Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
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 ensure that residential leasehold properties that get heating and water from communal systems are not treated as commercial users of gas and are therefore covered by Ofgem’s price cap.
Answered by Greg Hands
Communal heating systems which purchase gas at commercial rates whilst supplying heating to domestic consumers were previously more cost effective for consumers, as commercial purchase rates tended to be lower than domestic ones. Unfortunately, it does mean that these consumers do sit outside the Ofgem price cap.
The Government is committed to ensuring heat network consumers receive a fair price for their heating and has committed to legislating within this Parliament to regulate the heat networks sector. In December, the Government announced that Ofgem will take on the role of regulator. Ofgem will be granted new powers to regulate prices as a matter of priority. Among the new powers granted, Ofgem will be able to investigate and intervene on networks where prices for consumers appear to be disproportionate compared with systems with similar characteristics, or if prices are significantly higher than those consumers would expect to pay if they were served by an alternative heating system.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has issued guidance on (a) landlords using energy agents to manage utility bills and (b) the rights of tenants to access information about their own billing costs.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Government’s How to Rent guide gives some general advice to tenants on paying bills: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent/how-to-rent-the-checklist-for-renting-in-england.
The How to Let guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-let/how-to-let) gives advice to landlords on bills.
Additionally, our Tenant Fees Act guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/922900/Tenant_Fees_Act_-_Tenant_Guidance.pdf) tells tenants: ‘You are responsible for your bills if these are not included within your rent. Landlords must not overcharge tenants if they pay utilities separately from the rent’.
Ofgem’s guide for tenants on how to switch energy supplier https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/how-switch-energy-supplier-and-shop-better-deal/how-switch-energy-supplier-if-you-re-tenant says that:
‘Under consumer protection law, if you are a renting a property and are directly responsible for paying the gas and/or electricity bills, you have the right to choose your own energy supplier. Your landlord or letting agent should not unreasonably prevent this’.
‘Your landlord has the right to choose your energy supplier only when they are directly responsible for paying for the gas or electricity’.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of companies that have not (a) complied with manufacturing contracts and (b) honoured the cost of orders made as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department does not have assessments of the number of companies that have not (a) complied with manufacturing contracts and (b) honoured the cost of orders made as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the Government encourages all companies to honour their contracts and orders where possible.
We are seeing examples of both good and bad payment practice from large businesses as a result of Covid-19. The Small Business Commissioner has written to individual businesses who are protecting themselves by holding back payments to suppliers and has urged them to rethink their strategy to ensure their small business suppliers can survive the negative impacts of Covid-19. Conversely, the Small Business Commissioner has written to thank those businesses showing leadership by ensuring their smallest suppliers are paid more quickly, recognising the positive steps that they are taking.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is his policy that workers from Romania brought to the UK by the Government to work in food production will be guaranteed the minimum wage.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to fair pay by ensuring workers are paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
Migrant workers who work in the UK are entitled to the NMW rate relevant to their age. Anyone concerned about underpayment of the NMW should call Acas’s confidential helpline on 0300 123 1100 or visit http://www.acas.org.uk/nmw. HMRC will look into every complaint it receives.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to ensure that the British Business Bank reduces the time taken for the accreditation process for (a) fintech banks and (b) other new lenders to be eligible to provide Government backed covid-19 loans.
Answered by Paul Scully
Accrediting new lenders for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) is a priority for the British Business Bank. The Bank is working at pace to accredit more lenders to further extend the Schemes’ reach and provide more choice for businesses whilst ensuring the accreditation process remains robust.
The Bank has put substantial additional resources in lace to create a streamlined process within the Bank to help onboard new lenders seeking accreditation as quickly as possible. For example, existing lenders accredited under the CBILS may have an expedited accreditation process for the BBLS.
There are currently 16 accredited lenders for BBLS, over 60 accredited lenders for CBILS and 10 accredited lenders for CLBILS.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
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 (a) reduce non-essential construction work (b) help ensure social distancing is observed on building sites during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Construction workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services, maintaining the nation’s infrastructure, and providing safe, decent homes for people to live in. Therefore, the Government has stated that construction work can continue where it can take place safely.
In order to help ensure that it is safe for construction workers to operate in their workplace, the Government has worked with Public Health England (PHE) to develop sector-specific guidance on social distancing. We have also worked with the Construction Leadership Council to develop Site Operating Procedures, which provide practical advice to those seeking to implement the guidance.
The Health and Safety Executive has the powers to take enforcement action if a site is not consistently implementing the measures set out by PHE.