital funding for this year. In the New Deal package, we announced our plans to accelerate a further £5 billion of additional investment projects.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households use prepayment electricity meters in (a) St Helens, (b) Liverpool City Region and (c) the North West.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
There are approximately 4 million prepayment meters in Great Britain, of which 36% are smart meters. Statistics are not kept on regional or local level.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of jobs in (a) the UK, (b) the North West and (c) St Helens borough are paid the (i) National Living Wage and (ii) National Minimum Wage.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Through the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW), the Government ensures that the lowest paid in our society are fairly rewarded for their work. April 2019’s increase to the NLW will see nearly 1.8 million workers in the UK receive a 4.9% pay rise. A full-time worker on the NLW will now be more than £2,750 better off over the year compared to when it was first announced in 2015.
The table below provides estimates for the number and proportion of jobs in the UK and the North West on the NLW and NMW in 2019. The most recent available data for St. Helens shows were an estimated 2,400 workers who were on the NLW or NMW.
| National Living Wage | National Minimum Wage | ||
Number of jobs | % of jobs | Number of jobs | % of jobs | |
UK | 1,766,000 | 7.2% | 364,000 | 10.6% |
North West | 222,000 | 8.5% | 46,000 | 12.1% |