Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
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 Answer of 6 November 2017 to Question 110674, what the deadline is for making a decision on whether EU Structural and Investment projects that have been signed since the Autumn Statement 2016 meet the criteria for providing strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.
Answered by Margot James
Government departments responsible for EU Structural and Investment Funds assess whether projects provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities as part of their processes for approving projects. Therefore, all EU Structural and Investment Funds projects signed to date, including those signed after Autumn Statement 2016, will be guaranteed by the Government after the UK leaves the EU.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
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 commitment in the White Paper entitled, the United Kingdom's exit from. and new partnership with, the European Union to fully fund all European structural and investment funds projects signed, or with funding agreements that were in place before the Autumn Statement 2016, what estimate he has made of the value of contracts supported by European structural and investment funds for the financial year ending March (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.
Answered by Margot James
Individual European Structural and Investment (ESI) Fund managing authorities (DCLG, DWP and Defra for programmes in England, the Devolved Administrations in the rest of the United Kingdom and HM Government of Gibraltar) have responsibility for signing contracts under ESI Fund programmes. These contracts are signed by managing authorities as part of operational programmes agreed with the European Commission.
EU Structural and Investment projects that were signed before Autumn Statement 2016 will be guaranteed by the Government after the UK leaves the EU. In addition, those signed in the period after Autumn Statement 2016, but before we leave the EU will also be guaranteed by the Government after the UK leaves, where they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.
To date, managing authorities in England have signed contracts in place for the following ESI Fund programmes:
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – England: £1,220m as of September 2017.
European Social Fund (ESF) – England: £1,326m as of September 2017.
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) – England: £2,510m as of June 2017.
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (UK wide): £100.8m as of September 2017.
Many of these contracts will continue into the 2018, 2019 and 2020 financial years.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with energy suppliers on ensuring that consumers who have smart meters installed are not faced with additional costs when changing supplier.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
If a consumer with a first generation (SMETS1) smart meter switches to an energy supplier who is not able to maintain their smart service on switching, the consumer will not face any additional costs.
Work is currently underway to bring SMETS1 meters into the national communications network, so that consumers can keep their smart services when they switch supplier.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
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 oral Answer of 2 November 2016, Official Report, column 879, what steps his Department has taken to use 2011 census classifications, including on Gypsies and Travellers, to audit racial disparities in public service outcomes.
Answered by Margot James
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 11 July 2017 to Question UIN 3079.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
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 the Emissions Reduction Plan.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government’s intention is to publish the plan as early on in 2017 as possible in order to move on to the delivery stage.