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1091280

registered interest
date	19/03/2019
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: Timber
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 make an assessment of the potential carbon and economic value generated by restricting the amount and type of wood that biomass plants in receipt of subsidies can use as fuel; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	234228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>Biomass plants in receipt of subsidies must comply with the UK’s sustainability criteria. Plants with a capacity of 1 megawatt and above must also prepare an annual sustainability report, compiled by a third-party auditor, which will provide assurance that the biomass is from sustainable sources.</p><p> </p><p>Wood is a globally trade commodity. Prices are influenced by global demand, currency exchange rates and weather conditions. Our Wood Fuel Disclosure Survey concluded that most of the wood fuel used for electricity generation in the UK is imported and that the volumes of UK wood used are expected to remain constant.</p><p> </p><p>Energy markets have grown in recent years and this has benefited woodland owners and contractors who have increased harvesting rates. Availability forecasts suggest there is potential to increase production further if businesses are willing to invest in the supply chain and encourage more woodland owners to enter the market.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 26/03/2019 15:06:59 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

1077585

registered interest
date	26/02/2019
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	Employment Tribunals Service: Non-payment
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 been made of the effectiveness of the employment tribunal naming scheme.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	226188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government launched the scheme as part of the Good Work Plan in response to concerns that rates of employment tribunal payments are unacceptably low. Employers who have failed to pay a tribunal award of £200 or more at least 84 days after the original judgment will be eligible for naming.</p><p> </p><p>The scheme was launched on 18 December 2018 and the Government will publish the first list of employers in due course. Therefore, it is too early to have assessed the effectiveness of the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 05/03/2019 15:28:32 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

1077586

registered interest
date	26/02/2019
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	Employment Tribunals Service: Non-payment
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 ongoing estimate he is making of the number of people who have not received payments due to them following employment tribunals and mediation processes.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	226189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>It is right that people get what they are owed, and we know employment tribunal awards are not always paid promptly. Government commissioned research in 2013 found that only 53% of successful claimants received full or part payment without enforcement action. 35% had not received any payment at all.</p><p> </p><p>Following this research Government introduced the BEIS penalty scheme in 2016 and have since recovered over £1.5 million to workers of previously unpaid awards. We will now also name employers who do not pay employment tribunal awards within a reasonable period.</p><p> </p><p>We have also recently commissioned research on employment tribunals that will include payment rate information for employment tribunal awards, Acas conciliated and private settlements.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 05/03/2019 15:28:41 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

982670

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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: Timber
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 estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of subsidies provided to renewable technologies burning wood for fuel under the (a) Renewables Obligation Certificate, (b) Contract for Difference, (c) Feed in Tariff and (d) Domestic and Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive in each of the past five years.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	176540
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The estimated cost of support to renewable technologies burning wood for fuel under three of the schemes in each of the last financial years is shown in the table to the nearest million pounds (in nominal prices). Wood burning is not supported by any technology eligible for support under the Feed-in Tariff scheme.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Renewables Obligation[1]</p></td><td><p>£441m</p></td><td><p>£678m</p></td><td><p>£853m</p></td><td><p>£767m</p></td><td><p>£520m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Contracts for Difference</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>£92m</p></td><td><p>£544m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Renewable Heat Incentive[2]</p></td><td><p>£50m</p></td><td><p>£138m</p></td><td><p>£239m</p></td><td><p>£295m</p></td><td><p>£408m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>For the Renewables Obligation, information is not available on the value of support specifically for renewable technologies burning wood. Therefore, the figures provided are the support for technologies capable of burning wood, but other biomass fuels may have been used. The figures for the Contracts for Difference reflect total payments, including to biomass projects, made during the first two financial years of the scheme’s operation and reported by the Low Carbon Contracts Company, the scheme administrator, in its annual reports. Payments by technology type are not reported separately. Wood fuel burning is subsidised under the Domestic RHI biomass tariff and the Non-domestic tariffs for biomass and solid biomass CHP. This assumes all fuel for CHP is wood, as it is not possible to disaggregate wood fuel for CHP. Other types of solid biomass fuel are also eligible for RHI CHP support.</p><p> </p><p>[1] The Renewables Obligation figures are based on Ofgem’s certificate report as at 23/08/2018 from their Renewables and CHP Register.</p><p>[2] The actual spend may be different, due to delayed submission of meter readings.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 16/10/2018 16:26:23 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

982671

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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, how many recipients of biomass subsidy payments there have been under the (a) Renewables Obligation Certificate, (b) Contract for Difference, (c) Feed in Tariff and (d) Domestic and Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	176541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The number of individual installations in receipt of biomass support payments in each of the last five financial years is shown in the table. The table includes data for technologies supported by these schemes which generate electricity, heat or Combined Heat and Power from biomass, which is material derived directly or indirectly from plant or animal matter, fungi, algae or bacteria, including wastes and residues of biological origin. The biomass technologies eligible for support under each scheme are set out in the relevant legislation and guidance.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Renewables Obligation[1]</p></td><td><p>674</p></td><td><p>709</p></td><td><p>737</p></td><td><p>855</p></td><td><p>753</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Contracts for Difference</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feed-in Tariff</p></td><td><p>83</p></td><td><p>166</p></td><td><p>249</p></td><td><p>365</p></td><td><p>409</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Renewable Heat Incentive</p></td><td><p>3,416</p></td><td><p>15,663</p></td><td><p>24,145</p></td><td><p>26,701</p></td><td><p>28,497</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] The Renewables Obligation figures are based on Ofgem’s certificate report as at 23/08/2018 from their Renewables and CHP Register.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 16/10/2018 16:29:51 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

