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, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK's trade relationship with (a) Bangladesh and (b) other Commonwealth countries of BHS going into administration.
Answered by Anna Soubry
We have made no specific assessments.
Bangladesh is the second largest manufacturer of garments around the world after China, at $26 billion per annum and ready-made garments make up around 81% of total merchandise exports from Bangladesh. If business is lost to Bangladesh from BHS, it is unlikely to have a significant impact at the national level.
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 Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government is taking to bring the cost of pre-payment meters into line with other payment methods such as direct debit.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
Energy suppliers are required under the terms of their licence to ensure that any differences in charges only reflect the higher levels of costs to serve pre-payment meter customers.
I welcome the positive steps some energy suppliers are taking to offer better prepayment meter tariffs including offering the same prices as direct debit customers. Nevertheless, we share the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) concern that there is still a limited choice of tariffs for pre-pay customers compared to direct debit and standard credit. The CMA’s final report is due to be published shortly.
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 Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it her Department's policy to replace the Green Deal with a scheme to improve energy efficiency in able-to-pay households, in addition to the post-2017 Energy Company Obligation and extension to the Warm Home Discount announced as part of the Spending Review.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
We intend to focus our efforts through ECO and the Warm Home Discount more effectively on the fuel poor and continue to deliver on our commitment to insulate 1 million more homes this Parliament.
We are also looking at a range of policy levers for driving take up of low carbon heat and energy efficiency in non-fuel poor households.
We have commissioned The Bonfield Review to ensure that the current quality and standards framework properly supports and protects consumers; a report will be published in Spring 2016.
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 Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on reforming the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as a result of discussions with her EU counterparts and the recent COP21 climate conference.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The Government strongly supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Ministers and officials have discussed this recently with counterparts in other Member States, as well as with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and industry representatives. At the recent COP21 climate conference in Paris in December 2015 Ministers also participated in a session to promote the EU ETS and strengthen links to other national and international ETS. Whilst the Commission has not indicated an intention to change its proposals for the next phase of the EU ETS in light of Paris, the global climate deal means robust reforms of the EU ETS are now even more important.