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Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many domestic customers (a) Scottish Power, (b) SSE, (c) E.on, (d) British Gas, (e) EDF, (f) Npower, (g) First Utility, (h) Ovo and (i) Cooperative Energy each have.

Andrea Leadsom

Ofgem publishes market share of energy suppliers based on monthly domestic customer numbers as part of its yearly Great Britain and Northern Ireland National Reports to the European Commission, most recently published in 2014. In this report smaller suppliers including First Utility, OVO and Co-operative Energy are grouped together as ‘Other Suppliers’.

GB Domestic Energy Suppliers’ Market Share, December 2013

Supplier	Electricity Market Share	Gas Market Share
British Gas	24%	39%
SSE	18%	15%
E.on	16%	13%
EDF	13%	9%
Scottish Power	12%	9%
RWE npower	12%	10%
Other Suppliers	5%	5%

First Utility, OVO and Co-operative Energy have released customer numbers on their websites. First Utility claim to have over 800,000 customers in July 2015, OVO claim to currently have 500,000 customers, while Co-operative Energy claim to have over 200,000 customers. The majority of these Customers will take both electricity and gas from their supplier.

01/01/2023

Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department of Energy and Climate Change provides the following guidance and support to Local Authorities: a Model Energy Performance Contract and guidance note to assist public sector organisations carry out energy efficiency retrofits and a Guide to Financing Energy Efficiency in the Public Sector. The Department also requested the Committee on Climate Change to produce a guidance note for local authorities on reducing their carbon emissions in 2012.

A number of schemes run by the Department also provide guidance as part ofwider support to public sector organisations, such as the Salix Finance public sector energy efficiency loan scheme which provides interest-free capital and the RE:FIT scheme which provides a streamlined procurement framework for energy efficiency retrofit work.

01/01/2023
Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 11089, what statistical analysis or impact assessment her Department has made of the effect of the proposed cut to feed-in tariffs on small businesses in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

In addition to the impact assessment published alongside the FIT review, part of the purpose of the consultation process itself has been to gather views on the broader economic impact of the proposals. We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the consultation, which closed on 23^rd October. We will publish a Government response in due course.

01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which power plants are due to come offline in March 2016; and what plans she has to ensure peak energy demands are met after those plants come offline.

Andrea Leadsom

The following plants have announced that they will no longer be connected to the Transmission Grid from April 2016:
- Eggborough;
- Ferrybridge;
- Longannet.
These withdrawals have been announced over the past year. It is possible that they may still be available for winter 16/17 if they choose to bid, and are successful, in National Grid’s Supplemental Balancing Reserve. It should also be noted that these withdrawals are partly offset by new or increased thermal generation during 2016 from Wilton and Keadby CCGT plants. A large amount of renewable generation is also due to enter the market in 2016.

Our priority is to ensure that British families and business have access to secure affordable energy supplies that they can rely on and we are taking prudent steps to manage the margins in winter 2016/17. Since 2014 National Grid have had the ability to procure a Contingency Balancing Reserve (CBR), which consists of the Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR), where existing power stations stand by ready to generate additional electricity and the Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) where companies bid for contracts with National Grid to receive payments in return for reducing their electricity usage times of peak demand should National Grid so require. National Grid and Ofgem agree that we should retain the ability to procure CBR for the next two winters. Government supports this position and we expect confirmation later this month following an Ofgem consultation. Beyond winter 2017/18, the Capacity Market will take over as the long term solution for security of supply.
01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) recruit more teachers and (b) otherwise ensure that schools do not experience a shortage of teaching staff.

Nick Gibb

Teaching continues to be a hugely popular career. There are more teachers in England’s classrooms than ever and record levels of high quality graduates are entering the profession. There are now 454,900 full time equivalent teachers, an increase of 5,200 from 2014 and 13,100 from 2010.

Teacher recruitment remains a challenge as the economy improves. The Government has increased Scholarships and bursaries and for the best qualified graduates in priority subjects. We have also supported the growth of Teach First and announced a £67m package to recruit an additional 2,500 mathematics and physics teachers to improve the knowledge and skills of 15,000 existing teachers. For 2016/17, initial teacher training providers will have freedom to recruit as many trainees as they need within limited controls.

