Asked by: David Crausby (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to incentivise the installation of household insulation by private landlords and housing associations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 require that, subject to certain exemptions, domestic and non-domestic private rented sector landlords improve any Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) F or G rated properties they rent to a minimum of EPC band E from April 2018. To reach this standard, landlords of poorly rated properties will be required to install energy efficiency measures relevant to those properties, which could include insulation.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) supports the installation of energy efficiency measures in both private rented housing and social rented housing. From January 2013 to June 2017, energy efficiency measures were installed in 242,348 private rented homes and 223,046 social rented homes under ECO.
The Government will also look at a long term trajectory for energy performance standards across the private rented sector, with the aim of as many private rented homes as possible being upgraded to EPC Band C by 2030, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. We will consider options with a view to consulting in 2018. In addition, the Government will also look at how social housing can meet similar standards on the same timetable. When looking at this we will need to take account of the findings of the independent public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower and the Government’s separate work looking at wider social housing policy issues.
Asked by: David Crausby (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department's industrial strategy plans to protect jobs in the retail sector.
Answered by Margot James
The Industrial Strategy is a framework for Government to work in partnership with industry, academia, civil society and business over the years ahead to build on the UK’s strengths, make more of our untapped potential and create a more productive economy that works for everyone across the UK.
Our ambition is, therefore, for the Industrial Strategy to support businesses from all sectors of the economy to prosper and grow, including in the retail sector.
Asked by: David Crausby (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of Citizens Advice Bureau offices which have closed since 2012-13.
Answered by Margot James
The Department does not hold this information as central Government funds the umbrella organisation, Citizens Advice, but not individual bureaux. We have obtained the following information from Citizens Advice:
There are currently 292 local members (legal entities, formally known as CAB). There were 360 members at April 2012, representing a reduction of 68.
Citizens Advice has noted this reduction results mainly from a number of mergers of legal entities to provide efficiencies so that more resources can be targeted to frontline advice.
Generally across England and Wales, the number of access points for advice remains largely the same – 2,700 community locations, including GP surgeries, libraries and courts.
There have been 9 closures since April 2012, resulting from either the local service being no longer financially viable due to financial mismanagement, failure to address decreasing funding or the loss of a competitive tendering process.
In all cases where a closure has been necessary, Citizens Advice strive to continue to provide face to face services in those areas, albeit sometimes this has had to be reduced.
Asked by: David Crausby (Labour - Bolton North East)
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 in (a) England, (b) Bolton Metropolitan Borough and (c) Bolton North East constituency spend more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel bills.
Answered by Margot James
In England, approximately 2.36 million households spent more than 10 per cent of their full income on fuel bills in 2015. This is around 10.4 per cent of all households. In the North West, approximately 0.41 million households (13.4 per cent), spent more than 10 per cent of their full income on fuel bills. Data is only available at the regional level and is not broken down further to Local Authority level.
Fuel poverty is based on the low income high costs (LIHC) indicator. In 2015, around 2.50 million households were in fuel poverty. This is around 11.0 per cent of all households. In the Bolton Metropolitan Borough, 14,800 households (12.5 per cent) were considered fuel poor. In the Bolton North East constituency, 5,400 households (12.8 per cent) were considered fuel poor.
These figures are based on the fuel poverty dataset. The methodology for this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuel-poverty-statistics-methodology-handbook
The sub-regional figures can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2017
This is based on data the English Housing Survey which is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The methodology for this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/english-housing-survey-guidance-and-methodology
Asked by: David Crausby (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money energy companies have spent on assisting low income households in each of the last five years.
Answered by Margot James
Larger domestic energy suppliers have been required to provide assistance to households under a number of supplier statutory obligations in the last five years. The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), the Community Energy Savings Programme[1] (CESP) and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) have required energy suppliers to provide energy efficiency measures to homes. CESP required measures to be installed in low income areas[2]. Under CERT at least 40% of carbon savings had to be delivered in homes of a Priority Group of low income and vulnerable households. ECO has had an element aimed primarily at low income and vulnerable households and from April this year that was increased to 70% of the obligation. In addition, the Warm Home Discount (WHD) primarily requires energy bill rebates to be made to low income and vulnerable households each winter.
Spending under ECO and Warm Home Discount
| 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 |
WHD[3] | £290m | £283m | £326m | £315m | £323m (est.) |
ECO[4] (Affordable Warmth spending[5]) | £7m | £630m | £175m | £206m | £242m |
Total: | £297m | £913m | £501m | £521m | £565m |
Although energy suppliers continued spending under CERT until 2012/13 and CESP until 2013/14 we do not have the data on the proportion of spending which went to low income households.
Energy suppliers have the ability to determine how to meet their obligations over designated time periods rather than following set delivery in any single year. They can frontload or backload delivery which affects the spend profile.
Energy suppliers have also provided direct financial and other assistance to their low income customers over the past five years but we do not have data on the value of that assistance.
