Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the proposals of the trustees of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme to guarantee beneficiaries bonuses.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
We are considering the proposals from the Trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme regarding protection for bonuses that have already accrued, and we will report back to the House in due course.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the number of beneficiaries of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme who also receive pension credit.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Information on individual pensioners is not held by the Department. Management of the individual of pensions is a matter for the Mineworkers Pension Scheme Trustess.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the potential effectiveness of the proposal of the trustees of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme to guarantee beneficiaries' bonuses.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
We are considering the proposals from the Trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme regarding protection for bonuses that have already accrued, and we will report back to the House in due course.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is to introduce a ban on the sale of plastic backed (a) fridges, (b) freezers and (c) fridge freezers.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Action to improve the safety of fridges and freezers has been led by the UK at a global level. The UK Government worked closely with the British Standards Institution and the International and European Standardisation Committees to update the fire safety requirements in the Standard for refrigeration appliances which has applied since 11 July 2019.
The essential safety requirements which must be met for fridges and other white goods are set out in the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. From 11 July 2019, any business using the revised Standard for refrigeration appliances to demonstrate compliance with legal safety requirements under the Regulations, will need to ensure their appliances pass the tests introduced in the revised Standard. Refrigeration appliances using flammable materials will not pass the tests introduced in the new Standard.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what date her Department took the decision to ban the manufacture of plastic backed (a) fridges, (b) freezers and (c) fridge freezers.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Action to improve the safety of fridges and freezers has been led by the UK at a global level. The UK Government worked closely with the British Standards Institution and the International and European Standardisation Committees to update the fire safety requirements in the Standard for refrigeration appliances which has applied since 11 July 2019.
The essential safety requirements which must be met for fridges and other white goods are set out in the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. From 11 July 2019, any business using the revised Standard for refrigeration appliances to demonstrate compliance with legal safety requirements under the Regulations, will need to ensure their appliances pass the tests introduced in the revised Standard. Refrigeration appliances using flammable materials will not pass the tests introduced in the new Standard.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
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 facilitate cross-governmental co-operation on tackling climate change.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Tackling climate change is a shared endeavour between all Government departments. BEIS Ministers and officials regularly engage with their counterparts across government on clean growth matters including delivery of the Clean Growth Strategy and progress against our carbon budgets.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
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 responses to the September 2016 Consultation on Updating the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We intend to publish the responses received to the Consultation alongside the Government’s response, which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Coventry East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what scientific advice has been sought from environmental scientists by the Office for Product Safety and Standards as part of the review of the use of flame retardant chemicals in domestic upholstery.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is reviewing the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 to ensure they respond to developments in furniture design, innovation, manufacturing processes and environmental and health concerns while maintaining fire safety protections.
We have also developed scientific and technical expertise within the Office for Safety and Standards and are taking account of the body of relevant scientific research, including engaging with environmental scientists and commissioning research from external sources. We have sought expert and scientific advice from a range of sources, including from leading fire safety experts, Government Chief Scientific Advisors, and British Standards Institution technical standards committees.