Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what services the Government Legal Department’s Litigation Group has provided to his Department since 1 January 2021.
Answered by George Freeman
Since 1 January 2021, Litigation Group has continued to provide litigation services to the majority of government departments, including Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and executive agencies, as well as many non-departmental public bodies.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 impact of increased shipping costs on (a) supply chains for UK manufacturers and (b) the availability of imported goods in the weeks leading up to Christmas 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department is working closely with businesses and key industry groups to understand the key supply chain risks and shortages that they are facing. Due to the commercial sensitivity of this type of information we do not routinely make this information public.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of potential retail shortages of household tissue and toilet paper over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those potential shortages.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises that as the global economy has rebounded from the pandemic, we have seen pressures placed on supply chains across sectors. We have taken quick and decisive action to ease these pressures where required including establishing a Supply Chain Advisory Group and Industry Taskforce, which provides a link between business and government to identify causes of supply chain issues and pre-empt future issues. Industry attendees are drawn from a range of sectors including the British Retail Consortium. Additionally, the Department engages at both Ministerial and official level on a range of issues affecting the retail sector including the availability of goods.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of potential shortages of liquefied gas over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers, retailers and industrial users on those potential shortages.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government remains confident that Great Britain’s energy security will be maintained thanks to the diversity of our supply sources and the existing market mechanism.
The Government works closely with Ofgem, National Grid Gas and other key industry organisations to monitor gas supply and demand. LNG trade flows are determined by commercial agreements between buyers and sellers and price signals. Great Britain has one of the largest LNG import infrastructures in Europe and the GB gas market is one of the most liquid in the world, providing security through diversity of supply. National Grid’s Gas Winter Outlook, which models supply and demand for upcoming winter, notes in its security of supply test that the supply margin is expected to be more than sufficient.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of potential shortages of building equipment and supplies over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and the construction sector on those potential shortages.
Answered by Lee Rowley
At present, demand for building materials is outstripping supply due to a complex set of global issues. The sector is collectively working hard to maximise production, but is experiencing difficulties in keeping pace with demand due to issues including: global shipping congestion; delays at ports; lack and increasing price of containers; increasing costs; challenges recruiting into the industry, and; increasing energy prices.
The Government recognises the impact this situation is having on many smaller building firms and is working closely with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC)’s Product Availability Group to stress that the industry must work collaboratively during this challenging period, and to emphasise the importance of good forward-planning, as well as clear communication within the industry.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of jobs that (a) have been and (b) will be created as a result of (i) UK private, (ii) Government and (ii) inward investment as part of the Government's plans to advance offshore wind between November 2020 and November 2030.
Answered by Greg Hands
Through Government support, electricity generated from offshore wind has increased from less than 1% in 2010 to 13% in 2020.
This has made the UK a world leader in wind energy, including support for manufacturing infrastructure, is directly supporting the creation of green jobs in the UK. Just this year six manufacturers have already announced major investments in the UK offshore wind sector , supported by Government investment schemes, and delivering up to 3,600 jobs by 2030.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of potential retail shortages of household cleaning products over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those potential shortages.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises that as the global economy has rebounded from the pandemic, we have seen pressures placed on supply chains across sectors. We have taken quick and decisive action to ease these pressures where required including establishing a Supply Chain Advisory Group and Industry Taskforce, which provides a link between business and government to identify causes of supply chain issues and pre-empt future issues. Industry attendees are drawn from a range of sectors including the British Retail Consortium. Additionally, the Department engages at both Ministerial and official level on a range of issues affecting the retail sector including the availability of goods.
The causes of goods shortages can arise from a complex variety of reasons including stockpiling by consumers. Products generally remain in good supply. Retailers have highly resilient supply chains, as evidenced throughout the pandemic, and we have established ways of working with industry.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of potential retail shortages of household batteries overwinter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those shortages.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises that as the global economy has rebounded from the pandemic, we have seen pressures placed on supply chains across sectors. We have taken quick and decisive action to ease these pressures where required including establishing a Supply Chain Advisory Group and Industry Taskforce, which provides a link between business and government to identify causes of supply chain issues and pre-empt future issues. Industry attendees are drawn from a range of sectors including the British Retail Consortium. Additionally, the Department engages at both Ministerial and official level on a range of issues affecting the retail sector including the availability of goods.
The causes of goods shortages can arise from a complex variety of reasons including stockpiling by consumers. Products generally remain in good supply. Retailers have highly resilient supply chains, as evidenced throughout the pandemic, and we have established ways of working with industry.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of potential shortages of carbon dioxide over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and industrial users on those potential shortages.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Carbon dioxide is an essential component of our national economy. Carbon dioxide suppliers have agreed to pay CF Fertilisers a price for the carbon dioxide that it produces, which will enable the company to continue operating while global gas prices remain high, and therefore will ensure that UK businesses have access to a sustainable supply of carbon dioxide. The Government continues to monitor market developments and is examining the options for the market to improve resilience in the provision of essential supplies - such as carbon dioxide - in the longer term.
Throughout summer 2021, and during the most recent disruption to the domestic supply of carbon dioxide, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has been engaging with industries across the food supply chain, including pigs and poultry processors, as well as food and drinks manufacturers. Through this engagement, we are able to monitor the industry mitigations needed and can collect evidence to inform policy recommendations, as well as deepening our understanding of sectors’ readiness for the winter.
Devolved Administrations have also been consulted to monitor the effects of the disruptions and assess the preparedness of the industry for the winter months.