Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many grants have been awarded under the Green Homes Grant scheme in North West Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Official statistics for the Green Homes Grant (Voucher) Scheme were released on 18 March. From this release, 27 vouchers were issued in the North West Norfolk Parliamentary Constituency, up to the end of February.
The figure above represents the number of measures approved for installation under the scheme, with a voucher for each measure awarded to the customer.
The next statistical release will be published on 22 April.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households in North West Norfolk constituency have applied to the Green Homes Grant scheme to date.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Official statistics for the Green Homes Grant (Voucher) Scheme were released on 18 March. From this release, 78 applications were received from households in the North West Norfolk Parliamentary Constituency, up to the end of February.
The figure above represents the number of household applications that have not been withdrawn or rejected from the scheme.
The next statistical release will be published on 22 April.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 increase the maximum permitted state aid limit of support that a business can receive under the Covid-19 Temporary Framework for UK Authorities.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under the Covid-19 Temporary Framework for UK Authorities aid of up to €800,000 can be awarded to businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
On 20 October, UK authorities submitted a notification to the European Commission to take advantage of a new measure under the European Commission’s Temporary Framework. This new measure would enable greater support to companies facing a decline in turnover during the eligible period of at least 30% compared to the same period of 2019, due to the pandemic. The support will contribute to a part of the beneficiaries' fixed costs that are not covered by their revenues, up to maximum amount of €3 million per business.
The European Commission is currently considering the notification and will provide a response in due course.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the new Green Homes Grant scheme will be available to the owners and tenants of (a) park homes and (b) other mobile homes.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Park homeowners (for residential sites including Gypsy and Traveller sites) are eligible for the Green Homes Grant scheme. Further details regarding eligibility, terms & conditions et cetera will be published in due course.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What steps his Department is taking to enable (a) beauty salons and (b) other businesses to conduct facial treatments in a covid-secure way.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have worked closely with the sector and public health experts to ensure we now have the confidence that these services can resume safely on 1 August and in line with COVID-secure guidelines.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 Public Health England's assessment of the scientific evidence on which the Government has instructed that beauty salons are not permitted to carry out facial treatments under covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Ministerial Taskforces have been getting scientific input from Public Health England (PHE), who have been directly involved in the taskforce meetings, helping to resolve scientific issues as they draft the guidance. Each individual working group which produced the guidance published on 11 May had active PHE presence, and each set of guidance was produced in collaboration with them, the Health and Safety Executive and other Departments. That model was followed for both the pubs and restaurants, close contact services, and non-essential retail taskforces. The PHE staff who have supported the BEIS taskforces are in regular direct contact with those attending SAGE and have access to the PHE SAGE read-outs. They have endeavoured to reflect closely the SAGE recommendations and have also been responsible for putting some subjects pertinent to BEIS discussions to SAGE, such as persistence of COVID-19 on surfaces, and consideration of social distancing requirements under different scenarios. SAGE information is shared on its website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 estimate the proportion of beauty industry sector turnover that is derived from facial treatments.
Answered by Paul Scully
We do not currently hold accurate information on the proportion of the beauty industry sector turnover that is derived from facial treatments.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish covid-19 guidance for businesses in the hospitality sector on how to re-open safely.
Answered by Paul Scully
We launched our pubs and restaurants taskforce on 11th May to develop new guidelines for their reopening where and when it is safe to do so.
As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in the roadmap, it is our ambition to allow such businesses (subject to the scientific and medical advice) from 4th July. Our intention is that any new guidance will precede this.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish covid-19 guidance for pubs on how to re-open safely.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government launched our pubs and restaurants taskforce on the 11th of May to develop new guidelines for their reopening where and when it is safe to do so.
As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in the roadmap, it is our ambition to allow such businesses (subject to the scientific and medical advice) from the 4th of July. Our intention is that any new guidance will precede this.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 paragraph 5.5 of the Government's guidance, Working safely during COVID-19 in shops and branches, last updated on 25 May 2020, what reason it is advised that clothes and shoes that have been handled should be placed in a container or separate room for storage for 72 hours or cleaned prior to be returned for display on the shop floor whereas other products in essential retail stores are not subject to such advice.
Answered by Paul Scully
The guidance is designed to help employers, workers and the self-employed understand how to work safely, including what employers need to think about to adapt a workplace to manage risk in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
We worked closely with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive to develop this guidance and continue to be guided by the science, so we do not put lives at risk.
We will keep the guidance under review and will consider updating it as circumstances change. We are being led by the science and we will make changes to the guidance when they are needed as determined by the science and as we learn best practices from businesses.