Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to lead by example in their decision-making process on climate change by consulting with children in the UK and overseas to gain their insight as UK policies are developed and reviewed.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK COP26 Presidency is committed to amplifying the voices of young people in the UK and across the world leading up to and at COP26. My Rt. Hon. Friend the President for COP26 committed to meeting with young people in every international visit over the last year and has established the COP26 Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council. The UK is committed to COP26 being inclusive and established several advisory groups to guide planning and delivery of COP. This includes youth and civil society advisory groups co-chaired by youth representatives.
At COP26, the UL has hosted a dedicated Youth & Public Empowerment Day to elevate youth voices and demonstrate the critical role of education and empowerment to drive climate action. We worked closely with YOUNGO (the official children’s and youth constituency to the UNFCCC) to co-create the events programme for the day.
As set out in our Net Zero Strategy, we will continue to give people opportunities to participate in and shape our plans for reaching net zero.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funds have been paid by his Department to Stonewall in each of the last five years; and to what projects those funds were allocated.
Answered by George Freeman
In the last five years, the Department has paid a membership fee to Stonewall of £2,500 + VAT every year as part of the Diversity Champions programme. Membership of the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme is reviewed on an annual basis by the Diversity & Inclusion team and the LGBT+ Network and will be reviewed again ahead of the 2022-2023 financial year.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 support the Local Electricity Bill to achieve its aim of unblocking the potential for community renewable energy generation.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government agrees with the broad aims of the Local Electricity Bill but does not support it as the means to enable local energy supply. There are already mechanisms in the market to allow local supply. The current Ofgem regulatory regime allows for a company to supply a specific geographic area, and small-scale generators can also apply for a licence exemption in some cases to reduce the regulatory burdens of operating at a community level.
The Government are supporting community energy projects through the Rural Community Energy Fund and the Government will work with Ofgem to ensure that local communities can play their role in delivering Net Zero and a Green Recovery.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 terms of the funds made available to the British Academy to purchase a long lease on their building in Carlton House Terrace; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Freeman
The National Academies, including the British Academy, are an integral part of the UK’s R&D landscape and provide an important contribution to securing the UK’s status as a global science superpower. In 2018 a grant of £14m was provided to the British Academy to support the extension of the lease on their premises. This also enabled a private donation of £10m, which was conditional on the capital investment. The funding secured the Academy’s long-term future in Carlton House Terrace, close to the other National Academies, providing an intellectual and cultural hub of world-leading knowledge and expertise. In line with usual practice, the government does not publish detailed commercial terms and conditions of grant agreements with individual organisations.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2021 to Question 44165 on Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Listed Buildings, if he will publish a list of the (a) properties classified as heritage assets owned by his Department, (b) the most recent estimate of the value of those properties and (c) the annual income derived from those properties as opposed to the details of the body responsible for advising him on those properties' management.
Answered by George Freeman
The following table provides a list of heritage assets recorded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, alongside valuation and income data where available:
Property | Annual Income | Valuation 31.03.21 |
Pelham House (ID 1356190), | £120,051 | £1,045,000 |
Calder Farm Stangs Cottage (ID 1068621) | £0 | £150,000 |
Seascale Hall (ID 13360641) | £16,000 | £1,000,000 |
Berkeley Summerhouse (ID 1274730) | £0 | £1 |
Seascale Farm stone circle | £0 | £0 |
Bushy House (ID 1089870) | £0 | n/a |
Dounreay Castle (ID SM6401) | £0 | n/a |
Cnoc-na-h’Uiseig Chambered Cairn (ID SM444) | £0 | n/a |
Knock Stanger Cairn (ID SM458) | £0 | n/a |
Dragon Square Garden (ID 422271) | £0 | n/a |
Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden (ID 422272) | £0 | n/a |
Cestyll Garden (ID 301555) | £0 | n/a |
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 (a) properties classified as heritage assets by his Department, (b) most recent estimate of the value of those properties and (c) annual income derived from those properties.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is advised on the management of designated heritage assets in its portfolio by Historic England’s Government Historic Estate Unit. Further details can be found here:
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not collect or collate data on the value or income data for these assets.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 effect of rent increases at Burlington House on (a) STEM skills, (b) scientific research and (c) international scientific collaboration.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government appreciates the great work of the UK’s many great Learned Societies, including those located at Burlington House. They have made vast contributions to their respective fields over their long histories, and are vital to the networking, visibility, and overall health of the disciplines they represent.
We recognise the proposed rent increases do introduce a challenge to their current level of operations. Learned Societies are independent of government and will be best placed to make decisions on how they can best move forward and adapt to changing circumstances. We hope they will continue to make the contributions that they do to STEM skills, Scientific Research, and International Collaboration. I am aware that the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, along with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, are exploring whether there is a solution that can deliver value for taxpayers and help the Learned Societies to remain at New Burlington House.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 plans to take to ensure employees are not forced to go into workplaces that are not covid-compliant.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has provided extensive guidance for businesses and employers on how to conduct a Covid-19 risk assessment and the steps that should be taken to make the working environment Covid-secure for employees or volunteers that cannot work from home.
Under existing health and safety laws, employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.
If workers think their employer is exposing them to risks or is not carrying out their legal duties with regards to health and safety, they can report this to their local authority or the Health and Safety Executive who can take a range of actions.