Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the minutes of the discussions between his Department and the Office for Product Safety and Standards in February 2020 on (a) updating and (b) removing children’s products from the scope of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Office for Product Safety and Standards is a departmental office within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We do not publish minutes of internal policy development meetings.
The Government published its response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Twentieth Report of Session 2017–19 on Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life (EAC) on 16 September 2019. It committed to reviewing the scope of the furniture and fire safety regs including baby and children’s products.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to publish a review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 in response to his Department's 2014 consultation on amendments to those regulations and the accompanying technical annex.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government consulted in 2014 and 2016 on amending the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The Government published a response to the 2016 consultation on 18 July 2019.
There are no plans to publish a review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. In its response to the 2016 consultation the Government announced that it will now develop a new approach to the regulations which is based on essential safety requirements to bring the regulations in line with modern product safety legislation.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding his Department (a) has supplied to the Hartley Anderson Group in the last year and (b) will supply to that group in the coming year for the investigation of deflagration as a method of unexploded ordnance disposal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Department’s contractor for provision of project management for the maintenance of Strategic Environmental Assessments, Hartley Anderson Ltd, commissioned the National Physical Laboratory for this project. Funding for financial year 2019-2020 totalled £221,000 (excl. VAT), which includes third party costs for munition manufacture and experimental site hire.
The funding allocated to this project to date in financial year 2020-2021 is £7,500 (excl. VAT).
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a) remit (b) purpose, (c) terms of reference and (b) membership application process is for the British Standards Institute (i) Expert Advisory Group and (ii) Working Group FW/6 on flammability performance and fire tests for furniture.
Answered by Paul Scully
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is appointed by government as the UK’s National Standards Body. Standards are voluntary and BSI is independent from government. The BSI are responsible for ensuring their standards committees are balanced and broadly represent the views of all interested stakeholders. This is formally set out in the British Standard, “BS 0: A standard for standards: principles of standardization”. Section 7 of this standard makes it clear that “committee membership is at the discretion of BSI”.
The Government announced in July 2019 that it would developing a new approach to the Furniture and Fire Safety Regulations and it will seek appropriate expert advice to inform the policy development.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps is his Department taking to ensure that it appoints a wide range of (a) stakeholders, (b) representative organisations (c) experts and (d) professionals to the British Standards Institute (i) Expert Advisory Group and (ii) Working Group FW/6 on flammability performance and fire tests for furniture.
Answered by Paul Scully
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is appointed by government as the UK’s National Standards Body. Standards are voluntary and BSI is independent from government. The BSI are responsible for ensuring their standards committees are balanced and broadly represent the views of all interested stakeholders. This is formally set out in the British Standard, “BS 0: A standard for standards: principles of standardization”. Section 7 of this standard makes it clear that “committee membership is at the discretion of BSI”.
The Government announced in July 2019 that it would developing a new approach to the Furniture and Fire Safety Regulations and it will seek appropriate expert advice to inform the policy development.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government Response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Twentieth Report of Session 2017–19 on Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life, published on 30 October 2019, HC160, if he will report on his Department’s review of the status of baby and children’s products within the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the evidence heard by that Committee on the effect of the chemicals in flame retardants on children’s health.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government published its response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Twentieth Report of Session 2017–19 on Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life (EAC) on the 16 September 2019. It committed to reviewing the scope of the furniture and fire safety regs including baby and children’s products. This remains the case.
We will consider all available evidence including that which was submitted to the EAC and we will source a wide range of expertise in consultation with Chief Scientific Advisor.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to introduce a car scrappage schemes for (a) old and (b) polluting vehicles.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government is investing a total of £2.5 billion to support consumers to make the transition to zero emission vehicles. We have no current plans to introduce a scrappage scheme.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report of the all-party group on air pollution entitled Air Quality Strategy to Reduce Coronavirus Infection, published on 29 May 2020.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
As we recover from COVID-19, the Government intends to deliver a UK economy which is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient. This includes ensuring we improve air quality while cutting emissions, for example through more building UK supply chains in low carbon transport.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
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 barriers which prevent people from working from home.
Answered by Paul Scully
As part of its ongoing work to support and promote the more widespread adoption of flexible working, Government has commissioned a programme of research. The results will be published in due course.
Since Covid-19 measures were introduced there have been high proportions of people working from home with many businesses rapidly adapting to remote working, using new technology and finding new ways of working. As we move beyond the current situation, and the economy begins to reopen, we are very keen to do more to promote flexible working in all its forms. In our manifesto we said that, subject to consultation, we would introduce measures to make flexible working the default.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
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 oral contribution of the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth of 08 January 2019, Official Report, column 153 and with reference to the Minister's oral contribution to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee on 28 November 2017, whether his Department will support onshore wind in those areas of the UK that want to deploy it.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government does not believe that new large-scale onshore wind power is right for England, and planning policy ensures new projects can only go ahead with the full backing of local communities. Planning policy for onshore wind in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the Devolved Administrations. The Government has recently made changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme to allow Remote Island Wind projects to compete for support in future CfD rounds, in keeping with our manifesto commitment.