982672

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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, on what basis levels of biomass subsidies have been set under the (a) Renewables Obligation Certificate, (b) Contracts for Difference, (c) Feed in Tariff and (d) Domestic and Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	176542
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The basis on which levels of support provided to biomass technologies is calculated varies according to each scheme.</p><p> </p><p>(a) Legislation[1] requires a series of factors to be taken into account when setting Renewables Obligation (RO) support levels, including the generation costs and revenues for each technology; the desirability of securing long-term growth and industry viability as well as costs to consumers and impacts on the market for Renewable Obligation Certificates. The most recent comprehensive review of RO support levels was completed in 2012[2].</p><p>(b) Strike prices awarded to successful projects in Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation rounds are determined through a competitive bidding process[3]. Strike prices for biomass projects that were awarded contracts under the Financial Investment Decision Enabling for Renewables programme, an early form of CfDs, were set out in the Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan and Annex B: Strike Price Methodology [4].</p><p>(c) In the last review of Feed-in Tariff levels for Anaerobic Digestion projects undertaken in 2016[5], a return on investment of 9.1% was assumed.</p><p>(d) Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs are set to compensate generators for the added cost of renewable heating, over and above what would have been paid otherwise. For a given installation, the lifetime cost of the renewable technology and the alternative system (e.g. oil boiler) are considered. The RHI tariff is then set using an economic model so that the rate of return targeted for the applicant population is achieved over the full lifetime of the heating system.</p><p> </p><p>[1] Section 32D(4) of the Electricity Act 1989, as amended by the Energy Act 2008.</p><p>[2] Renewables Obligation consultation at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/renewables-obligation-banding-review" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/renewables-obligation-banding-review</a></p><p>[3] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contracts-for-difference/contract-for-difference" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contracts-for-difference/contract-for-difference</a></p><p>[4] Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan and Strike Price Methodology Annex: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-market-reform-delivery-plan" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-market-reform-delivery-plan</a></p><p>[5] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-support-for-anaerobic-digestion-and-micro-combined-heat-and-power-under-the-feed-in-tariffs-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-support-for-anaerobic-digestion-and-micro-combined-heat-and-power-under-the-feed-in-tariffs-scheme</a></p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 16/10/2018 16:30:01 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

873615

registered interest
date	28/03/2018
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	Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
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 plans he has to make it easier for people living in properties with shared responsibilities, such as blocks of flats, to access the grant support available for installing individual electric vehicle charging points.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	134729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises that not being able to recharge at home can dissuade drivers form making the switch to electric. Government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme supports eligible electric vehicle owners with up to £500 towards the costs of installing a chargepoint in domestic properties, including in blocks of flats.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, as announced in November 2017 in the Industrial Strategy, Building Regulations will be amended to ensure that cabling infrastructure is provided for chargepoints when new dwellings are built, to help future-proof new homes and avoid retrofitting costs.</p><p> </p><p>For those without off-street parking facilities, Government’s On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme also provides grant funding for local authorities towards the cost of installing on-street residential chargepoints for plug-in electric vehicles.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Watford answering member printed Richard Harrington question first answered 18/04/2018 14:35:27 answering member 4068 label Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

851506

registered interest
date	28/02/2018
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	Energy: Meters
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 his Department is taking to inform consumers of (a) the limitations on the interoperability of first generation meters when changing energy supplier and (b) how those limitations will be tackled through the roll-out of second generation meters.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	130269
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2018 answer text <p>Under licence conditions, energy suppliers must inform their customers prior to the installation of a smart meter that they may lose meter functionality when switching. In addition, before any switch is concluded, the new supplier must tell the consumer about any change in how their meter will operate and the service they will receive.</p><p> </p><p>These requirements aim to help consumers make informed decisions about switching, in the period before first generation smart meters are enrolled into the national data and communications platform and thus can be operated by any energy supplier. This upgrade will be done remotely.</p><p> </p><p>Second generation meters use the smart metering infrastructure run by the Data and Communications Company and will enable all consumers to retain their smart functionality when they switch supplier.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 09/03/2018 11:53:22 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

851652

registered interest
date	28/02/2018
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	Modern Working Practices Review
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 discussions his Department has held with the devolved administrations on the Government's response to the Matthew Taylor review of modern working practices; and what the outcomes of those discussions were.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	130415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2018 answer text <p>During the course of the Review of Modern Working Practices, the panel held events across the UK including in Wales and Northern Ireland. Unfortunately due to the General Election in 2017, the scheduled event for Scotland was cancelled. Officials in the Department speak regularly to their counterparts in the Devolved Administrations and we look forward to engaging with them through the further work set out in the Government response to the Review of Modern Working Practices.</p> answering member constituency Burton answering member printed Andrew Griffiths question first answered 08/03/2018 15:24:12 answering member 3936 label Biography information for Andrew Griffiths
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr

851653

registered interest
date	28/02/2018
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	Productivity Leadership Group: Scotland
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 discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on (a) the Productivity Leadership Group and (b) the scope of that group's activities with Scottish businesses.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Stephen Kerr
uin	130416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2018 answer text <p>As part of our ambitious Industrial Strategy, BEIS will provide up to £13m to fund &quot;Be the Business&quot;, a charity set up by the Productivity Leadership Group to help firms become more productive. Be the Business is currently in set-up phase. BEIS officials will arrange to meet with their Scottish Government counterparts and Be the Business to discuss how its privately and publicly funded activities can benefit Scottish business, within devolved arrangements.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 08/03/2018 16:07:46 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4604 label Biography information for Stephen Kerr