Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 8 March 2018 to Question 131059 on Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Scotland, what location those members of staff work in.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
BEIS aligned with its Partner Organisations has locations in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Langholm of which Aberdeen is the permanent location for core BEIS in Scotland.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much was collected in environmental levies from businesses in Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answered by Claire Perry
Environmental levies are spread across all consumers in Great Britain and recovered by energy suppliers. What is paid by businesses in Scotland will vary year by year, depending on how much energy is consumed.
The figures for environmental levies across Great Britain are published by the Office for Budget Responsibility alongside the Budget and Statement fiscal events. The latest figures are available here http://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-november-2017/ ;and outturn data for the last five years can be accessed on the same site. This data is not broken down by country or by the type of consumer.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff his Department has in Scotland; where those staff are located; and what the roles of those staff are.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The latest BEIS location data (June 2017) states that BEIS aligned with Partner Organisations has 838 staff based in Scotland of which 87 are core BEIS staff.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the cost implications for the public purse of not including an appeals process to an expert independent body on the level of a cap on energy prices in the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill; and what the evidential basis is for not including such an independent appeals process.
Answered by Claire Perry
The draft Bill would place a new duty on Ofgem to implement a cap on standard variable and default tariffs, and provides a bespoke power for Ofgem to implement the price cap through an amendment to the licence conditions. Energy companies would be able to appeal an Ofgem decision on whether to proceed with the licence modification by way of judicial review. A route of appeal by judicial review would be available to energy companies whether or not an additional route of appeal to the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) were included in the draft Bill. This means there is no additional public costs resulting from not including an appeal route to the CMA
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications of the Government's proposed household energy price cap for the smart meter roll-out.
Answered by Claire Perry
The draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill is clear that Ofgem must take into account an efficient supplier’s ability to finance its activities. This would include the roll out of smart meters, which is a requirement of their supply licence.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 is taking to encourage energy suppliers to provide simpler bills for domestic customers.
Answered by Claire Perry
Ofgem, as the energy regulator, are responsible for deciding what information suppliers have to provide on energy bills. Too much detailed information on energy bills is not always an effective way to engage with consumers who can find this too complex or confusing. Ofgem are therefore introducing a principles based approach which allows bills to be simplified, with information made available elsewhere in a way which works for consumers. This approach recognises the different preferences consumers have for how they receive information, and balances protection for consumers with greater room for flexibility and innovation in the future. Ofgem are also conducting trials, the first of which concluded in autumn last year, to uncover what works in engaging consumers, without irritating them. These trials will be scaled up and rolled out nationally if successful.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Competition and Markets Authority, (b) Ofgem and (c) energy suppliers on proposals regarding the right of energy companies to appeal in the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill.
Answered by Claire Perry
BEIS Ministers and officials meet stakeholders to discuss a range of issues.
The draft Bill would place a new duty on Ofgem to implement a cap on standard variable and default tariffs, and energy companies would be able to challenge Ofgem’s decision on the setting of the cap by way of judicial review. The Government believes that a Court is capable of considering these matters.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of implementation of proposals in the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill on delivery of the (a) Energy Company Obligation and (b) Warm Homes Discount.
Answered by Claire Perry
Obligated energy suppliers will have to meet their targets under the Energy Company Obligation and Warm Home Discount regardless of the implementation of the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons his Department's impact assessment for the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill does not include quantitative data on the effect of a price cap on (a) investment in the energy sector and (b) customers.
Answered by Claire Perry
As set out in the Impact Assessment for the draft Bill, the costs and benefits will depend on the detailed methodology the independent regulator Ofgem adopts to set the level of a tariff cap. The Government does not wish to pre-judge Ofgem’s work in establishing the methodology by including quantified analysis of the costs and benefits in the Impact Assessment.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of an energy price cap on delivery of (a) switching rates and (b) other effects of the introduction of smart meters.
Answered by Claire Perry
Ofgem would set the level of the price cap in a way such that, amongst other things, it would maintain incentives for switching and enable effective competition.
The draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill is clear that Ofgem must take into account an efficient supplier’s ability to finance its activities. This would include the rollout of smart meters, which is a requirement of their supply licence.