Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will meet with fireworks industry stakeholders, such as Fireworks Impact Coalition, to discuss calls for a comprehensive review of fireworks legislation.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues. I also recently met with the Scottish Government, and a number of MPs to discuss fireworks policy and hope to meet with the Fireworks Impact coalition in the near future.
The insights from these discussions, as well as other evidence gathered on the impact of fireworks will guide future action.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to adopt a UK-wide model similar to the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act (Scotland) 2022.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are currently no plans to adopt a model similar to the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Act (Scotland) 2022 on a UK-wide basis.
I recently met with Siobhian Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety in the Scottish Government to understand the impact of changes made in Scotland. In addition to this meeting, I will engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks. The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in decisions on how the Government proceeds in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made to determine whether the 120 dB noise limit for consumer fireworks is sufficient to protect animals and vulnerable people from harm.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent formal assessment of the fireworks legislation has been made including whether further restrictions on sales and use would fuel illegal trade or whether the 120 dB noise limit for consumer firework is sufficient.
I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety in October, just ahead of the fireworks season. Ensuring that these materials were shared widely helped to increase their impact. The campaign featured new guidance for those running community fireworks events, as well as social media materials that emphasised the risks associated with the misuse of fireworks.
To inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks. The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in decisions on how the Government proceeds in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment of the fireworks black market his Department has made to determine whether further restrictions on sales and use of fireworks would fuel illegal trade.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent formal assessment of the fireworks legislation has been made including whether further restrictions on sales and use would fuel illegal trade or whether the 120 dB noise limit for consumer firework is sufficient.
I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety in October, just ahead of the fireworks season. Ensuring that these materials were shared widely helped to increase their impact. The campaign featured new guidance for those running community fireworks events, as well as social media materials that emphasised the risks associated with the misuse of fireworks.
To inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks. The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in decisions on how the Government proceeds in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will conduct a review into fireworks legislation.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No recent formal assessment of the fireworks legislation has been made including whether further restrictions on sales and use would fuel illegal trade or whether the 120 dB noise limit for consumer firework is sufficient.
I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety in October, just ahead of the fireworks season. Ensuring that these materials were shared widely helped to increase their impact. The campaign featured new guidance for those running community fireworks events, as well as social media materials that emphasised the risks associated with the misuse of fireworks.
To inform any future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks, I will engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks. The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in decisions on how the Government proceeds in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she had made of the potential implications for her policies that heat batteries do not qualify for VAT relief through the Energy Saving Materials framework, while being MCS-certified and eligible for support under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in the same way as heat pumps.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent. The list of qualifying ESMs, which includes but is not limited to heat pumps, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086.
The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following tests: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; relieving the technology of VAT must be a cost effective lever for encouraging installations; and it must be practical for business to operate and for HMRC to administer.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered adding heat batteries to the list of Energy Saving Materials.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent. The list of qualifying ESMs, which includes but is not limited to heat pumps, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086.
The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following tests: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; relieving the technology of VAT must be a cost effective lever for encouraging installations; and it must be practical for business to operate and for HMRC to administer.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the proposed timeline is for the implementation of the Warm Homes Plan, and what steps are being taken to ensure collaboration with local authorities, industry stakeholders, and consumer groups in its delivery.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government remains committed to delivering the Warm Homes Plan which will be published soon. At the Autumn Budget 2024 the Chancellor announced an additional £1.5 billion of funding for the Warm Homes Plan, bringing total capital investment to almost £15 billion. This exceeds the manifesto commitment of £13.2 billion.
As part of the development of the Plan, this department has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders through a variety of different fora to ensure a wide range of views are considered.
This includes working with local authorities and social housing providers, who in March last year were allocated £1.8 billion to install energy saving measures across the country through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Local Grant.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will set out the detailed allocation plan for the additional £1.5 billion funding for the Energy Company Obligation, including the timeline for disbursement and the criteria for prioritising households.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
ECO4 has played a part in delivering clean heat technologies; however, issues identified by the NAO and PAC support a shift to a more direct, publicly-funded approach focused on technologies that cut bills and accelerate the transition to clean heat such as heat pumps, solar PV and batteries. The government is providing an additional £1.5 billion—taking planned capital investment to almost £15 billion—to upgrade low‑income homes and scale clean home‑energy technologies. Deployment will be further supported through wider policies and details of this will be set out soon in the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures are being introduced to protect and support small and medium-sized enterprises in the retrofit supply chain under the Energy Company Obligation and related schemes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
ECO4 has played a part in delivering clean heat technologies; however, issues identified by the NAO and PAC support a shift to a more direct, publicly-funded approach focused on technologies that cut bills and accelerate the transition to clean heat such as heat pumps, solar PV and batteries. The government is providing an additional £1.5 billion—taking planned capital investment to almost £15 billion—to upgrade low‑income homes and scale clean home‑energy technologies. Deployment will be further supported through wider policies and details of this will be set out soon in the Warm Homes Plan.