[1] CESP was also an obligation on large electricity generators.
[2] The legislation required measures to be delivered in specific geographical areas (Lower Super Output Areas in England and Wales, and Data Zones in Scotland) selected using the Income Domain of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in England, Scotland and Wales. In England the lowest 10% of areas ranked in the IMD qualified and in Scotland and Wales the lowest 15% qualified.
[4] ECO started in January 2013. Spending by quarter: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/58425/certfinalreport2013300413pdf
[5] The Affordable Warmth Group is made up of low income and vulnerable households.
Asked by: David Crausby (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many insolvencies and bankruptcies there were in (a) the UK and (b) Bolton in (i) the current financial year to date and (ii) each of the previous five financial years.
Answered by Margot James
Final answer to PQ 16545
The Insolvency Service does not produce UK-level statistics on insolvencies: statistics are presented separately for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland because of differences in legislation and policy.
Statistics showing the number of bankruptcies, debt relief orders and individual voluntary arrangements are provided for each area since 2012 and can be found in the tables below. Bankruptcy, debt relief orders and individual voluntary arrangements apply to individuals only; regional breakdowns for the number of company insolvencies are not currently available.
The Insolvency Service compiles its regional Insolvency numbers statistics on a calendar year basis, therefore financial year totals are not available. Statistics for the calendar year 2016 were published on 13 July 2017, and statistics for 2017 are due to be published in July 2018.
Table1: Breakdown of total individual insolvencies, Bolton, 2012 to 20161
| Year |
| Total individual insolvencies | Bankruptcies | Debt relief orders | Individual voluntary arrangements | |||
| 2012 |
| 555 |
| 171 |
| 69 |
| 315 |
| 2013 |
| 486 |
| 122 |
| 64 |
| 300 |
| 2014 |
| 473 |
| 101 |
| 76 |
| 296 |
| 2015 |
| 388 |
| 71 |
| 69 |
| 248 |
| 2016 |
| 447 |
| 77 |
| 80 |
| 290 |
Table 2: Breakdown of total individual insolvencies, England and Wales, 2012 to 2016
Year | Total individual insolvencies | Bankruptcies | Debt relief orders | Individual voluntary arrangements |
2012 | 109,640 | 31,787 | 31,179 | 46,674 |
2013 | 100,998 | 24,571 | 27,546 | 48,881 |
2014 | 99,223 | 20,345 | 26,688 | 52,190 |
2015 | 80,404 | 15,845 | 24,175 | 40,384 |
2016 | 90,619 | 15,006 | 26,196 | 49,417 |
Table 3: Breakdown of total individual insolvencies, Scotland, 2012 to 2016
Year | Total individual insolvencies | Sequestrations (of which LILA/MAP)1, 2 | Protected trust deeds |
2012 | 18,402 | 9,630 (3,886) | 8,772 |
2013 | 14,250 | 7,189 (2,728) | 7,061 |
2014 | 11,622 | 6,747 (2,533) | 4,875 |
2015 | 8,785 | 4,477 (1,509) | 4,308 |
2016 | 9,708 | 4,401 (1,824) | 5,307 |
Source: Accountant in Bankruptcy.
1 On 1 April 2008, Part 1 of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007 came into force making significant changes to some aspects of sequestration (bankruptcy), debt relief and debt enforcement in Scotland. This included the introduction of the new route into bankruptcy for people with low income and low assets (LILA). Of the number or sequestrations, individuals who meet LILA criteria are shown in brackets.
2 On 1 April 2015, part of the Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Act came into force making significant changes to some aspects of sequestration (bankruptcy). This included the introduction of the Minimal Asset Process (MAP), which replaced the LILA route into sequestration; mandatory debt advice for people seeking statutory debt relief; a new online process for applying for sequestration; and an additional year for people to make contributions to repaying their debts (increasing from three years to four, in line with protected trust deeds).
Table 4: Breakdown of total individual insolvencies, Northern Ireland, 2012 to 2016
Year | Total individual insolvencies | Bankruptcies | Debt relief orders | Individual voluntary arrangements |
2012 | 3,189 | 1,452 | 506 | 1,231 |
2013 | 3,373 | 1,347 | 593 | 1,433 |
2014 | 3,395 | 1,367 | 536 | 1,492 |
2015 | 2,690 | 1,071 | 472 | 1,147 |
2016 | 2,582 | 997 | 366 | 1,219 |
Source: Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland.
It should be noted that these figures do not account for any changes in the base population over time. Using the rate of bankruptcies per 10,000 adults allows for a like-for-like comparison across years.
Headline figures for insolvencies in England and Wales can be found in the quarterly Insolvency Statistics release, a National Statistics publication. Figures for January-March 2017 were published on 28 April 2017, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/insolvency-statistics-january-to-march-2017
Annual numbers and rates of insolvencies by region for 2000-2016 are available in the Individual Insolvencies by Location, Age and Gender publication