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  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many Green Deal providers, assessors and installers have broken the Green Deal Code of Practice since the start of the Green Deal.

    Amber Rudd

    Around 10% of Green Deal assessor organisations and 12% of Green Deal installers have had their authorisations as a Green Deal participant removed for non-compliance issues against the Green Deal Code of Practice. No Green Deal providers have had their authorisation removed.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    Amber Rudd

    DECC encourages all staff to take at least 5 days of targeted learning and development each year. This forms part of our commitment to the Civil Service Capabilities Plan.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many vouchers from the first round of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund have been cashed.

    Amber Rudd

    The latest monthly Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation National Statistic release reported that under release one of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund, 11,061 vouchers had been paid (following installation of 13,613 measures), with a value of £54.3 million, by the end of December 2014:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-january-2015.

    “

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many households that have had a smart meter installed in their property have also had one or more unique energy efficiency measures installed in their property under the Energy Companies Obligation scheme.

    Amber Rudd

    The Department’s quarterly data on smart meter installations is currently collected from energy suppliers in an aggregated format, rather than at a household level.

    As a result, it is not possible to ascertain through data linking how many Energy Companies’ Obligation measures (where the data are collected at household level, and reported on monthly as National Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-statistics) have been fitted in households where smart meters have been installed.

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  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the resources needed by local authorities to enforce a minimum energy efficiency standard for the private rented sector.

    Amber Rudd

    Section 8.1.3 of the policy’s final stage impact assessment contains information regarding the Department’s assessment of resources required by local authorities.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information energy suppliers are required to provide (a) his Department and (b) Ofgem to assist with monitoring the roll-out of smart meters to vulnerable, low income and pre-payment meter customers.

    Amber Rudd

    On an annual basis larger suppliers are required to provide the Department with a qualitative report on their roll-out strategies, including plans to engage with vulnerable and pre-payment customers. Smaller suppliers are also required to provide annual data on their plans for engaging vulnerable customers. Low income households are not defined as a separate category.

    The Department also collects quarterly data from larger energy suppliers which includes details of smart meters installed and operated in pre-payment mode, and details of their plans for installing smart meters, including where those meters will be operated in pre-payment mode. The same information is collected annually from small suppliers.

    Ofgem collects data from the larger suppliers on the number of pre-payment meters that have been replaced with smart meters, and from January 2016 suppliers will report on the number of customers on the Priority Services Register who have a smart meter installed. This data will be collected annually. The larger suppliers will also shortly be submitting qualitative roll-out plans to Ofgem, explaining how they plan to develop their IT systems to support the rollout of smart pre-payment.

    Separately, Ofgem is reviewing suppliers’ policies and practices relating to charges for installing and removing pre-payment meters, which will also cover aspects of smart meter services. The review will also look at company practices in relation to security deposits, including for customers with smart meters. Ofgem will report on its findings in summer 2015.

  • Henry Bellingham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Bellingham on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if the Government will take steps to prioritise support for families with children when they fall behind on their bills to energy companies.

    Matthew Hancock

    This Government has implemented a range of measures to help vulnerable households reduce their energy bills, including Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount.

    For those customers who fall behind on payments, suppliers are obliged to take their ability to pay into account when setting a repayment plan. Some suppliers also provide special grants and services to help families. Further information is available free from the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.

  • Henry Bellingham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Bellingham on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of how many families with children are currently in debt to their energy companies.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Department does not hold information on how many families with children are in debt to their energy companies.

    Ofgem closely monitors domestic energy suppliers’ performance and publishes information in relation to debt owed by domestic electricity and gas accounts holders in Great Britain, but they do not publish data relating to families with children.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what background checks are carried out when a qualified teacher from (a) outside and (b) inside the EU applies to teach in England.

    Mr David Laws

    The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014 and the Non-maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2011 require schools to carry out specific checks before they may appoint an individual, including from abroad, to work at the school.

    The regulations require schools to check: the identity of the individual; that the person meets any relevant staff qualification requirements; and that the person has a right to work in the UK. In addition, the school must obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Certificate and where relevant a check of the children’s barred list. For those appointed into a teaching position, schools must ensure that the individual is not prohibited by the Secretary of State for Education from carrying out teaching work in England.

    Where the person to be appointed has lived outside of the United Kingdom the regulations require further checks to be made and that the school must have regard to statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State when deciding what those additional checks should be.

    The Department’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) statutory guidance makes clear that all schools and colleges have a duty to carry out mandatory safer recruitment checks that help to identify individuals who are not suitable to work with pupils. This guidance also signposts Home Office advice about obtaining criminal record information from overseas police forces and certificates of good conduct.

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to collect information on waiting times for students referred to educational psychologists.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education has no plans to collect information on waiting times for students referred to educational psychologists. Recruitment and deployment of educational psychologists is a matter for local authorities taking into account their statutory duties. In 2013 the Department invested an additional £6.194 million, to increase the number of training places by 10% (from 120 to 132 intakes in 2014 and 2015).