Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
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 SMEs operating in the UK to transition to net zero.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Department is taking many steps to encourage SMEs to transition to Net Zero and to support SMEs through the barriers which prevent the transition. These steps are detailed below.
Information and engagement
Ahead of COP26, BEIS has launched the Together for Our Planet Business Climate Leaders’ campaign, which has encouraged over 1,900 small and micro businesses across the UK to join the Race to Zero by making the SME Climate Commitment.
Addressing energy efficiency
In order to help SMEs overcome barriers to investing in energy efficiency we launched the Boosting Access for SMEs to Energy Efficiency innovation competition. The competition offered up to £6m to fund the development of new, innovative market solutions that can provide businesses with tailored energy efficiency advice, as well as simplifying the energy efficiency investment processes through the creation of one-stop-shop platforms.
Access to Finance
I have recently given the British Business Bank a new mission to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by supporting access to finance for smaller businesses. Between 2014 and the third quarter of 2020 a total of £160m has been invested into clean technology businesses by equity funds backed by the British Business Bank.
Small businesses can access the government grants available for plug-in vehicles which help reduce the up-front purchase price of electric vehicles. Eligible cars, costing less than £35,000, can receive a grant of £2,500. Small vans can receive up to £3,000 and large vans up to £6,000.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
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 identify potential failures in the insolvency industry; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a single regulator and ombudsman to oversee that industry.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is currently reviewing the arrangements for regulation of the insolvency profession and will shortly publish proposals for consultation.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the British Business Bank's regional angels programme will be extended with funding from his Department.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The British Business Bank’s Regional Angels Programme provides early-stage equity capital to smaller businesses with high growth potential across the UK. The British Business Bank’s funding for the next three years will be set out at the Spending Review.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to extend the Term Funding Scheme to non-bank lenders to improve alternative financing options.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Term Funding Scheme (TFS) is a monetary policy tool of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the Government to comment on its conduct or effectiveness.
The separation of fiscal and monetary policy is a key feature of the UK’s economic framework, and essential for the effective delivery of monetary policy.
We will continue to work with non-bank lenders to support their participation in the new Recovery Loan scheme following the closure of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS).
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
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 potential merits of an exclusion order for regional mutual banks to allow those banks to scale up their offerings.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government welcomes the efforts to establish regional mutual banks in the UK. The Government is also committed to seeing a highly competitive banking sector, working in the interests of all consumers and businesses across the country, and recognises the potential of regional mutual banks in achieving this goal. HM Treasury officials have been engaging with prospective mutual banks over challenges to their establishment.
The Government has the power to relax competition rules where there are exceptional and compelling reasons of public policy to do so. The Government does not use these powers lightly as under normal circumstances, a sector should be able to operate in a way that is compatible with competition law. We will consider requests for public policy exclusion orders where the exceptional and compelling reasons of public policy have been demonstrated.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
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 considering the use of incentives to encourage the use of concrete with lower cement content.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to set a net zero target in law, and our Nationally Determined Contribution to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 is the most ambitious in the world. Delivering on this target requires the deep decarbonisation of all sectors. The Government is setting incentives to ensure a smooth transition to net zero across industry, and we are working closely with the construction sector to reduce its emissions contribution.
In June, we published the National Procurement Policy Statement. This sets out the principles that all contracting authorities need to consider when procuring goods and services, and one of these is tackling climate change and reducing waste. The Government has also published Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21 which requires suppliers bidding for major government contracts to commit to achieving net zero by 2050, and to provide emissions reporting.
In March, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) launched CO2nstructZero, a cross-industry decarbonisation programme. This prioritises development of innovative low-carbon materials including concrete, and it will advance low-carbon solutions for manufacturing production processes and distribution. The CLC will report regularly to Government on its progress against CO2nstructZero priorities.
In addition, BEIS funded the Industrial Fuel Switching Competition. The concrete and cement sectors are carrying out demonstrations of a 'zero carbon fuel mix' for cement kilns in 2021, funded by this programme. Further research funded by the BEIS Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator programme is enabling the sector to formulate and demonstrate new low carbon multi-component cements for the UK market. Through utilisation of new technologies and improved efficiency of infrastructure, the industry is set to deliver net zero concrete and cement products across all supply chains by 2050.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
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 considering the use of incentives to encourage the use of concrete with lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to set a net zero target in law, and our Nationally Determined Contribution to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 is the most ambitious in the world. Delivering on this target requires the deep decarbonisation of all sectors. The Government is setting incentives to ensure a smooth transition to net zero across industry, and we are working closely with the construction sector to reduce its emissions contribution.
In June, we published the National Procurement Policy Statement. This sets out the principles that all contracting authorities need to consider when procuring goods and services, and one of these is tackling climate change and reducing waste. The Government has also published Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 06/21 which requires suppliers bidding for major government contracts to commit to achieving net zero by 2050, and to provide emissions reporting.
In March, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) launched CO2nstructZero, a cross-industry decarbonisation programme. This prioritises development of innovative low-carbon materials including concrete, and it will advance low-carbon solutions for manufacturing production processes and distribution. The CLC will report regularly to Government on its progress against CO2nstructZero priorities.
In addition, BEIS funded the Industrial Fuel Switching Competition. The concrete and cement sectors are carrying out demonstrations of a 'zero carbon fuel mix' for cement kilns in 2021, funded by this programme. Further research funded by the BEIS Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator programme is enabling the sector to formulate and demonstrate new low carbon multi-component cements for the UK market. Through utilisation of new technologies and improved efficiency of infrastructure, the industry is set to deliver net zero concrete and cement products across all supply chains by 2050.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies research and analysis, Potential application of Air Cleaning devices and personal decontamination to manage transmission of COVID-19, 4 November 2020, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the deployment of professional air purification systems.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not received or commissioned any such independent validation and no further assessment has also been made of the potential merits for the deployment of air purification systems as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for determining future policy and regulatory action.
The Government has established a programme to improve CO2 monitoring and ventilation across public and private sector buildings to help limit transmission in autumn and winter and improve long-term pandemic resilience.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons his Department has not made an assessment of the potential benefits of professional air purification systems in indoor settings, such as hospitals where adequate ventilation, such as opening windows is not always possible or does not provide the required amount of ventilation.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not received or commissioned any such independent validation and no further assessment has also been made of the potential merits for the deployment of air purification systems as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for determining future policy and regulatory action.
The Government has established a programme to improve CO2 monitoring and ventilation across public and private sector buildings to help limit transmission in autumn and winter and improve long-term pandemic resilience.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies research and analysis, Potential application of Air Cleaning devices and personal decontamination to manage transmission of COVID-19, 4 November 2020, whether his Department has received any independent validation that UV technology in standalone air cleaners provides any additional benefits to the benefits of a leakage free high-efficiency particulate absorbing filter in such a system would give.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not received or commissioned any such independent validation and no further assessment has also been made of the potential merits for the deployment of air purification systems as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for determining future policy and regulatory action.
The Government has established a programme to improve CO2 monitoring and ventilation across public and private sector buildings to help limit transmission in autumn and winter and improve long-term pandemic resilience.