Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 reconvene the Steel Council as soon as possible with the intention of implementing a NetZero steel strategy.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Since taking up his role, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has prioritised engaging with steel companies, local MPs and other interested parties from the sector.
The Secretary of State and I are now carefully considering the best way we can work collectively together over the coming period to secure the best outcomes for our steel industry.
In the meantime, I will hold regular meetings with the steel sector, with the initial meeting due to take place before the end of the year.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 make it his Department's policy to support measures to reduce electricity prices for the steel sector beyond the six-month energy price cap announced in October.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government recognises that businesses are feeling the impact of high global energy prices, particularly steel producers. I am pleased that steel companies will benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme over a six-month period. The Government will publish a review into the operation of the scheme by the end of the year to inform decisions on future support after March 2023.
This scheme is in addition to extensive support we have provided to the steel sector to help with energy costs, worth more than £800 million since 2013.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a UK steel innovation fund using industry funding returned from the EU Research Fund for Coal and Steel following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government recognises the importance of research and development in helping to transform the steel sector as part of the cleaner, greener economy being developed in the UK.
Our ongoing support for the sector’s low-carbon development includes access to over £1 billion in competitive funding to support industry with energy efficiency, decarbonisation, low carbon infrastructure and research and development. This is in addition to the £780m we have provided the steel sector since 2013 to help with energy costs.
The Government will continue to work with the sector to support their long-term transition.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 were switched to prepayment by their energy supplier (a) under warrant and (b) via smart meter in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (d) 2022 to date.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The independent regulator Ofgem collects data on prepayment meters (PPM) and has provided this information.
| PPMs installed for debt on a warrant visit - Elec | PPMs installed for debt on a warrant visit - Gas |
2019 | 34,047 | 33,050 |
2020 | 11,265 | 9,485 |
2021 | 27,754 | 21,798 |
| Smart - Number remotely switched credit to PPM (debt or not debt) - Elec | Smart - Number remotely switched credit to PPM (debt or not debt) - Gas |
2019 | 65,565 | 36,194 |
2020 | 56,488 | 38,899 |
2021 | 108,012 | 152,118 |
Up to 30/06/2022 | 74,637 | 49,426 |
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport 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 their Department is taking to reduce the time taken to respond to (a) written parliamentary questions and (b) correspondence from Members of Parliament.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Department is committed to responding to Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and correspondence in a timely manner. Between May and July inclusive, on average over 95% of PQs and 81% of enquiries from Members of Parliament were answered on time by BEIS, exceeding its departmental performance standard.
To complement the work of the Parliamentary Capability Team, the department also runs tailored training sessions for BEIS staff specific to PQs to improve the quality and timeliness of our responses.
For correspondence, it has improved the efficiency of the end-to-end correspondence process and is exploring other initiatives, such as digital solutions.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government’s decision to lift the ban on fracking will also apply to land within National Parks.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Restrictions set out in the Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing Regulations 2015 and in licence conditions ensure that shale gas extraction will not be permitted in wells drilled from National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Specific Scientific Interest.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential financial impact of changes to the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount on people with disabilities who do not claim means-tested benefits.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Previously, households not in receipt of means-tested benefits would only be eligible for a Warm Home Discount rebate, if their energy suppliers set additional criteria for the Broader Group.
The Government has reformed the scheme in England and Wales from this winter. Households in receipt of means-tested benefits with high energy costs based on certain characteristics of their property will be eligible for the rebate. Around 62% of Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance recipients receive a means-tested benefit. Introducing non-means-tested benefits into the eligibility criteria would mean that many households on lower incomes would be disadvantaged.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to finalise and the eligibility statement for the 2022-2023 Warm Home Discount.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government consulted on a draft Eligibility Statement for the Warm Home Discount scheme for England and Wales over the summer. The Government is reviewing responses and will publish the final Eligibility Statement in due course.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport 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 publish the Government’s consultation on the reduction of indirect costs to industry as a result of the Renewables Obligation as outlined in the Energy Security Strategy in April 2022.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government intends to consult on the related EII exemption scheme shortly. This scheme provides exemption from a significant portion of Contract for Differences (CfD), Renewables Obligation (RO), and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) costs.