Many businesses benefitted from the £13.6 billion support package provided at Autumn Budget 2022, including those in rural communities. The government has gone further at this year\u2019s Autumn Statement, announcing a business rates support package worth £4.3 billion. This includes protection for businesses who lose eligibility for Small Business or Rural Rate Relief through a generous Supporting Small Business scheme worth over £500 million.<\/p>
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The government provides extensive support to businesses, through Help to Grow Management, Business Support Helpline and a network of Growth Hubs. The Government has also increased the British Business Bank\u2019s regional financing programmes by £1.6 billion.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Hollinrake"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-01T11:47:12.14Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "214"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business and Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business and Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Small Businesses: Rural Areas"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses in rural areas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4981", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ashley Dalton"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Lancashire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ashley Dalton"} ], "uin" : "2971"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1315882", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1315882/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters in Great Britain as part of an essential infrastructure upgrade to make the energy system more efficient and flexible, enabling the cost-effective delivery of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>
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The Government has put in place a strict Data Access and Privacy Framework that protects consumers\u2019 privacy and set outs the levels of access to energy consumption data from smart meters permitted for different parties. The Framework ensures that households have control over who can access their energy consumption data and for what purposes, except where this is required for regulated purposes (such as accurate billing).<\/p>
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Consumers can also choose to share their data with third parties for example to obtain tailored energy efficiency advice. Where third parties are accessing consumption data via the smart metering network they must have the consumer\u2019s consent which consumers can withdraw at any time. In addition to the specific protections of the Framework, all parties are required to comply with relevant data protection laws when processing personal data.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4531", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Berwick-upon-Tweed"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne-Marie Trevelyan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-26T15:17:13.71Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Energy: Meters"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the minimum data set is that will be collected from energy consumers who agree to the installation of smart meters; and what steps consumers can take to ensure that additional data is not being collected by energy providers and other bodies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "2971"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748302", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Wales Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748302/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK Government is developing a trade policy that will work for every part of the United Kingdom, and will continue to champion the interests of companies and citizens across the UK, including in Wales. I am in regular contact and working closely with the Secretary of State for International Trade to ensure that we get the best possible deal for Wales and will continue to do so going forward to ensure Wales\u2019 needs are fully considered.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4086", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alun Cairns"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vale of Glamorgan"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alun Cairns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-10T09:52:38.32Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "28"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Wales"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Wales"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "UK Trade with EU: Wales"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on securing tariff-free trade with the EU for the (a) agriculture sector and (b) steel sector in Wales after the UK leaves the EU.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4630", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Lake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ceredigion"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Lake"} ], "uin" : "2971"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }