Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 help ensure that eligible households are aware of (a) how and (b) when to apply for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On 19 December, the Government publicly announced the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding on Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vital-help-with-energy-bills-on-the-way-for-millions-more-homes-across-great-britain-and-northern-ireland. The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will open for applications in Great Britain in January 2023. In addition to this announcement, the Government has been engaging with stakeholders in order to provide communications to the groups that would be eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 estimate of the number of surviving members of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme who have (a) injuries and (b) industrial diseases caused by working in the mining industry which affect their quality of life as of 16 November 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government does not hold this information.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 estimate of the average amount by which the annual pension received by remaining members of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme would change if the surplus sharing arrangements were revised to create a (a) 70-30, (b) 90-10 and (c) 100-zero per cent split between the scheme and the Government.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Any surplus will depend on the returns on the Scheme’s investments - this will be assessed at the valuation in 2023. The Government has no current plans to change the surplus sharing arrangements.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 replacing the existing surplus sharing agreement with the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme with a new arrangement in which the Government would only receive a share of surpluses if it is required in future to contribute to the value of the scheme under the existing guarantee.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government stated in its response to the BEIS Select Committee Report, published on 29 April 2021, which made this recommendation that it would not agree to such a change as it believes the current arrangements to be fair to Scheme members and taxpayers.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the surplus sharing arrangements for the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme on the Government’s levelling-up agenda.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Scheme’s surplus-sharing arrangements mean that scheme members receive approximately 33% higher payments than they would otherwise have done. There are currently no plans for a review of the surplus-sharing arrangements. In addition, the Government guarantee ensures that pensions increase in line with RPI.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 impact of the timing of payments from the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund on people who have not yet received a payment.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department has made no such assessment. The Government recognises that those households who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier and who are not benefitting from the main Energy Bills Support Scheme are in need of energy support over the winter. The Government is working to deliver this support through the EBSS Alternative Funding as soon as possible.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the (a) national minimum wage and (b) national living wage in line with inflation.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
We have set out an ambitious target for the minimum wage to reach 2/3 of median earnings by 2024 subject to wider economic conditions. It is important that increases are evidence-based, sustainable and affordable for business. That is why we consider the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when increasing the rates as setting the minimum wage too high may lead to higher unemployment and harm the very people the policy is intended to help.