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1457468

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
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: Prices
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 impact of rising energy prices on energy-intensive industries.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153965
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2022 answer text <p>In the UK Energy Security Strategy, the Government announced that the Energy Intensive Industry (EII) Compensation Scheme will be extended for a further 3 years to protect manufacturing sectors from high electricity costs. The Government is also more than doubling the current budget for the EII Compensation Scheme to support Energy Intensive Industries.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 21/04/2022 16:17:00 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457469

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
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: Prices
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 impact of rising energy prices on small and medium size enterprises.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153966
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government recognises this is a worrying time for businesses facing pressures due to increasing energy prices. Ministers and officials continue to provide support for industry, including businesses, by engaging constructively to further understand and mitigate the impacts of high energy prices.</p><p> </p><p>My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State is in regular contact with the energy industry and Ofgem to manage the impact of high energy prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely, including the impacts on businesses.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 21/04/2022 16:03:02 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457470

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Business: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he plans to take through proposals in the Levelling Up White Paper to assist ethnic minority business owners.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153967
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government's levelling up missions will spread economic opportunity and support businesses to fulfil their potential through investment in R&amp;D, skills, connectivity, and business finance across the country. <br> <br> The Levelling Up White Paper drew on the findings of the independent Commission for Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED), which emphasised that geography is a key factor affecting equality of opportunity and social mobility, and geographical and ethnicity-related factors are closely interrelated. In action 56 of the Government’s response to CRED, the Inclusive Britain report, the Government committed to support HSBC to develop and launch a pilot for a competition-based, entrepreneur support programme in spring 2022</p><p><br> By reducing spatial disparities across the UK, particularly in the places where they are most stark, the plans set out in the Levelling Up White Paper will improve the lives of groups with the worst outcomes, complementing and supporting our wider work to tackle race and ethnic disparities.</p> answering member constituency Harborough answering member printed Neil O'Brien question first answered 21/04/2022 16:42:01 answering member 4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457471

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Financial Services: Regulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Future Regulatory Framework Review, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the representation of consumers on the financial regulators’ stakeholder panels.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153968
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2022 answer text <p>The government believes that it is vital that there are opportunities for interested stakeholders, including consumer groups and firms, to engage with and scrutinise the development of regulatory proposals.</p><p> </p><p>The regulators are required under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FMSA) 2000 to maintain stakeholder panels as part of their general duties to consult. These panels are intended to provide valuable insight, advice and challenge across the regulators’ functions, drawing on the experience and expertise of their respective memberships.</p><p> </p><p>The November 2021 Future Regulatory Framework (FRF) Review consultation proposed a number of measures to enhance the role of the panels and ensure that they represent a diverse range of stakeholders, and that the regulators are transparent about where they have engaged the panels, while maintaining their crucial role as a ‘critical friend’</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) currently engages with five independent stakeholder panels. The FCA Consumer Panel specifically represents the interests of consumers. The panel also has the ability to communicate its views to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) on any matter the panel considers relevant.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 21/04/2022 10:55:41 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457472

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Financial Conduct Authority
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Future Regulatory Framework Review, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on economic stability of proposals to introduce new statutory objectives of competitiveness and growth for the Financial Conduct Authority.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153969
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>The government intends to provide for a greater focus on growth and international competitiveness through the introduction of new secondary objectives for the PRA and the FCA.</p><p>As the regulators take on additional responsibilities for determining the rules that financial services firms must follow, it is right that their objectives reflect the importance of the financial services sector as an engine of growth for the wider economy, and the need to support the future of the UK as a global financial centre.</p><p>These new secondary objectives will complement the regulators’ existing objectives of ensuring that UK firms remain safe and sound, that the UK’s markets function well, that there is effective competition in the interests of consumers, and that consumers of financial services receive an appropriate degree of protection. The government has always been clear that the UK will remain a global leader in promoting high international standards, while ensuring that the financial services sector is delivering for businesses and consumers across the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 26/04/2022 13:50:24 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457744

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
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	Hospitality Industry: Supply Chains
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 plans to update the Government's hospitality strategy in the context of the increase in the VAT rate, National Insurance contributions and inflation and challenges facing supply chains.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government published its first-ever Hospitality Strategy in July 2021. The Strategy set out twenty-two commitments to support the sector across a range of policy areas, grouped into three themes: Reopening, Recovery, and Resilience.</p><p> </p><p>This Department launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy, and I and my officials continue to work with the Council and the sector to deliver the strategy commitments.</p><p> </p><p>The Government engages regularly with hospitality businesses and organisations to understand the pressing issues that they face, including cost pressures and supply chain disruptions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 26/04/2022 16:47:22 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457815

