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1300072

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Green Homes Grant Scheme
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 plans to expand the eligibility criteria of the Green Homes Grant Scheme to include people who have double glazed windows with a gap smaller than the recommended 16mm.
tabling member constituency	St Helens South and Whiston
tabling member printed	Ms Marie Rimmer
uin	164525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The list of measures currently included reflects our assessment of the best balance between economic stimulus and maximising value for householders and taxpayers, in terms of bill and carbon savings.</p><p> </p><p>We are listening to feedback on the scheme and will keep eligibility, including eligible measures, under review.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 16/03/2021 17:06:04 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4457 label Biography information for Ms Marie Rimmer

1300103

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Mathematics: 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, how much and what proportion of the £300 million allocated to experimental mathematical research in the 2020 budget has been spent; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of that funding on attracting the best global talent.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>UK Research and Innovation has made commitments totalling £100m from within this programme to date. £8m of this is currently allocated for this financial year. This includes £1.76m for PhD Studentships, the first cohort of which had 146 PhD students starting in October 2020 with 29% of these supported under increased residency eligibility flexibility afforded to international students.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 16/03/2021 15:19:37 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300104

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Coronavirus: Vaccination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2021 to Question 148771, on Vaccines: Manufacturing Industries, what steps he has taken to increase offline vaccine manufacturing infrastructure since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164460
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government has provided funding to establish Centres of Excellence for vaccines to expand the UK’s manufacturing capacity and associated advanced therapeutics. The aim is to respond to this pandemic as well as increase the UK’s pandemic preparedness for the future.</p><p> </p><p>Investments which will contribute to our future preparedness include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>£93 million to accelerate the completion and expanded capacity of the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>£127 million for the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in Braintree, Essex;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>£8.6 million for the Centre of Process Innovation (CPI) to develop Good Manufacturing Process (GMP)-ready messenger RNA (mRNA) manufacturing capability;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>As recently announced in the Budget, a further £5 million for the CPI to support their creation of a “library” of mRNA vaccines developed to tackle emerging COVID-19 variants;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Funding for the expansion of the Valneva factory in Livingston, Scotland; and</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>£4.7 million for skills training through the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network which will ensure that the UK has the skills and expertise to operate existing and upcoming facilities.</li></ul> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/03/2021 15:09:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300105

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Solar Events
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth of 18 November 2020, Official report, col 437, what steps have been taken to protect the National Grid from a solar storm.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164461
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>Great Britain has one of the most robust energy systems in the world and maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for the Government.</p><p>The Department works extensively with National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) and other infrastructure operators, to ensure that the impacts of a severe space weather event are well understood, and the appropriate steps are taken to ensure the sector’s preparedness for major space weather events.</p><p>NGESO has robust plans in place, which are constantly reinforced based on the latest science and information, to mitigate against high impact risks, including solar storms. In recent years, National Grid has increased the number of spare transformers that they hold so that damaged equipment can be promptly replaced, continue to introduce a new design of transformers which are operationally more resistant to the effects of space weather and undertaking emergency exercises aimed at improving knowledge, resilience, and response capability.</p><p>In order to improve our ability to predict and mitigate the hazards of space weather, in October 2019 the UK Government announced a £20m boost to predict severe space weather events. This nearly quadruples investment from government into research that can improve systems at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre. This will further build the UK’s knowledge on how to forecast and better prepare for these space weather events.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 16/03/2021 17:42:17 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300106

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Solar Events
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how far in advance the UK's weather capabilities can detect an impending solar storm; and what steps he is taking to collaborate with other nations to increase the detection and mitigate the impact of solar storms.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The UK is a world leader in space weather forecasting and the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre provides forecasts and warnings of space weather on a 24/7 basis.</p><p> </p><p>Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are responsible for the most severe space weather. Preliminary warnings are issued at least 12 hours in advance for the fastest CMEs. Certainty over the magnitude of an event and its impacts is dependent on critical measurements as the CME passes over monitoring spacecraft positioned 1 million miles from Earth and is provided with approximately 15 to 20 minutes notice. The UK is the largest funder of the European Space Agency “Lagrange” mission, which is due to launch in 2027. This mission will enable better characterisation of CMEs and improve forecasting accuracy of the timing and magnitude of events.</p><p> </p><p>International collaboration is crucial to space weather prediction. The UK’s primary partners are the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre and the USAF 557<sup>th</sup> Weather Wing in the United States, with whom the Met Office maintains 24/7 communications in support of our respective operations. The UK also collaborates closely with many nations in Europe notably Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 16/03/2021 15:18:09 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300107

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: North East
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 proportion of the Industrial Strategy Fund has been allocated to companies based in the North East.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164463
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>As of 3rd March 2021, £84 million had been awarded to organisations registered in the North East, out of a total of £1.8 billion of grants awarded from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund across the whole of the UK.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 16/03/2021 15:14:35 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300108

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Coronavirus: Retail Trade
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 allowing access to specialist shoe shops during the covid-19 lockdown restrictions for people who cannot buy those products online.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	164641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government has set out its roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions, including the reopening of non-essential retail no earlier than 12 April, subject to the data.</p><p> </p><p>Under current restrictions all shops in England are permitted to operate click-and-collect services online, by telephone/text or via post.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 11/03/2021 17:41:25 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1300109

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Foreign Investment in UK: National Security
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 has he made of the ability of the Investment Screening Unit to manage an increase in screening referrals from universities due to an expansion in asset transaction screening as a result of the National Security and Investment Bill.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164464
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The Investment Screening Unit (ISU) will have the necessary resources to deliver the National Security and Investment regime and will draw on expertise and skills held across government and security services.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 16/03/2021 13:42:53 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300117

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Coronavirus: Vaccination
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 work Admiral Associates has undertaken with the Vaccine Taskforce on helping to ensure that covid-19 vaccines are taken up by hard to reach groups.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2021 answer text <p>Early in the existence of the Vaccine Taskforce, public communication on vaccines was identified as a key challenge for the successful delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. The Government strengthened its communication function to support this significant undertaking and communication specialists sourced by Admiral (with experience in clinical trials and of working with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)) were brought onboard using the Public Sector Resourcing framework.</p><p> </p><p>The communication specialists sourced by Admiral worked with the NIHR to develop the world’s first national citizen registry so that individuals could sign up to participate in clinical vaccine trials. As a result, over 454,000 people have signed up to date.</p><p> </p><p>Admiral was also involved in creating a proactive communications programme aimed at encouraging greater sign-up to the registry through the “COVID-19: the search for a vaccine” podcast. This provided a factual transparent source of information on vaccines for UK citizens, combating the anti-vaccination movement, and highlighting the UK's role as a leader in vaccine research and development. The podcast included an episode that specifically covered the need to include people from the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities in trials and addressed some of the concerns within these communities.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 11/03/2021 16:53:43 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1300124

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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	Post Codes
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 assess the implications for (a) the UK economy and (b) innovation in the UK of Royal Mail's continued ownership of the Postcode Address File as set out under the Postal Services Act 2000; and if he will place that assessment in the Library.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	164469
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government understands the role data plays in delivering benefits in the public and private sectors and the UK has traditionally maintained high quality address data that supports a wide range of uses across the economy.</p><p>The Postcode Address File (PAF), owned and maintained by Royal Mail Group, is the definitive list of postal delivery points for the UK and a key enabler of the Universal Service Obligation.</p><p>The PAF provides access to the private sector on reasonable terms, which are regulated by Ofcom, with free access to small charities and microbusinesses in their first year. On 1 April 2020, the Government extended the PAF Public Sector Licence for a further 3 years to ensure free at the point of use access to PAF data for all public sector organisations to support the delivery of effective and efficient public services.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 16/03/2021 13:41:13 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah