Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement in Budget 2021 on restart grants, when he plans to provide full details of that grant to local authorities.
Answered by Paul Scully
Guidance to Local Authorities on the Restart Grants was published on 17th March, and can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/970686/Restart_Grant_-_LA_guidance_170321.pdf.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether greeting card and gift shops, classed as non-essential retail, are permitted to offer a telephone click and collect service under covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
All shops in England are permitted to operate click-and-collect services online, by telephone/text or via post.
Customers must remain outside of the store to collect their goods.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 economic effect of green levy subsidies on low-income households.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Energy White Paper has affordability at its heart and includes measures we are bringing forward to keep bills affordable. As set out in the Energy White Paper, the average household dual fuel bill in 2019 was similar to 2010. However, the underlying costs have changed. Over the past decade, electricity prices have risen because of policy and network costs, while gas prices have fluctuated, reflecting movements in the wholesale gas price. However, consumers have used less energy, which has balanced out the cost increase. Based on the policies in the Energy White Paper, we estimate that household dual fuel bills will be, on average, broadly similar in both 2025 and 2030 to 2019.
We see improving the energy efficiency of homes as the best long-term solution to reduce energy bills and tackle fuel poverty. The Energy Company Obligation, worth £640m per year, is focused on low-income and vulnerable households. The Green Homes Grant, launched in September 2020, is a £2 billion programme which will help improve the energy efficiency of homes in England. Of the £2 billion, 500 million is allocated to the Local Authority Delivery scheme which is specifically aimed at low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households.
In addition to the available funding to support low-income households with improving the energy efficiency of their homes, we recognise that some households may need more immediate support and so also assist with energy bills for low income and vulnerable consumers through the Warm Homes Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 potential merits of different measures to lower fuel poverty in electricity dominated households.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise that electrically heated homes typically have higher energy costs, and that reducing these bills is key to addressing fuel poverty.
Improving energy efficiency is the best long-term solution to tackle fuel poverty, regardless of the heating system used. The Energy Company Obligation, worth £640 million each year, is focused on low-income and vulnerable households. The Green Homes Grant, launched in September 2020, will help improve the energy efficiency of homes in England. £500 million has been allocated under the scheme to the Local Authority Delivery scheme which is specifically for low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households.
We are also working to help fuel poor consumers transition away from forms of heating with high running costs. Heat pumps are a highly efficient, low-carbon heating solution, and benefit from government support through the Green Homes Grant and Renewable Heat Incentive. Evidence indicates that a heat pump can lower fuel bills, especially where it replaces a conventional electric heating system.
In addition to the available funding to support low-income households with improving the energy efficiency of their homes, we recognise that some households may need more immediate support and so also assist with energy bills for low income and vulnerable consumers through the Warm Homes Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating an amendment to his contract with Oxford-AstraZeneca to change its emphasis on providing vaccines on only a non-profit basis to make provision for a suitable premium for each additional dose provided in advance of agreed delivery schedules.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Details of negotiations between the Government and vaccine developers are commercially confidential. The Government robustly negotiated with suppliers to ensure the best possible terms in order to ensure access to safe and effective vaccines as soon as possible. Through this approach, the Government has secured early access to 407 million vaccines doses through agreements with seven vaccine developers – this includes 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.
The UK was the first country in the world to procure, authorise and then deploy both the Oxford University/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.
The UK vaccine supply and scheduled deliveries will fully support vaccination of priority cohorts 1 to 4, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and we are on track to offer a first vaccine to every person in these cohorts by 15 February 2021.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential default rate for SMEs that took out loans under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme; and what steps he is taking to reduce that rate.
Answered by Paul Scully
The preliminary estimate of default rates was published in the BEIS Annual Report and Accounts for 19/20, is based on losses observed in previous programmes which are similar to the Scheme. However these estimates are highly uncertain.
In order to reduce the potential default rate for SMEs, on 24th September my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Pay As You Grow measures. Under the measures, the Government will give all businesses that borrowed under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) the option to repay their loan over a period of up to ten years. This will reduce their average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. UK businesses will also have the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months (an option which they can use up to three times), or to pause their repayments entirely for up to six months (an option they can use once and only after having made six payments).
These changes will provide greater flexibility to repay these loans over a longer period and in a way that better suits businesses’ individual circumstances. A business which took out a £30,000 Bounce Back Loan would see their average monthly repayments fall from £532 to £309 (42% reduction) if they repaid the loan over 10 years rather than six. The same borrower could temporarily reduce their monthly repayments to just £63 if they switched to interest-only repayments.
The first Bounce Back Loans repayments will begin in May 2021, and businesses will have the opportunity to request these Pay as you Grow measures before their first repayments fall due.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 make it his policy not to include provision such as subsidy arrangements or preferential treatment arrangements in his industrial strategy; and to rescind such provision for negotiations of free trade agreements.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Our industrial strategy will focus on driving improved growth and productivity across the UK economy.
The strategy will support and encourage companies to trade internationally, and create a business environment that will attract overseas investors to locate for the long term, and keep the UK one of the best and most competitive places in the world to invest and export.
We will set out our plans to deliver the best international trading framework for the UK in due course.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which measures originating in the EU have an effect on the level of energy bills.
Answered by Amber Rudd
Many EU policies, energy related and wider, have the potential to impact on the level of energy bills. These include the single European market for energy, product standards to improve energy efficiency and measures to meet climate change objectives.