Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 taking to secure UK covid-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity and protect those manufacturing establishments from flood, fire, malfunction and other security threats.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government takes security extremely seriously and is ensuring all necessary steps are taken.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the decision by Pfizer to make changes to manufacturing processes of its covid-19 vaccine to boost production will affect the distribution of that vaccine to the UK from late January to early February 2021.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Vaccines are a precious resource and are in very high demand across the world; therefore, for security reasons it is not possible to provide detail about the size of our supplies or give exact detail about future deliveries.
We have been monitoring the requirements across the supply chain from supplier through to patients for some time. All vaccine candidates’ supply and onward deployment have clear supply chain plans across the value chain, including materials, manufacturing, transportation, storage, and distribution.
As of 18 January 2021, over 4.6 million people in the UK had been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine. We are in the process of understanding the implications of Pfizer’s announcement on 15 January regarding upgrades to its manufacturing capacity. We continue to work to meet our target of vaccinating all four priority groups, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, by the middle of February.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many vaccine manufacturing facilities (a) for the production of raw materials, active ingredients, coupling and formulation and (b) for fill and finish there are in the UK; and how many of those facilities are being used for covid-19 vaccine production.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We have been monitoring the requirements across the supply chain from supplier through to patients for some time. All vaccine candidates’ supply and onward deployment have clear supply chain plans across the value chain, including materials, manufacturing, transportation, storage, and distribution.
Three of the UK's seven COVID-19 vaccines are being manufactured in the UK. The Government has worked closely with the manufacturers to ensure that we have sufficient capacity secured.
The Government has also invested over £300 million in securing and scaling up the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to this pandemic.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many bio-reactors used in vaccine production there are in the UK; and how many of those bio-reactors are being used for covid-19 vaccine production.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We have been monitoring the requirements across the supply chain from supplier through to patients for some time. All vaccine candidates’ supply and onward deployment have clear supply chain plans across the value chain, including materials, manufacturing, transportation, storage, and distribution.
Three of the UK's seven COVID-19 vaccines are being manufactured in the UK. The Government has worked closely with the manufacturers to ensure that we have sufficient capacity secured.
The Government has also invested over £300 million in securing and scaling up the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to this pandemic.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 support the steel recycling sector during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department has been in close contact with the metals recycling sector during this challenging period. The sector has seen a reduction to material flows throughout the economy, which is impacting their output.
The metals recycling sector has made use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and we have also promoted the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, alongside other business support schemes.
The Government is mindful of the important role that the metals recycling sector plays in keeping our economy moving and we continue to be receptive to their concerns.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what impact analysis her Department prepared (a) from 1 January 2018 to 23 July 2019 and (b) since 23 July 2019 as a result of discussions at EU XTP and EU XTPO committees on business supply chains as part of preparations for Operation Kingfisher, and if she will place copies of those analyses in the Library.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) China and (c) Russia on reducing their cumulative CO2 emissions.
Answered by Claire Perry
The UK continues to demonstrate the strong leadership needed to tackle climate change, both at home and abroad. As an issue of significant public and international importance, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I regularly meet with their international counterparts to discuss a range of issues including climate change. As the Cabinet Minister most directly responsible for climate change, I regularly attend major international climate meetings, recently at COP24 in Poland.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 effect of (a) Post Office and (b) Crown Post Office closures on the local economy in England and Wales.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.
The management of the Post Office network is an operational matter for the Post Office Limited who are responsible for maintaining the network of branches and achieving the accessibility criteria set by Government. The Post Office does not have a branch closure programme, rather they are franchising branches to ensure services remain in communities and are actively looking for areas of the country where there is a demand for Post Office services, with over 350 local branches opened since April 2017 in new locations. Branches can sometimes close for reasons beyond the Post Office’s control and when this happens the Post Office seeks to restore services for the communities affected.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 taking to ensure compatibility of smart meters with different energy suppliers to encourage customers to switch to cheaper tariffs.
Answered by Claire Perry
Energy suppliers are currently transitioning from the first generation of smart meters to the new SMETS2 smart meters that can be used across energy suppliers from the point of installation.
Work is also underway to enrol the first generation of smart meters into the national Data and Communications Company (DCC) which will allow the SMETS1 smart meters to be used by all energy suppliers.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 is undertaking a review of the Working Time Directive.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is not undertaking a review of the Working Time Directive. The European Commission has recently undertaken such a review and the results are available on its website.