Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many SMEs in East Yorkshire constituency have received Government financial support during the cost of living crisis.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Businesses in East Yorkshire will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of the National Insurance rise, which will save SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect small businesses from high energy costs over the winter. In addition, the Recovery Loan Scheme is available to SMEs across the UK. The government is also providing financial support for business through the Start Up loan scheme - 179 SMEs in East Yorkshire have received loans to the value of £1,629,934 as of October 2022.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans has has to bring forward new policy proposals to increase the use of wave energy generation; with reference to the Wave Hub marine renewable infrastructure project off the South coast, whether he plans to support new wave energy development in the North of England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
Wave energy technologies remain at the pre-commercial stage of development. The Government continues to support research and innovation in wave and tidal energy, having allotted more than £80m to this field since 2010. The Government monitors very closely the progress of the sector and when wave energy technologies can demonstrate cost-efficiency and proof of scalability the Government will consider how best to further support the technology’s development and deployment.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 (a) frequency of power surges when Distribution Network Operators erroneously supply electricity outside the allowed fluctuations and (b) potential effect of those fluctuations on the safety of electric vehicle charging points; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Electricity System Operator is responsible for keeping the overall frequency and voltage of the GB electricity network within the statutory limits and publishes annual data on system excursions. Conditions on the electricity distribution network, or internal wiring at a premises, can alter the voltage at a specific Electric Vehicle (EV) charging point. EV charging points are designed to operate over wide voltage and frequency ranges. They are also fitted with internal protective devices to limit damage should excursions exceed safe limits. Should any customers have concerns about voltage management at their premises, they can raise them with their Distribution Network Operator for investigation.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 volume of debris and space junk including obsolete satellites that are orbiting the earth; what assessment he has made of the potential danger such items in orbit pose to (a) human life and (b) operational satellites in orbit; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Freeman
The UK is the leading contributor to the European Space Agency’s Space Safety programme, who estimate there may be more than 36,000 pieces of space debris in orbit larger than 10cm. This is just the number we can reliably track, there are likely to be many millions of smaller objects:
https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers.
Debris and the risk it poses to UK satellites is monitored 365 days of the year by the UK Space Agency and Ministry of Defence. The UK is taking action on space debris by enhancing our national capabilities to warn of dangerous collisions in orbit and agree new international rules on sustainable operations in space.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 bring into force the provisions of the Easter Act 1928 to fix the date of Easter from 2023 onwards.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Easter Act 1928 would set the date for Easter to fall between 9 and 15 April each year. The Easter Act 1928 remains on the Statute Book, but has not been brought into force. Doing so would require an Order in Council with the approval of both Houses of Parliament. The Act also requires that, before the Order is made, "regard shall be had to any opinion officially expressed by any Church or other Christian Body." There is no indication that the Churches are keen to move to a fixed Easter.