Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 introducing legislation in order to prevent price gouging and strengthen consumer protection in case of rare and unexpected events.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government is committed to tackling consumer rip-offs and bad business practices, including profiteering.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) monitors firms suspected of profiteering to challenge unjustifiable price increases and takes enforcement action where there is evidence that competition or consumer protection law has been broken.
Through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill, government has committed to give the CMA administrative enforcement powers to tackle businesses not treating customers fairly, bolstering protections for consumers across the economy.
The Government continues to monitor the operation of consumer markets and keeps all options under review to ensure good value and service for consumers.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) independent and chain pubs, (b) breweries and (c) distilleries in (i) Shropshire, (ii) Telford and (iii) Wrekin.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
This Department is working with the Hospitality Sector Council to deliver on our Hospitality Strategy to improve the resilience of hospitality businesses, including pubs and breweries across the UK.
The Government recognise that hospitality businesses are facing cost pressures driven by global factors, including high energy and cost of living pressures.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that businesses are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced in his Autumn Statement a range of measures to support firms with business rates worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years, including increased and extended Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief. This is the most generous in year business rates relief in over 30 years, outside of Covid-19 support.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 to ensure that people living in blocks of flats with one main electrical meter and separate sub-meters in each flat will receive support under the (a) Energy Bills Support Scheme and (b) Energy Price Guarantee.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Prices Bill introduced on 12th October includes provisions that will require landlords and other intermediaries to pass the benefits they receive from the energy price support on to their tenants and end users as appropriate. Further details of the requirements under this legislation will be set out in regulations.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how park home residents will be able to access the £400 support for energy bills that will be provided to consumers not reached through the Energy Bills Support Scheme; and when he plans to make that support available.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for St Albans on 22nd September to Question 48498.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (a) how and (b) when households which use heating oil will be able to access (i) the equivalent of £400 support for energy bills being provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme and (ii) the additional £100 payment to compensate for the rising cost of heating oil.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) delivers a £400 non-repayable discount to households with an electricity meter. For those not on standard gas or electricity contracts the EBSS Alternative Fund will provide equivalent support. We are working quickly with a range of organisations, such as local authorities, as well as Devolved Administrations and across UK Government, to finalise the details and have the process up and running for applications this winter.
The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) will provide a one-off payment of £100 to households that use alternative fuels for heating instead of mains gas. Eligible households in Great Britain will receive £100 credit on their electricity bill this winter.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 meet with the UK Warehousing Association to discuss the potential merits of placing solar panels on the UK's public and private warehousing stock to help tackle climate change and improve energy security.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I would be delighted to meet with the UK Warehousing Association to discuss the installation of solar panels on the roofs of warehouses in the UK.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that residents on park home sites in Shropshire receive the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount in circumstances where the site owner is the energy account holder and residents pay their energy bills to the site owner.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On 29 July, the Government set out further details of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by EBSS, such as park homes residents.
The Government will be announcing details in the Autumn for how these households will receive the £400 of support
This support will be provided alongside the ‘Energy Price Guarantee’ which will mean a typical UK household will pay, on average, no more than £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years.