Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when will an update to the Energy National Policy Statement will be published.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In his Autumn Statement, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer said that ”the Government will continue to ensure that all infrastructure is delivered quickly through reforms to the planning system, including through updating National Policy Statements for transport, energy and water resources during 2023, and through sector-specific interventions.” The Government aims to publish the revised Energy NPSs shortly, but does not yet have a specific date for publication.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
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 plans to review the potential merits of creating a single National Policy Statement for Infrastructure.
Answered by Lee Rowley
At present, the Government has no plans to create a single National Policy Statement for Infrastructure. Our strategies for infrastructure investment and performance are set out in the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) and Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030. The NIS includes ambitious reforms to the planning system for nationally significant infrastructure projects. Proposed infrastructure investments during the next decade are set out in the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline 2021, which identifies a pipeline of projects with a value of over £600 billion. The Pipeline is updated on a regular basis.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
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 plans to review the potential merits of creating a single National Policy Statement for Energy.
Answered by Greg Hands
A review of the energy National Policy Statements is underway and the draft documents and their structure have been subject to consultation and scrutiny by Parliament. In the British Energy Security Strategy the Government committed to improve the energy planning system, including by strengthening the energy National Policy Statements. This is being taken forward as a matter of urgency and the Government will publish revised energy National Policy Statements in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
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 regulate umbrella companies.
Answered by Paul Scully
Agency workers’ rights are protected by legislation that covers employment businesses and employment agencies. Umbrella companies are not covered by this legislation, and they fall outside the remit of the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate, which is the body responsible for enforcing these protections.
The Government has committed to expand state enforcement for agency workers to cover umbrella companies. This will enable inspectors to investigate relevant complaints involving umbrella companies and take action where necessary. This will require primary legislation, which the Government will bring forward in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
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 that disinfectant products sold on the market (a) meet the highest clinical standards and (b) do not make misleading and unsubstantiated claims about their efficacy.
Answered by Paul Scully
Disinfectant products must comply with the relevant laws, depending on the products’ intended use, function, composition and how they are described and marketed. Consumer law requires traders to provide consumers with information on the main characteristics of goods. This information must be accurate and not mislead.
In May, the Office for Product Safety and Standards worked with the HSE to publish guidance for manufacturers and importers on hand cleaning and sanitising products. In order to ensure effective enforcement, the Office for Products Safety and Standards has provided training for trading standards enforcement officers on hand cleansing products and access to technical and scientific advice.
If consumers believe there has been a breach of the legislation then they should report the matter in the first instance to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133; www.citizensadvice.org/.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions the Government has had with representatives of the business travel sector during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government holds regular discussions with businesses and others to assess the impact of the covid-19 outbreak. The Government is working to find a balanced and a coordinated solution to the difficulties to the sector that have arisen as a result of covid-19.