Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on tackling the availability of counterfeit electrical goods on online platforms.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government takes the issue of IP infringement seriously, including counterfeit electrical goods. The Intellectual Property Office works closely with law enforcement and government partners such as Trading Standards and Border Force to prevent counterfeit electrical goods from being sold in the UK. Industry initiatives such as the Real Deal have also reduced the availability of counterfeit electrical goods at local markets and online marketplaces.
The Police IP Crime Unit, launched in September 2013, has had a significant impact having investigated intellectual property crime worth more than £100 million and suspended over 30,000 internet domains. Ongoing enforcement initiatives include Operation Beorma tacking counterfeits and organised crime groups, and work by National Trading Standards and the Intellectual Property Office to deal with the risks posed by sellers who use self-storage units to distribute counterfeit items.
BEIS officials have also met online retailers to discuss the availability of counterfeits on their platforms and to help co-ordinate law enforcement action against sellers.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What steps his Department is taking to help facilitate the smooth opening of high street businesses under Step Two of the Government's roadmap for the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have established a weekly ‘Reopening Retail Working Group’ to bring together businesses, Local Authorities, PHE, the police and relevant Departments to discuss the operational challenges of reopening and to agree practical steps that can be taken to support this.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 develop a road map to support the wedding sector to open up in a safe and controlled manner following the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 22 February, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister published the Government’s COVID-19 Response-Spring 2021. The roadmap is a step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England gradually, starting with education. Across the four steps, the roadmap sets out the sequencing and indicative timing for easing restrictions, including those on the wedding sector.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made in holding discussions with the wedding sector to respond to its needs during the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and jobs in the sector.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 potential merits of requiring British manufacturers to clearly market the origin of their product on their items to assist buyers to consider buying British brands.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products. Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 with his Cabinet colleagues to develop a road map to support the trading of the hospitality and tourism sectors in 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government has worked closely with the hospitality and tourism sectors to understand the impact of the pandemic on their businesses. In 2021 we will continue to provide a package of support including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants, additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses and the Cultural Relief Fund. We keep all support under review.
In the Global Travel Taskforce Review, the Government committed to producing a Tourism Recovery Plan. This is being led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 potential merits of creating a Hospitality and Tourism Recovery Fund to help support the recovery of those sectors after the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government has worked closely with the hospitality and tourism sector to understand the impact of the pandemic on their businesses.
Hospitality and tourism businesses have been able to benefit from Government support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants, additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses and the Cultural Relief Fund.
On 5 January, when the new National Lockdown began, the Chancellor announced a one-off top up grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the spring. A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses.
The Government has announced that it intends to publish a Tourism Recovery Plan, and we will bring forward further details in due course.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 effect of covid-19 outbreak and national lockdowns on the length of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending that scheme until December 2022.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Green Homes Grant installers may continue to carry out installations in people’s homes during the national lockdown provided they follow the government guidance for working safely in other people’s homes.[1]
We understand that some customers may not feel comfortable having an installer visit their home during a period of national lockdown. To reduce risk, installers can provide a quote remotely using a video call or detailed photographs, rather than physically attending a customer’s home.
In November, the scheme was extended from March 2021 to March 2022 to give customers longer to complete home improvements under the grant. We do not currently have plans to extend the scheme beyond this date but keep the scheme under continual review.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes#national-lockdown
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 level of take up of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme launched for applications on 30 September and as announced on 18 November, will run until 31 March 2022. As of 13 January, the number of grant applications within (a) and (b) are as follows:
(a) Leicestershire County - 1,641
(b) Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council - 94
The value presented in (a) Leicestershire County is inclusive of (b) Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 support retail workers encourage public compliance of covid-19 restrictions in retail premises.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Safer Workplaces guidance includes robust health and safety measures to ensure businesses are supported or, where required, challenged. Alongside legal requirements covered in the guides, they outline the enforcement powers held by the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities.