Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what scientific evidence on the transmission of covid-19 was used to determine that essential retail should remain open whilst non-essential retail should close during lockdown periods.
Answered by Paul Scully
Throughout the national restrictions, we have sought to keep as much of the retail sector open as possible, whilst balancing the need to reduce our day-to-day contact. Throughout this we have taken evidence from SAGE into account when making decisions.
It is also important that consumers have access to food and essential items that they need.
Restrictions have been brought in because we have to limit social contact. That is why the decision to close non-essential retail is part of a wider package of measures to make clear that people should stay at home except for a limited set of exemptions – allowing non-essential retail to remain open would run contrary to that aim.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 (a) Coronavirus Interruption Business Loan applications and (b) Bounce Back Loan applications have been declined.
Answered by Paul Scully
A breakdown on the number of loans provided through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, as of 24 January 2021, are provided in the table below.
Scheme | Number of Facilities Approved | Value of Facilities Approved | Total Number of Applications |
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme | 87,529 | £20.84 billion | 201,343 |
Bounce Back Loan Scheme | 1,471,001 | £44.74 billion | 1,953,564 |
The figures reported under the heading Total Number of Applications includes: approved applications; applications that are still to be processed; applications that have been declined; and applications that may turn out not to be eligible or cases where customers will decide not to proceed.
Decisions on whether to specifically capture information relating to declined loans are at the discretion of the lender.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 cost to the public purse of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine to date; and when he plan to publish details of the estimated cost to all stakeholders for the manufacturing and rollout of that vaccine.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We are not able to disclose details of commercially sensitive contracts between the Government and vaccine manufacturers while negotiations are ongoing.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps were taken during the trial of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine to test its effect on people with allergies.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has met the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s robust standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness, and the safety data from the trials has set out how the COVID-19 vaccine works in different types of people. A robust and proactive safety monitoring strategy for COVID-19 vaccines is in place, which allows for rapid, real-time safety monitoring at population level.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 use of waste incinerators on the Government's progress on the 2050 net zero emissions target.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The latest data shows that, in 2018, an estimated 6.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) were emitted from waste incineration in the energy supply sector and 0.3 MtCO2e from waste incineration in the waste sector.
The UK’s climate change framework enables the Government to determine how best to balance emissions reductions across the economy. Emissions are managed within the Government’s overall strategy for meeting carbon budgets and the 2050 net zero target, as part of an economy-wide transition.
The UK Government has reduced carbon emissions by over 40% since 1990.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 merits of including waste incineration in the UK Emissions Trading scheme.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government Response to the Future of UK Carbon Pricing set out that the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme will provide continuity and a smooth transition for participants. Most consultation respondents agreed with this approach. Energy from waste plants will not be in scope of the UK ETS for the period of 2021 to 2025. We do recognise the case for expanding carbon pricing and we committed to considering the option of expanding the scope of the UK ETS in the 2023 review.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 UK Research and Innovation's decision to withdraw extra grants for PhD students whose research has been affected by covid-19 on (a) those students and (b) long term research environment in the UK.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
UKRI have acted to support PhD students during the pandemic. In March, UKRI worked to ensure that all the students it funds would continue to receive their maintenance stipend during the lockdown and would not have to suspend their studies; UKRI-funded students in receipt of a costed extension will continue to receive this stipend during their extension period. In April it was announced that UKRI-funded PhD students in the final year, whose studies have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic would be provided with additional support.
A review of the initial UKRI COVID-19 extension policy was published, bringing together evidence from students, grant holders and university management teams. On the 11th November, UKRI provided a further £19.1 million of funding, which particularly aims to support students who have recently gone into their final year of study (funding end date before or on 30 September 2021) and those with ongoing support needs. Students with ongoing support needs include disabled students, students with a long-term illness, those who are neurodivergent or those with caring responsibilities.
Combined, these two interventions have meant that UKRI has made over £60 million of financial support available to students most impacted by the pandemic. It is estimated that this funding is available for up to 12,000 students (over half of the students that UKRI funds). We are encouraging all PhD students to discuss with their supervisors how projects can be adjusted to complete their doctoral education within their funded period. We will continue to monitor how the pandemic is affecting PhD students and the wider research system.
In regard to the long term research environment, all UKRI funded PhD students are guaranteed their funding within their funded period. The support noted above should ensure the vast majority of students are able to complete their studies on time, or later with support, and able to embark on the next step of their research career.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to provide tailored support to the wedding industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has laid out the Government’s Winter Economy Plan. This includes measures to support all businesses, such as extending the current government-backed loan schemes and introducing the Pay as You Grow and Job Support Schemes. There are also specific measures to support the self-employed, such as the SEISS Grant Extension.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
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 economic effect on the wedding industry of the further restrictions announced on 22 September 2020.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has put in place a package of support to help employees and businesses through these exceptional times. These include business support grants for qualifying businesses, extended government-backed loans and the Job Support Scheme.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to provide specific support to the wedding industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has laid out the Government’s Winter Economy Plan. This includes measures to support all businesses, such as extending the current government-backed loan schemes and introducing the Pay as You Grow and Job Support Schemes. There are also specific measures to support the self-employed, such as the SEISS Grant Extension.