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Written Question
Consumers: Protection
Tuesday 13th December 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.


Written Question
Public Houses: Shropshire
Wednesday 7th December 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate and Energy Price Guarantee: Flats
Wednesday 26th October 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes
Monday 24th October 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for St Albans on 22nd September to Question 48498.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Fuel Oil
Monday 24th October 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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.


Written Question
Warehouses: Solar Power
Tuesday 18th October 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes
Tuesday 20th September 2022

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 - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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.


Written Question
Agriculture: Land
Wednesday 2nd March 2022

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 issue guidance to local councils on the potential impact of the change of use of agricultural land for solar farms on sustainable, local food production in those areas.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises the importance of preserving greenfield land. Planning policy encourages the effective use of land by recommending the siting of large-scale solar farms on previously developed and non-agricultural land, provided it is not of high environmental value. Where projects are proposed on greenfield sites, guidance seeks to minimise the impacts on the best and most versatile agricultural land and requires developers to justify the use of any such land and ensure projects are designed to avoid, mitigate and where necessary compensate for impacts.

Solar farms and agricultural practice can co-exist. Many solar farms are constructed with raised panels that enable continued grazing of livestock. Solar energy can also help farmers raise their revenue streams from land less suited to higher value crop production.


Written Question
Electric Scooters: Import Controls
Tuesday 8th February 2022

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 is taking steps to stop the import of non-compliant e-scooters into the UK.

Answered by Paul Scully

The UK government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from unsafe goods. Manufacturers need to ensure that the e-scooter devices they place on the market meet all the product safety regulations that apply.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) works with Local Authorities and border authorities to help ensure that products imported and sold in the UK are safe and that action is taken against those who place unsafe or non-compliant products on the market.


Written Question
Copyright and Intellectual Property: Protection
Friday 22nd October 2021

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 it his policy to support the music industry through (a) improving copyright and intellectual property protection and (b) making industry representations on matters including the Credits Due campaign.

Answered by George Freeman

Government policy in this area has long been underpinned by the desire to maintain robust copyright and intellectual property protection. The copyright, and wider intellectual property, frameworks are kept under constant review to ensure they remain fit for purpose and that any changes to these are driven by evidence.

For example, the Government recently responded to recommendations from the DCMS Select Committee following its inquiry into music streaming. The response sets out the imminent launch of a package of stakeholder engagement and research aimed at better understanding and resolving some of the issues identified within the music streaming environment. The IPO and DCMS will work closely with partners on the music industry’s “Credits Due” initiative to develop options for a minimum data standard.