Day: March 29, 2018

Nearly a million more low-income households are set to benefit from innovative energy saving measures under new plans outlined today by the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth Claire Perry, as part of the Clean Growth Strategy.

A consultation has been launched today to focus Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions by providing energy efficiency upgrades and heating measures – entirely on low income households. Currently only 70% of beneficiaries are from low income families. Since the scheme was launched in 2013, more than 1 in 16 homes have benefitted from over 2.2 million improvements.

This is the latest step in the delivery of the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, aiming to bring 2.5 million fuel poor homes up to an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C by 2030, helping to save energy and bring down bills.

Alongside this, a separate consultation looks ahead to changes to the Warm Home Discount beyond next winter which will enable all payments to be made automatically. The Warm Homes Discount provides a much needed top up of £140 to the energy bills of the most vulnerable in society. The consultation will also include extending eligibility to people who receive Universal Credit who are in work and earn less that £16,190 a year.

Speaking on a visit to Q-bot in Wandsworth South London, an award-winning technology company which has developed robots to install underfloor cavity insulation quickly and easily, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:

We have made clear our commitment to eradicating fuel poverty and by making our flagship energy scheme 100% focused on low-income families we are taking another step towards achieving this goal.

As set out in our Clean Growth Strategy, we also want to continue to drive world-leading British innovation in green technologies for the benefit all consumers. That’s why we are increasing the opportunity for energy suppliers to get funding to develop new and innovative energy saving product and services, like the award winning company Q-bot’s robotic insulation service.

The proposed changes to focus 100% of the ECO scheme on the fuel poor would see energy saving improvements like insulation and modern efficient heating systems installed in 900,000 homes by March 2022. The government also committed to maintaining funding for home energy efficiency until at least 2028 as part of the Clean Growth Strategy, a total of just over £6 billion.

At the end of February the government also took action for 11 million households on poor value standard variable tariffs by introducing a landmark Bill into Parliament for a temporary price cap on these tariffs until effective competition is in place.

Notes for editors

1. The consultation on the new Energy Company Obligation scheme is open until 29 April 2018.
2. The current Energy Company Obligation scheme will end in September 2018. The scheme places an obligation on larger energy suppliers (currently 15) to deliver heating and energy efficiency measures. This is split between Affordable Warmth, for low income and fuel poor households (which accounts for 70% of the scheme) and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation (the remaining 30%), which is available to all households.
3. The ECO programme requires energy suppliers with over 250,000 customers to provide energy efficiency upgrades and heating measures to homes across Britain.
4. In line with the government’s Industrial Strategy, the refocused scheme includes proposals to support innovation in the sector. Suppliers will be able to devote up to 20% of their delivery target to supporting innovative measures. If all suppliers do this then as much as £128 million could be spent supporting British innovation.
5. Since ECO was launched in 2013, more than 1 in 16 homes across Britain have benefitted from over 2.2 million improvements installed.
6. The ECO consultation will also look at increasing parts of the scheme delivered through local referrals enabling local authorities to identify households who will benefit the most from energy efficiency measures, including those with health problems that are made worse by cold homes.
7. The proposals to extend the current Warm Home Discount scheme are open for consultation until 29 April 2018.
8. The government is also currently looking at ways to make it easier for those eligible for the Warm Home Discount to receive it automatically. A consultation was launched earlier this year on new data sharing powers to better target those households which are fuel poor and would benefit most from a rebate on their energy bills.
9. Reforming and extending policies on fuel poverty are a key part of the government’s commitment to protect vulnerable consumers. Ofgem recently extended its Safeguard Tariff Cap on pre-payment meter tariffs to protect a further 1 million vulnerable households, bringing the total protected to 5 million households this winter.

The Urban Connected Communities Project, a key part of the Industrial Strategy and the next step in the government’s 5G Testbed and Trials Programme, will develop a large-scale, citywide testbed for wireless 5G infrastructure.

This will include testing how new technology can make urban communities inherently safer, greener, more efficient and more attractive places to live. It is expected the winning bid will be trialling a variety of initiatives, which could include:

• Doctors and other health care professionals using real-time video consultation and remote treatment for those less able to travel
• Making traffic jams and disjointed journeys a thing of the past through widespread use of sensors and real-time monitoring and management of traffic and public transport
• Revolutionising the way visitors experience tourist venues through the use of augmented and virtual reality technologies
• Maintenance of manufacturing assembly lines through use of robotics and augmented reality would enable millions of measurements per second to be taken to predict when parts need replacing or rerouting to improve productivity.

Digital Minister Margot James said:

This is a huge opportunity for an urban area to become the flagship of our ambitious programme to make Britain fit for the future and a world leader in 5G.

Trialling 5G at scale across an entire city is a chance to prove the economic benefits predicted from this new technology, test different methods of deployment and boost the connectivity of ordinary people working and living there.

Funding for the project will come from the £200 million assigned so far to develop 5G technologies as part of over £1bn investment in next-generation digital infrastructure, including through the £31bn National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF).

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is now seeking expressions of interest from local or combined authorities with a coverage area in the region of 500,000 people to be the public sector partner and lead the delivery of the project. Interest from large cities below 500,000 population but with very strong, clear digital leadership and vision will be considered.

As well as enhancing connectivity for residents and businesses the urban testbed will trial 5G applications across multiple sectors including public services, industry, transport, healthcare, media and entertainment, and allow different deployment models to be explored.

The project will specifically target ‘pinch-points’ of poor connectivity in cities, including areas of high demand such as mainline stations or city centres where heavy usage rather than a lack of signal leads to not-spots.

Robert Driver, CEO of Cambridge Wireless on behalf of UK5G said:

Following the successful launch just this week of UK5G, the new 5G innovation network for the country, we are delighted to see the government announcing such ambitious plans to fund a large scale 5G testbed within an urban environment.

This, along with the other projects being funded, will accelerate the development and adoption of 5G in the UK. We look forward to working with Government to make this a success.

The 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme forms part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, aimed at continually driving the UK’s connectivity, telecommunications and digital sectors, and investing in the skills, industries and infrastructure of the future.

The NPIF is designed to bolster UK productivity, which is crucial to raising living standards. Through the NPIF, the government is investing in the vital infrastructure needed to make it easier for people to connect with others, and work remotely and flexibly.

Following a competitive process, the government expects to select a location in summer 2018. The urban project will be followed in the summer by a large-scale Rural Connected Communities Project.

ENDS

Notes For Editors

1. Expressions of interest can be made from 30 March with a closing date for applications of 5 June. DCMS will then work with the selected local authority to choose delivery partners for infrastructure and network services, who can bring the 5G technology into service and operate them through the trial period.
2. Local authorities and industry will both have the opportunity to participate in workshops for the project commencing from the end of April 2018 and running until June 2018.
3. Earlier this month, the government announced six winning projects from across the UK to test 5G technology.
4. Also this month was the launch of UK5G, a new national innovation network dedicated to the promotion of research, collaboration and the commercial application of 5G in the UK. Interested parties can apply to join the network at www.UK5G.org.

The Prime Minister met with businesses in Barry today to hear their views on what Brexit meant to them and to outline her determination to secure a deal that would benefit the whole of the UK.

On a day-long tour marking exactly one year from the UK’s historic departure from the European Union, prominent Wales-based business leaders gathered at the Aston Martin factory in St Athan to talk to Theresa May about what they considered to be clear avenues for the country’s economic growth, the potential for new jobs, and striking new trade deals across the world following Brexit.

The factory, which produces Aston Martin’s new luxury car, DBX, has created 750 highly-skilled jobs and is expected to create a further 1,000 jobs with suppliers and local businesses by 2019.

Those attending the round table included Andy Sellars from CS Catapult; Anne Jessop from Royal Mint; Wayne Preece from Hydro Industries; Matthew Crummack from GoCompare; and Andy Palmer from Aston Martin.

The Prime Minister also set out how the action she was taking to benefit the whole UK would benefit Wales, from delivering a modern industrial strategy to deliver jobs and economic growth in every community, to pursuing an international trade policy which will open up new opportunities for goods exports – which have increased in Wales by 12.3% to £16.4 billion.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

In exactly one year’s time, the UK will leave the EU and begin to chart its new course in the world.

My aim today, as I visit all four nations of the Union, is to hear from people across our country about what Brexit means to them – and to reaffirm my commitment to strengthening the bonds which unite us.

I was privileged to hear the optimism from Wales’ business community today as they discussed the many possibilities Brexit will bring – from growth and job opportunities to the freedom to strike new trade deals – and as we leave the EU, we should be optimistic and ambitious about what we can achieve together.

Wales, with its pioneering technology, construction and creative industries – which will further benefit from our £600 million investment in City Deals for Cardiff and Swansea as well as the abolishing of the Severn Crossing Tolls – is an integral part of our union, and I am committed to ensuring that it continues to prosper.

The Minister said:

The Infected Blood Inquiry is a priority for this Government. The infected blood tragedy of the 1970s and 80s should never have happened. We are committed to making sure all those that have suffered so terribly can get the answers they have spent decades waiting for, and lessons can be learned so that a tragedy of this scale can never happen again.

We want to make sure that all those who need to contribute to the Inquiry can do so.

The Inquiry Chair will be able to make awards for legal representation once the Inquiry is formally established and he intends to make early provision for core participant designation and legal expenses awards.

Ministers have also decided that reasonable expenses for legal representation to respond to the consultation of the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry, will be met. Any claims will be handled by the solicitor to the Inquiry.

The Chair of the Inquiry has been actively consulting with those who have been affected about how to ensure the Inquiry delivers the answers they deserve, and the consultation on Terms of Reference has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible.

The cab has travelled 99,000 miles on motorways and major A roads since the safety initiative began, spotting an average of one driving offence every 16 miles.

Highways England is now funding three new HGV ‘supercabs’ after the single cab, which has been used by police forces across the country, stopped a total of 5,408 drivers in relation to 6,257 offences.

Greater Manchester Police was one of the first police forces to use the cab when it was introduced in April 2015, and will be the final force to use it before a new dedicated cab for the North goes on patrol from next month.

New footage has also been released, filmed by Greater Manchester Police officers using the cab last week, which shows a lorry driver making notes on an A4 pad while travelling along the M6 near the junction with the M62.

The footage is available at:

John Walford, Incident Prevention Manager at Highways England, said:

We began the HGV cab initiative three years ago as part of the work we’re doing to improve safety on motorways and major A roads, and we’ve been impressed by the impact it’s had.

Police officers have pulled over more than 5,000 drivers for offences which could have resulted in serious collisions, either because road users have got into bad habits or are simply ignoring the law.

We’ve found that the vast majority of drivers are sensible behind the wheel but some are putting themselves and others at risk, so we’ve therefore decided to fund three new HGV cabs to continue to improve road safety.

The three new ‘supercabs’ will patrol motorways and main trunk roads across England, and have been fitted with wide-angle cameras to capture unsafe driving behaviour.

They also have a derestricted speed limiter which means they can travel at speeds up to the national speed limit, and flashing lights have been installed for use by police forces in an emergency.

The cabs allow police officers to film evidence of unsafe driving behaviour by pulling up alongside vehicles. Drivers are then pulled over by police cars following behind.

Chief Inspector Tariq Butt, who leads Greater Manchester Police’s Traffic Unit, said:

The use of the HGV cab as part of Operation Tramline has been a huge success across Greater Manchester over the last three years.

The ‘supercabs’ will be a welcome addition and are crucial in raising continued awareness of a driver’s responsibilities, improving road safety and more importantly reducing road casualties.

In total, 28 police forces have taken part in the HGV cab safety initiative in its first three years. Over half of the drivers who were stopped were illegally using a mobile phone while driving, despite the latest statistics showing that mobile phone use is a factor in an average of two deaths on the roads every month.

Officers gave verbal advice to 537 drivers, issued 1,014 fixed or graduated penalty notices, and filed 4,180 traffic offence reports – usually requiring drivers to attend a driver education course. There were also 194 prosecutions for more serious offences.

The most common offences filmed using the unmarked HGV cab included:

• using mobile phones – 2,971
• not wearing seatbelts – 1,227
• speeding – 331
• not in proper control of vehicles – 310

One driver pulled over by Devon and Cornwall Police was found to have sent 10 replies to 10 texts within one hour; a driver in Surrey was seen trying to put toothpaste on a toothbrush; and a driver in the East Midlands was spotted steering with his knees while he ate his lunch and used his mobile phone.

Last year, the government doubled the penalty for drivers caught using their phones at the wheel. Motorists now receive 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine – up from the previous 3 points and £100 fine.

Find out more details about the law on mobile phone use.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.