Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
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) Dunfermline and West Fife constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK have prepayment meters; and what assessment he has made of the change in the number of those meters in each of those areas in each of the last five years.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The latest Ofgem data on Prepayment Meters (PPM) shows that there are 4.3 million customers using PPM meters, which represents around 15% of all customers in Great Britain.
Neither Ofgem nor the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy routinely collect regional PPM customer numbers However, in 2017 BIES collected a one off local authority area breakdown, which showed there were 460,529 PPM customers in Scotland and 27,413 PPM customers in the Fife Council local authority area. This data does not include customers who pay for their gas using a PPM as this data has not been compiled, however there are fewer gas PPMs as a whole in the market.
The number of Prepayment Meter accounts in the GB energy market over the last five years has remained around 4.5 million. There has, however been an increase in competition in the PPM market over the past five years with PPM specialists providing greater choice for consumers beyond the six large suppliers. A cap on PPM prices was introduced in April 2017 and remains in force.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to safeguard (a) hon. Members, (b) hon. Members' staff, (c) House staff and (d) children attending the Parliament’s nursery facilities during the covid-19 outbreak should the House of Commons agree to returning to a physical Parliament after the Whit recess.
Answered by Pete Wishart - Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
The House Service is currently working in conjunction with Public Health England to ensure we meet the government guidelines to become a ‘Covid-19 secure’ workplace, and to build on our existing measures to ensure Members, Members’ staff and House staff working on the estate can do so safely. These include carrying out a Covid-19 risk assessment, which will also be carried out by the nursery provider. Where Members’ staff and those of the House can continue their work at home they are being encouraged to do so, with appropriate support provided. The Commission will be meeting to ensure that the appropriate level of services and safety measures are in place, should there be a return to physical-only proceedings after the Whitsun recess.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much of the Plastics and Waste Investment Fund has been allocated to date; and which programmes have received money from that fund.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
This Government is building a globally competitive sustainable plastics industry through research and innovation. We have already allocated 95% of the funding available through the £20m Plastics Research and Innovation Fund. This includes £8m on academic research, £6m on collaborative R&D, £3m on an Investor Partnership with Sky Ocean Ventures and almost £2m on a Circular Plastics flagship programme with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Plan). WRAP is also administering a number of grant opportunities on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
As confirmed in July, BEIS will also provide up to £60 million, bolstered by an expected £149m investment from the private sector, to establish the UK as the world’s leading innovator in smart sustainable plastic packaging, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is her Department's policy to develop new nuclear power stations.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government believes that nuclear power has an important role to play as we transition to a low-carbon economy. Our commitment to nuclear power has been demonstrated in agreeing to the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C, as well as launching our landmark £200m Nuclear Sector Deal last year, which includes providing millions for advanced nuclear technologies.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many energy smart meters in the UK are currently operating in dumb mode.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government publishes quarterly reports on the number of smart electricity and gas meters installed in Great Britain as part of its Smart Meters statistics collection, which is available here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics.
Our latest statistics show that as of the end of June 2019, 14.9 million smart meters in Great Britain were being operated in smart or advanced mode. 2.7 million smart meters in Great Britain were being operated in ‘traditional’ mode.
The upgrade to the national smart metering network to support the enrolment of first-generation smart meters is underway to enable these meters to operate in smart mode. This will happen automatically, without the consumer needing to take any action.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much of the Plastics and Waste Investment Fund has been allocated to date; and which programmes have received money from that fund.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is her Department's policy to develop new nuclear power stations.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many energy smart meters in the UK are currently operating in dumb mode.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.