Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 taking steps to legislate for more energy efficient homes.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government remains committed to the Clean Growth Strategy ambition to upgrade as many homes as possible to EPC Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.
In the Net Zero Strategy, the department committed to consult on phasing in higher minimum standards across all sectors to meet this ambition.
The Government has already consulted on raising the energy performance standard in domestic private rented sector to EPC Band C and how mortgage lenders could support homeowners in making upgrades. The Government will publish its response in due course.
The Government will then seek primary powers to enable a long-term regulatory framework to improve the energy performance of homes.
Huge progress is already being made to increase the energy efficiency of UK homes. In 2008, just 14% had an Energy Performance of C or above, however it is now at 46% and rising.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the value of Russian energy imported to the UK for the latest twelve month period for which data is available.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK and its international partners stand united in condemning the Russian state’s outrageous attack on Ukraine as a clear breach of international law and the UN Charter.
The UK is not dependent on Russian gas. In 2021, less than 4% of the UK’s gas supply was Russian gas, via liquified natural gas imports.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much of the £20 billion in funding for research and development announced in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will be allocated to TB treatments and vaccines.
Answered by George Freeman
Following the Spending Review, BEIS is currently working to set detailed R&D budgets through to 2024/25. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure labour rights are enforced for all workers regardless of immigration status.
Answered by Paul Scully
All workers who are legally working in the UK enjoy the full protection of UK employment law. Migrant workers are also entitled to the same protections under health and safety legislation as any other worker.
While most employment rights are enforced by an individual through an employment tribunal, the state has an important role to play in protecting the most vulnerable workers from exploitative practices.
We spend over £35million a year on enforcement covering:
The Government has also now committed to establish a single enforcement body for employment rights, which will bring together the three existing bodies to better protect vulnerable workers and create a level playing-field for the majority of employers complying with the law.