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Sewage: Waste Disposal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether UK law prohibits water companies from discharging untreated sewage into waterways and coastal regions outside periods of heavy rainfall.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153971
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2022 answer text <p>The Environment Agency in England have a duty under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations to issue environmental permits to water companies under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016, to limit pollution of receiving waters by storm water overflows.</p><p>Environmental Permits for storm water overflows contain conditions which only allow a discharge to occur when and for as long as rainfall or snow melt reaches the capacity of the sewer. Any breach of the terms or conditions of an environmental permit is a criminal offence. In each case the Environment Agency will consider all of the circumstances surrounding a breach and apply its published Enforcement and Sanctions policy. This can be found at: Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy - GOV.UK (<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C617f798e31ff4263072608da243e695d%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C637862147761371494%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=AoiARdZoUkU462jLbvIYJ7X6yLqxzij9q1UVuQHzzkE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a>). The Environment Agency is currently investigating several claims of permit breaches and will use the full force of the law should breaches be confirmed.</p><p>This Government has made improving water quality a priority and has been clear that water companies must significantly reduce their use of sewage overflows. This includes a duty on water companies to progressively reduce their use in the Environment Act. The Government is building on the existing regulatory regime and the proposed targets published as part of the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan <a href="https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water-industry/storm-overflows-discharge-reduction-plan/" target="_blank">consultation</a> will, for the first time, provide a clear definition for 'limit pollution' and will represent the largest investment and delivery programme to tackle storm sewage discharges in history. If we do not see the changes we expect, we won’t hesitate to take further action.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/04/2022 11:06:56 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457816

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Sewage: Waste Disposal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency takes in the event that a water company discharges untreated sewage into UK waterways and coastal regions outside periods of heavy rainfall; and how many water companies have faced enforcement action for those discharges since 2015.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153972
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2022 answer text <p>Storm overflows must only be used under strict permitted conditions that control their environmental impact. The Environment Agency investigates breaches of permit conditions and considers all circumstances surrounding a breach and applies its published Enforcement and Sanctions policy in determining its enforcement response. This can be found at: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fenvironment-agency-enforcement-and%255b1%255dsanctions-policy&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C034c32a2e24e4af0286308da2847fbd3%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C637866586875953951%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=OVidE8dPu0WuHCVJjf7NhGRq%2BXWTc%2BUuOl3S9zLKS20%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-enforcement-and[1]sanctions-policy</a></p><p>We are holding the industry to account on a scale never seen before. Since 2015 the Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted seven water companies for breaching permit conditions relating to storm discharges, with some companies prosecuted multiple times. A number of the cases brought together several offences within a single prosecution and included discharges that occurred outside of heavy rainfall conditions or that were caused by sewer blockages or pump failures.</p><p>In November 2021, new information came to light suggesting that some water companies in England may indeed not be complying with their permits, resulting in excess sewage spills into the environment, even in dry periods. On account of this, Ofwat and the Environment Agency launched major investigations into all water and wastewater companies in England and Wales. If proven, water companies will be in breach of their permits and failing to meet their legal duties. Government, along with the sector’s regulators, will not hesitate to hold companies to account if this is the case.</p><p>The Environment Agency and new duties in the landmark Environment Act have driven increased monitoring and reporting of storm overflows. The Act places new duties directly on water companies to publish spill data in near real time and monitor water quality impacts upstream and downstream of all storm overflows and wastewater treatment works. Almost nine in ten storm overflows already have monitoring devices installed, and all overflows will have monitors by the end of 2023. This technology provides vital information about the use of storm overflows, which can be used to hold water companies to account and drive environmental protections and future investment. £1.1billion of investment is already planned for the next four years.</p><p>The Government is currently consulting on the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan which outlines a step change in how water companies tackle the number of discharges of untreated sewage. The Government has been clear that the current use of sewage overflows is completely unacceptable and we will not hesitate to take further action if we don’t see the pace of change we expect to see.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 27/04/2022 14:04:03 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457817

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Pollution Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of English waters are projected to reach good ecological status by 2027; and what steps he plans to take to achieve that target.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153973
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>Improving water quality is a government priority. We have committed to improve at least three quarters of our waters to close to their natural state as soon as practicable. The Environment Agency sets objectives for the ecological status of England's water bodies, including rivers, and the measures to achieve them in our river basin management plans. The objectives for water bodies over the next six-year cycle (2021-2027) are contained in the updated draft river basin management plans that were available until 22 April for statutory public consultation:</p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fcollections%2Fdraft-river-basin-management-plans-2021&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Caa6f8e9ae2b24633588a08da26d48123%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C637864991379048512%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2FxQ45H%2FmIjDLjjJNRtKMxWC2RvjV0F5D3b0X%2B1ZI2nw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/draft-river-basin-management-plans-2021</a></p><p>We are also currently seeking views on a suite of Environment Act 2021 targets which includes new targets on water. These will improve the health of our rivers by reducing nutrient pollution and contamination from abandoned metal mines in water courses and improve water use efficiency. The Environment Act also places new duties on the water industry to take action on reducing harm from storm overflows. Water company investment in environmental improvements has been scaled up to £7.1 billion over the period 2020-25. Through the next Price Review (PR24) we are using the strategic policy statement to Ofwat, the economic regulator, to make the environment a top priority. This additional action will improve the quality of our rivers.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/04/2022 15:05:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1457861

registered interest
date	14/04/2022
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	Brain Cancer: Innovation and 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 recent discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of (a) UK Research and Innovation and (b) the Medical Research Council on brain cancer research and innovation.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	153974
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>BEIS officials regularly speak to representatives of UK Research and Innovation and its constituent councils on a range of issues. There have been no recent conversations specifically on brain cancer.</p> answering member constituency Mid Norfolk answering member printed George Freeman question first answered 26/04/2022 16:58:27 answering member 4020 label Biography information for George Freeman
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra