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1303397

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Private Rented Housing: Energy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation mandating property management companies to carry out improvements on buildings ahead of the proposed upgrade of private rented sector homes to Energy Performance Certificate Band C by 2030.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	170750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2021 answer text <p>BEIS consulted on improving the minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in England and Wales to EPC Band C. Under the Government’s recommended option, landlords would be required to reach EPC Band C for new tenancies from 1 April 2025 and all tenancies by 1 April 2028. Landlords can choose to work with a property management company to meet the regulations where appropriate, although the requirement for compliance rests with the landlord. We are currently analysing consultation responses and will publish a Government Response in due course.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 22/03/2021 16:44:53 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1351071

	registered interest
	date	18/08/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Biofuels
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of biomass energy on (a) CO2 emissions and (b) animal biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	41329
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government follows scientific advice which indicates that sustainable biomass could play a role in decarbonising the energy sector as part of a diverse renewable energy mix and in achieving net zero. Recent reports from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) all support this view.</p><p> </p><p>The UK only supports biomass which complies with strict sustainability criteria which considers a range of environmental issues including protecting the biodiversity of forests from which the biomass is sourced, irrespective of its location.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 10/09/2021 13:17:35 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1351072

	registered interest
	date	18/08/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Biofuels: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reallocating Government subsidies for biomass energy to other renewable energy sources.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	41330
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government follows scientific advice which indicates that sustainable biomass could play a role in decarbonising the energy sector as part of a diverse renewable energy mix and in achieving net zero. Recent reports from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) all support this view.</p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to remove support for electricity generation from biomass prior to 2027 for generators that are already supported under the Renewables Obligation (RO) and the Contract for Difference (CfD).</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 10/09/2021 13:18:40 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1244337

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Versarien: Loans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the recent loan given to Versarien PLC by Innovate UK with (a) Innovate UK's guidelines (b) the eligibility criteria for businesses to receive funds from Innovate UK and (c) the Government's guidance on Managing public money.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	105565
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>Graphene has the capability to become one of the sectors that will power our economic growth – and Versarien is at a crucial phase in its development as it strives to become one of the UK’s leading players in the production of graphene. Materials such a graphene can also provide a valuable contribution towards the Government’s Net Zero targets and has the potential to contribute significantly to a number of national infrastructure projects. Versarien’s G-SCALE project, which this loan will fund, will allow the firm to carry out later stage R&amp;D to enable it to supply the market with commercial quantities of graphene-enhanced materials.</p><p>Similar to many companies, Versarien seeks investment from a number of sources, including private funding. Innovate UK has a good understanding of Versarien’s business and has previously awarded the company several grants to support its development. Innovate’s loan scheme was set up to broaden the range of innovation finance support available to businesses, so they can access funding at all stages of innovation.</p><p>In order to be eligible, a business needs to show that it can afford the interest and repayments on the loan and that they cannot obtain finance from other sources such as banks and equity investors for a particular project. It is on this basis the loan was made.</p><p>Indeed, this loan was made on Innovate’s usual terms, that is an interest rate of 7.4% per annum with half of the interest deferred until the repayment period commences. Loan repayments will start 45 months after drawdown and be paid over a subsequent period of 36 months.</p><p>The loan award was made after Innovate UK’s rigorous process of innovation assessment and credit evaluation – the same level of scrutiny and assessment that accompanies any loan award that Innovate UK makes.</p><p>The assessment process for awarding the loan was compatible with the key principles set out in the guidance on Managing Public Money.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 22/10/2020 15:10:38 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1309557

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Development Aid
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of reducing the Official Development Assistance budget on (a) current and future research projects funded under ODA programmes and (b) global research partnerships.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	181450
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2021 answer text <p>The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the financial year 2021/22 ODA allocations, including determining which projects will be impacted. Our Delivery Partners have communicated with award holders setting out the next stage of the review of ODA funding this year, and to explore options for individual programmes. (Full details have been published on the UKRI website.) Due to the ongoing nature of this process, we cannot share project-level details.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the importance of supporting global research partnerships and supporting the UK research sector. Our commitment to research and innovation has been clearly demonstrated by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget announcement of increasing investment in R&amp;D across government to £14.6bn in 2021/22; and as has been set out in our Integrated Review ambitions, international collaboration is central to a healthy and productive R&amp;D sector.</p><p> </p><p>On 1<sup>st</sup> April, the Department set out an additional £250m of funding for the R&amp;D sector. As a result, UK scientists will have access to more public funding than ever before. This takes total Government investment in R&amp;D to £14.9 billion in 2021/22 and follows four years of significant growth in R&amp;D funding, including a boost of more than £1.5 billion in 2020/21.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 20/04/2021 16:55:47 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1337938

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Medicine: Research
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to (a) modernise medical research and (b) replace animal testing with human-relevant techniques.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	17857
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2021 answer text <p>As part of a modern research system, we believe that animals should only be used where there is no practical alternative. The use of animals in research is carefully regulated and remains important in ensuring new medicines and treatments are safe.</p><p> </p><p>However, we are actively supporting and funding the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs).  This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research.  Since the NC3Rs was launched it has committed £100 million through its research, innovation, and early career awards to provide new 3Rs approaches for scientists in academia and industry to use. This includes almost £27 million in contracts through its CRACK IT Challenges innovation scheme to UK and EU-based institutions, mainly focusing on new approaches for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that reduce the use of animals.</p><p> </p><p>UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funds a portfolio of research projects involving humans, human materials, animal models, and non-animal technologies. At this time, no artificial model or simulation can replicate the complexity of disease processes in a living organism and as such, whole organism approaches continue to be important; animal models are used when experimentation in human volunteers is not possible for safety or ethical reasons. However, we do recognise the increasing value of <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in silico</em> models, including organs-on-chips and 3-dimensional mini-brains, which can greatly aid the development of new healthcare innovations and also reduce, refine or replace the use of animals in research.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 24/06/2021 12:10:25 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1183286

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2020
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Renewable Energy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to commence his policy on enabling onshore wind and solar power projects.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	26189
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2020 answer text <p>Onshore wind and solar have already been deployed successfully in the UK with appropriate local support, generating enough electricity in 2018 to power over 11 million homes and producing nearly 13% of the UK’s electricity.</p><p> </p><p>Government announced on Monday 2 March that onshore wind and solar projects will be able to bid for contracts in the next Contracts for Difference allocation round planned to open in 2021. We will announce the auction parameters and auction timings in due course.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 16/03/2020 12:03:55 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1239662

	registered interest
	date	01/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Electricity Generation: Carbon Emissions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will ensure that following his consultation on contracts for difference for low carbon electricity (a) biomass plants are ineligible to compete for those contracts with offshore wind and other renewable technologies and (b) the greenhouse gas threshold and minimum efficiency requirement applied in 2018 will be included in regulations and applied to all future allocation rounds.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	98289
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2020 answer text <p>The consultation on changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme closed on 29 May 2020 and a Government response will be published in due course.</p><p> </p><p>As part of this consultation, we indicated our intention to remove biomass conversion technologies from the CfD scheme. Sustainable, low carbon bioenergy is helping the UK move to a low-carbon energy mix, increasing our energy security, and keeping costs down for consumers. We have introduced mandatory sustainability criteria for biomass generation for heat and power. This is to ensure biomass continues to support the UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and is sourced sustainably. Generators only receive subsidies for electricity output which complies with our sustainability criteria.</p><p> </p><p>The greenhouse gas (GHG) threshold and minimum efficiency requirements applied in 2018 were incorporated into the CfD Standard Terms and Conditions and so will apply to future allocation rounds.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 08/10/2020 16:59:17 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1258259

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2020
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	UN Climate Conference 2021
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what process was used to select the members of the UK COP26 team; what assessment he has made of the effect of that process on gender balance in that team; and what plans his Department has to review the selection process to ensure better representation of women in future COP teams.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	124877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2020 answer text <p>The UK is committed to championing diversity and inclusion throughout our COP26 Presidency and all civil servants in the Cabinet Office COP26 Unit have been appointed in line with Civil Service guidance and rules.</p><p> </p><p>Forty five percent of the Senior Management Team in the COP26 unit are women. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister recently appointed my Hon. Friend the Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed as the COP26 Adaptation and Resilience Champion.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 08/12/2020 17:54:28 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1351056

	registered interest
	date	18/08/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Motor Vehicles: Waste Disposal
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a dedicated scrapping system for diesel and petrol vehicles ahead of the transition towards zero emission vehicles by 2030.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	41316
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government is investing £2.8 billion to support the transition to zero emission vehicles, including to support the uptake of zero and ultra low emission cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, taxis and buses, as well funding to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces, on residential streets and across the wider roads network, to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 09/09/2021 13:11:15 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana