Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to support businesses using seasonal workers to remain viable in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
BEIS continues to engage across the business population to ensure their priorities are reflected and that businesses have the latest information on how to prepare themselves for Brexit, including through a targeted series of roadshows and events.
In a no deal scenario, there will be a transitional period before a new immigration system commences in 2021. The Government announced the details of these transitional immigration arrangements on 4 September 2019 and they are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-deal-immigration-arrangements-for-eu-citizens-moving-to-the-uk-after-brexit
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
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 is taking to ensure fuel supplies for London and the South East in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
If the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement, supplies of crude oil, fuel, and important chemicals for refineries are expected to remain available through the UK’s diverse supply chains from Europe and the rest of the world.
The Government has been working closely with the fuel industry to minimise the risks from leaving the EU on fuel supplies. The Government also has a long-standing fuel supply contingency programme that includes measures that can be deployed in support of industry to maintain supplies.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
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 ensure people on low-incomes will not be adversely affected by increased fuel prices in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government believes that it is essential that consumers get a fair deal and that a competitive market is the best way to keep prices low. Fuel pricing is subject to UK competition law, and I expect the Competition and Markets Authority to keep the market under review.
Government provides support to help low income households with their energy costs. Over 2 million low income and vulnerable households will receive a rebate of £140 off their winter energy bill through the Warm Home Discount. In addition all pensioner households receive a Winter Fuel Payment of up to £300. Support to upgrade the energy performance of homes is also available through the Energy Company Obligation. Since 2018 this £640m per year scheme has been focused on low income and vulnerable households.
The price of crude oil, traded through liquid international markets, is the main driver of changes in the national average retail prices of fuels such a petrol, diesel and heating fuels. Other factors include currency exchange rates and the balance of supply and demand for these fuels in the wholesale petroleum products markets. The UK benefits from a diverse range of import sources alongside UK domestic production and will continue to do so after we leave the EU.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
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 written to all suppliers of heat networks asking them to sign up to the Heat Trust.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
I can confirm that my rt. hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry) wrote to heat network suppliers in April 2019, reaffirming our intention to regulate the heat network sector in light of recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority. In her letter, she encouraged all owners or operators of heat networks not currently signed up to the voluntary Heat Trust to do so in order to improve their consumers’ experiences and build on existing good practice ahead of regulation. She also asked them to consider the role the Energy Ombudsman may provide in addressing disputes between consumers and companies. The letter is also publicly available on the Government website.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if it is his Department's policy not to review the limits on seismic disturbance.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Traffic Light System for monitoring induced seismicity was introduced after consideration of advice from three scientists, following operations at Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall site in 2011. The level of magnitude 0.5 at which operators must pause operations, was set in consultation with industry as an appropriate precautionary measure. These regulations have been working as intended and there are no plans to review the traffic light system.