Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 need for people that work as gas and electricity meter readers to be working in other people’s homes during January covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
As visiting peoples’ homes is an essential part of a meter readers job, they need to ensure they follow the Safer Working guidance.
When meter readers need to enter other peoples’ homes, they should take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions such as socially distancing wherever possible, wearing a face covering or making sure there is appropriate ventilation.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s guidance on working safely during the covid-19 outbreak for (a) people that work as meter readers in other people’s homes and (b) other workers.
Answered by Paul Scully
As visiting peoples’ homes is an essential part of a meter readers job, they need to ensure they follow the Safer Working guidance.
When meter readers or other workers need to enter other peoples’ homes, they should take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions such as socially distancing wherever possible, wearing a face covering or making sure there is appropriate ventilation.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of applications to the Green Homes Grant Scheme were rejected in 2020.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
In 2020, the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme received 58,138 applications. As of 18 January 2021, 9,054 vouchers have been rejected as they did not meet the scheme criteria.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Government is providing to the aerospace industry to help ensure the survival of jobs and businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Aerospace companies have been able to access the Government’s extensive Covid-19 business support measures, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. In addition, the aerospace industry and its aviation customers are being supported with around £9 billion made available through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, grants for research and development, loan guarantees and support to exporters.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on which dates the Vaccine Taskforce has met since March 2020.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Vaccine Taskforce is a unit within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy consisting of around 200 staff. The steering group of the Vaccines Taskforce meets virtually 3 times weekly. This has been the case since May 2020.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 publish the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Vaccine Taskforce.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Vaccine Taskforce is a unit within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy consisting of around 200 staff. The Department would not usually publish minutes of individual internal meetings that are deemed commercially sensitive and whilst Government policy is being developed.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 he has made of the contribution of the civil nuclear power sector to the UK’s economy.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Nuclear Sector Deal, jointly authored by the Government and industry and published in June 2018, indicated that the nuclear sector contributes on average £12.4 billion to the UK economy each year, with each UK civil nuclear worker adding an average £96,600 in Gross Value Added (GVA).
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is he taking to ensure that safe construction methods are followed at Hinkley Point C during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Throughout the pandemic, inspectors from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) have continued to travel to the Hinkley Point C site to conduct urgent and essential regulatory inspections. These are to ensure that both the normal stringent health and safety requirements, and the COVID-19 social distancing measures, are being properly followed.
The ONR’s Chief Inspector has assured the Department that he is satisfied that EDF’s measures at the site are robust and comprehensive, and that they are being implemented and enforced appropriately.