The School Direct training route has been allocated over 17,500 training places this year, representing 40 per cent of all training places. We are also supporting schools to retain good teachers by improving pupil behaviour, tackling unnecessary workload and increasing pay flexibility.

We are also creating a National Teaching Service (NTS). By 2020 this will have placed 1,500 high-performing teachers and middle leaders in underperforming schools in areas of England that struggle to recruit or retain high quality teachers. A pilot NTS scheme, starting in North West England in September 2016, will aim to attract 100 teachers and middle leaders into the region.

01/01/2023
Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that school (a) staff and (b) pupils are protected from violence in schools.

Edward Timpson

Any violence in schools is deplorable. The Department issues health and safety advice designed to help schools meet their statutory obligations. The employer in a school has the overall responsibility of ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to ensure staff and pupils are not being exposed to risks to their health and safety, including making the school secure.

We have appointed Tom Bennett, an expert in behaviour, to look at improving training for new teachers, to deal with school disruption and more widely at what needs to be done to improve behaviour in schools.

Schools should be safe and secure environments. Combined figures relating to the number of exclusions for physical assault against pupils and adults and verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against pupils and adults show a decrease for fixed period exclusions in recent years. We have given powers to schools to search pupils and confiscate inappropriate items. Schools continue to be vigilant and I expect that they will take all the necessary steps to ensure staff and pupils are appropriately protected.

01/01/2023
Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will discuss with the Treasury the introduction of three-year funding plans for colleges to align with the period of the Spending Review.

Mr Sam Gyimah

16-19 funding is based on the level of recruitment institutions delivered in the previous year. That means institutions’ funding keeps pace with changing student numbers with the minimum delay. The Government has no plans to change the 16-19 funding system.

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to increase the number of qualified staff working on early education settings.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The extended free childcare entitlement for working parents of three- and four-year-olds will provide eligible parents with 30 hours of free childcare per week. The government provides guidance in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which sets out the ratios within which providers must operate. We expect providers to recruit accordingly, and that the market will respond to demand in local areas. The childcare market has proven that it is adaptable as demonstrated by the increase of 230,000 places since 2009. The timetable for implementation of the extended entitlement ensures that the market has time to expand.

The quality of provision is central to ensuring benefits to children, and the main driver of quality in a setting is its workforce. The qualification levels of the childcare workforce has risen over recent years and we want the sector to continue to attract highly qualified staff with a strong aptitude for working with young children to deliver good quality childcare.

We are taking steps to improve the process for those training to become Early Years Educators and Early Years Teachers. In 2016, the government will review progression routes within the sector to determine what more can be done to enable good quality staff to maximise their potential and forge a successful career within early years. This will build on existing investments in staff training and development that have brought high performing schools and private, voluntary and independent providers together to share good practice and improve transition into school for young children.

01/01/2023
Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what joint work she and her French counterpart are undertaking on providing governance and capacity-building support for francophone Africa.

Nick Gibb

The Department for Education is not undertaking any work on providing governance and capacity-building support for Francophone Africa.

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to increase the number of early education places for children (a) under the age of three and (b) aged three and four; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah

We have already made significant progress in ensuring that there are more childcare places available. There has been an increase of 230,000 places since 2009 and a significant increase in the take up of childcare provision in low- and middle-income areas.

This government has also supported providers by reducing bureaucracy and making it easier for providers such as childminders and schools to provide places. We continue to work with providers to increase the number of childcare places, for example by sharing good practice on working in partnership.

Subject to the will of Parliament, the Childcare Bill will introduce an entitlement to 30 hours of funded childcare for working parents of three- and four-year olds from 2017. New childcare places will be required for this age group, and the government wishes to encourage new providers to enter the childcare market and existing providers to expand. On top of the steps already being taken, such as the extension of the Childcare Business Grant Scheme, our planned Early Implementers will test provider capacity and market innovation and flexibility from 2016.

01/01/2023