Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero about the potential for businesses to feed into the energy grid through the installation of micro-renewable energy generation systems.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a number of issues.
Business can already export low-carbon electricity back to the grid. Additionally, the Smart Export Guarantee, launched in January 2020, enables small-scale generators to receive payments from electricity suppliers for electricity which they export back to the grid, providing certain criteria are met.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the Regulatory Policy Committee’s red rating of the Government’s impact assessment for the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our legislation is sensible and proportionate and is designed to protect lives and livelihoods.
The Department is grateful for the Regulatory Policy Committee's feedback on the Impact Assessment and is currently taking their opinion into consideration, particularly the assessment of the impacts of the Bill on small and micro businesses - the only red-rated aspect of the analysis.
As stated previously, individual impact assessments will accompany consultations on the specific minimum service level for each relevant service which will be better able to assess the impacts on SMEs.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether it remains her Department's policy to (a) expand the definition of a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise to include companies with up to 500 employees and (b) consult on extending the threshold to businesses with up to 1,000 employees.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In October 2022, the Government extended the Small and Micro Business Assessment process to include a new test for medium sized businesses of up to 499 employees. This will help ensure that the impact of new and renewed regulations on these businesses are considered, and exemptions or mitigations applied where it is appropriate. There are no plans to extend the threshold further.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small rural businesses.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government has announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, including those in rural communities. This includes freezing the business rates multiplier for another year and protection for small businesses who lose eligibility for either Small Business or Rural Rate Relief through a more generous Supporting Small Business scheme worth over £500 million
Government has also reversed the National Insurance rise, introduced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, cut fuel duty for 12 months, raised the Employment Allowance to £5,000 and exempted small and micro businesses from regulations where possible.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what programmes and grants exist to support innovation in UK games studios.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the Government is committed to supporting the UK’s video game sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) (2022-25). The UKGF provides grants to support new intellectual property (IP) and talent development in the UK games sector. Its Tranzfuser programme supports graduates across the UK to develop valuable business skills. Games companies making interactive narrative games can access the International Business Development strand of the £21 million UK Global Screen Fund which provides financial support for business strategies that drive growth, as well as intellectual property support.
In addition, DCMS is delivering a £17.5 million Create Growth Programme which supports high-growth creative businesses, including games companies, to access finance across six regions in England outside of London to reach their growth potential.
The Government is also investing over £100 million to support innovation in the creative industries. This includes the £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in RealTime (CoSTAR) programme to build a new national R&D infrastructure for the screen industries and the £30 million Creative Catalyst Programme to fund small and micro creative businesses to innovate.
The Government will set out interventions to support skills and workforce development in the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision. The Government is building a skills system that is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. This includes supporting more people to complete an apprenticeship, including the Level 7 game programmer standard, or a Higher Technical Qualification, rolling out more T Levels, and establishing our network of 21 Institutes of Technology. We are also expanding our Skills Bootcamps in 2024 and are considering how games and other creative sectors can best make use of these.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants and incentive schemes exist to help video games studios start-up and grow their businesses.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the Government is committed to supporting the UK’s video game sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) (2022-25). The UKGF provides grants to support new intellectual property (IP) and talent development in the UK games sector. Its Tranzfuser programme supports graduates across the UK to develop valuable business skills. Games companies making interactive narrative games can access the International Business Development strand of the £21 million UK Global Screen Fund which provides financial support for business strategies that drive growth, as well as intellectual property support.
In addition, DCMS is delivering a £17.5 million Create Growth Programme which supports high-growth creative businesses, including games companies, to access finance across six regions in England outside of London to reach their growth potential.
The Government is also investing over £100 million to support innovation in the creative industries. This includes the £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in RealTime (CoSTAR) programme to build a new national R&D infrastructure for the screen industries and the £30 million Creative Catalyst Programme to fund small and micro creative businesses to innovate.
The Government will set out interventions to support skills and workforce development in the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision. The Government is building a skills system that is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. This includes supporting more people to complete an apprenticeship, including the Level 7 game programmer standard, or a Higher Technical Qualification, rolling out more T Levels, and establishing our network of 21 Institutes of Technology. We are also expanding our Skills Bootcamps in 2024 and are considering how games and other creative sectors can best make use of these.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants and schemes exist to help video games developers train their staff.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the Government is committed to supporting the UK’s video game sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) (2022-25). The UKGF provides grants to support new intellectual property (IP) and talent development in the UK games sector. Its Tranzfuser programme supports graduates across the UK to develop valuable business skills. Games companies making interactive narrative games can access the International Business Development strand of the £21 million UK Global Screen Fund which provides financial support for business strategies that drive growth, as well as intellectual property support.
In addition, DCMS is delivering a £17.5 million Create Growth Programme which supports high-growth creative businesses, including games companies, to access finance across six regions in England outside of London to reach their growth potential.
The Government is also investing over £100 million to support innovation in the creative industries. This includes the £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in RealTime (CoSTAR) programme to build a new national R&D infrastructure for the screen industries and the £30 million Creative Catalyst Programme to fund small and micro creative businesses to innovate.
The Government will set out interventions to support skills and workforce development in the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision. The Government is building a skills system that is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. This includes supporting more people to complete an apprenticeship, including the Level 7 game programmer standard, or a Higher Technical Qualification, rolling out more T Levels, and establishing our network of 21 Institutes of Technology. We are also expanding our Skills Bootcamps in 2024 and are considering how games and other creative sectors can best make use of these.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to include micro urban wind turbines in the Government's solar and wind strategy.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is serious about delivering cheaper, cleaner, more secure energy, and will consider all options for increasing electricity generation from renewable sources, including at the small-scale. The Government already supports small-scale onshore wind through the Smart Export Guarantee, which ensures small-scale (5MW) low-carbon electricity generators, such as homes with wind turbines, get payment for the renewable electricity they export to the grid.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support (a) venues in the events industry and (b) small business who contribute to the events industry supply chain.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has taken action to support UK SMEs in the events sector, including support with business rates; increasing the employment allowance; and exempting small and micro businesses from regulations where possible. The Government has also acted to reverse the National Insurance rise, which will save small businesses £4,200 on average and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which will protect small businesses from high energy bills over the winter.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the provision of (a) fast and (b) reliable broadband to (i) homes and (ii) business in Solihull constituency.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Gigabit broadband coverage is expanding rapidly in Solihull. According to the independent website www.thinkbroadband.com almost 98% of premises in the constituency now have access to gigabit-capable broadband, which is above the national average of 70%. Over 99% of premises in Solihull also have access to superfast broadband with speeds of at least 30 Mbps.
We are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit so homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas can access gigabit broadband. A core element of the programme is delivered through regional and local contracts that provide subsidies to broadband suppliers to build gigabit-capable infrastructure to premises that would not otherwise be reached through suppliers’ commercial plans.
Solihull is included in our regional supplier procurement for Leicestershire and Warwickshire, which we plan to launch between February and April 2023. A small number of premises in Solihull are likely to be included in the procurement, taking into account the current availability of gigabit broadband and suppliers’ build plans for the area.
Some parts of Solihull may also be included in the intervention area for our regional supplier procurement covering Birmingham and the Black Country. We are currently conducting market engagement which will help to inform us of the extent of public intervention that is required in these areas.
Some homes and businesses may also be able to apply for subsidy via the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which provides a micro-grant of up to £1,500 for residents and up to £3,500 for businesses towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband.