Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) promote the availability and (b) provide investment for non-animal alternatives to tests including organoids, organ-on-a-chip technology and computational and stem cell technology.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs), which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice, and regulations on animal research.
The NC3Rs receives its core funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Medical Research Council, and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Since the NC3Rs was launched in 2004, it has committed £100 million in research to develop 3Rs technologies.
In addition to funding the NC3Rs, UKRI also funds a portfolio of research projects involving humans, human materials, animal models, and non-animal technologies. The principles of the 3Rs are embedded in all the research within UKRI’s remit involving (or potentially involving) animal use. UKRI also encourages grant applicants, including those whose research does not involve animals but could contribute to greater reduction and replacement, to consider further opportunities to advance the 3Rs.
Between 2015-2019, the BBSRC spent over £7 million on research grants aimed at developing and applying innovative methodologies to studying human and animal physiology, including in silico approaches, organ-on-a-chip, organoid and other advanced cell culture systems.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) community, (b) main and (c) Crown Post Offices in (i) the Enfield North constituency and (ii) the UK.
Answered by Paul Scully
While Post Office Limited is publicly owned, it operates as an independent, commercial business. Therefore, details regarding the number of community and Crown Post Offices in the Enfield North constituency and the United Kingdom as of 15 July 2021, are an operational matter for Post Office Limited.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on strengthening policy on the decarbonisation of homes.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a number of issues.
We will be publishing a Heat and Buildings Strategy which will set out the Government’s position on the decarbonisation of homes in due course.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the energy efficiency of residential housing in the UK.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Government remains committed to the aspiration set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, that as many homes as possible are improved to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035, where practical, affordable and cost effective. In addition, the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy continue to work closely together to deliver the Future Homes Standard which, when it is implemented in 2025, will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% lower CO2 emissions compared to those built to current standards, and require no further retrofit to become fully zero-carbon as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to support high street businesses in the Enfield North constituency.
Answered by Paul Scully
Our comprehensive economic response to business includes grants, the furlough scheme, tax deferrals, and business rates relief. Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses within the constituency continue to benefit from 66% business rates relief until March 2022, subject to a cap, and hospitality, accommodation and attractions are benefitting from a 5% cut in VAT until the end of September, followed by a 12.5% rate until 31 March 2022.
The London Borough of Enfield has made £9,640,989 Additional Restrictions Grant payments, and £12,978,459 Restart Grant payments.
Projects within London Borough of Enfield boundaries received £3,434,663 of funding from the London Economic Action Partnership which receives funding from Government through the Local Growth Fund.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to support supply chain businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) Greater London and (c) England.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, including grants, business interruption loans and the Coronavirus Job Support Scheme.
The Government continues to provide financial support via Local Authorities for businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to introduce rights for flexible working.
Answered by Paul Scully
Employees with 26 weeks continuous service already have a right to request a flexible working arrangement under current flexible working legislation. An employer can only reject a request for business reasons, such as the detrimental impact on ability to meet customer demand or an inability to re-organise work among existing staff.
The Government’s manifesto included a commitment to encourage flexible working and to consult on whether flexible working can be made the default unless employers have good reasons not to. We will issue this consultation in due course.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to ensure adequate funding is available to small and medium sized enterprises in Enfield North constituency to support their economic recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
SMEs remain the backbone of our economy, and though this has been such a challenging period, we have seen many businesses find creative ways to innovate, adapt and plan for the future. During the Covid-19 outbreak, the Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, a range of Government-guaranteed business loans, and a significant package of direct business grants totalling £25 billion.
The Government is committed to supporting SMEs as they reopen, as Covid restrictions are lifted. The Budget 2021 announced a £520m investment over three years to create Help to Grow: Digital (100,000 SMEs – launching in autumn) and Help to Grow: Management (30,000 SMEs – launching in summer), to boost productivity of SMEs across the UK through software adoption and leadership and management training. This will help drive growth by helping SMEs to learn new skills, reach new customers and boost profits.
‘Help to Grow: Management’ will lay the foundations for recovery by providing SMEs with key skills in financial management, marketing, innovation, and supporting them to develop and adapt their business strategies. ‘Help to Grow: Digital’ will help businesses adopt technology to operate in an increasingly digital market and reach their customers online. This is in addition to the Peer Networks programme, now in its second year, supporting 6,000 small business leaders to develop skills such as leadership, management and technology adoption with the support of their peers.
Businesses which are unable to access business support or are unsure of the support available should contact their nearest Government-backed Growth Hub, where business advisers will be able to highlight potential sources of finance and clarify grants available. All contact details are available online at: www.lepnetwork.net/local-growth-hub-contacts/. All Government support for businesses affected by coronavirus, is detailed online here: www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to make funding available for local authorities to support the delivery of new home insulation schemes.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Government is funding a number of schemes as part of its commitment to retrofit homes to cut energy bills for households and to make them greener on the path to Net Zero.
The Local Authority Delivery Scheme (LAD), which supports projects to install energy efficiency measures such as various types of insulation, and low-carbon heating systems for low-income households, has already provided £500million to Local Authorities for upgrades to low-income households across England, and is being delivered up to December 2021. The London Borough of Enfield has already been allocated £305,000 of funding through the first phase of LAD, as well part of the £6.8 million of the Greater London Authority’s successful consortium-led bid in that phase.
On 16th June 2021, the Government launched the Sustainable Warmth Competition enabling Local Authorities to apply for further funding under the £200million Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 scheme and from an initial allocation of £150million for the Home Upgrade Grant Phase 1 scheme, for delivery up to March 2023.
In addition, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator has awarded £62million of funding to social landlords across England and Scotland to test innovative approaches to retrofitting at scale, seeing over 2300 social homes improved to at least EPC band C. The London Borough of Enfield has already been allocated part of the £9.6 million awarded to a consortium of 6 London Boroughs in this phase. The Government has announced around a further £160million for the first wave of the £3.8bn manifesto commitment in financial year 21/22, delivering up to March 2023.
The Government announced in the Sustainable Warmth Strategy a four-year, £4 billion successor scheme to Energy Company Obligation (ECO), to accelerate our efforts to improve homes to meet fuel poverty targets. ECO will continue to be an obligation on suppliers.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
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 closing the Green Homes Grant scheme on the Government's plans to meet its 5th Carbon Budget.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme was designed to provide a short-term economic stimulus while tackling our contribution to climate change.
In order to ensure we continue to deliver on our net zero ambitions and support a thriving building retrofit industry, the Government will be expanding its funding commitment in financial year 21/22 for both the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Local Authority Delivery element of the Green Homes Grant scheme with £300 million of new funding and up to £100 million of recycled funding from the Green Homes Grant Vouchers, depending on take up.
The £300 million extra funding for green home upgrades brings the total spending on energy efficiency measures to £1.3 billion, exceeding the Government’s manifesto commitment of £1 billion. The scheme has clearly helped raise awareness of green home measures, and improved demand for a range of clean heat and energy saving installations.