Baroness Randerson

The Prime Minister has today announced the appointment of Rt Hon Lord Geidt to serve as the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. The Independent Adviser oversees the production of a List of Ministers' Interests, and the next publication will occur once Lord Geidt has concluded that process.

I refer the Noble Lady to the Written Statement published on 11 March.

Statement

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Michael Gove MP), has today made the following written statement:

On 31 December last year, the UK left the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union. This was the biggest change in the UK’s trading relationships for decades. The Government has always been clear that this meant change for business and for citizens, including new processes and requirements.

The first phase of such changes came in on 1 January. The Government has put in place the staffing, infrastructure, and IT to deal with the situation. Thanks to the hard work of traders and hauliers, we have not seen anything like the generalised disruption at our ports which many predicted, and supply chains have shown themselves to be robust.

However, the Government recognises the scale and significance of the challenges businesses have been facing in adjusting to the new requirements, at the same time as dealing with the impacts of COVID.

Last June, we announced a timetable for the phased introduction of controls on imports from the EU into Great Britain, to ensure businesses could prepare in a phased way. This timetable was based on the impacts of the first wave of COVID. We know now that the disruption caused by COVID has lasted longer and has been deeper than we anticipated. Accordingly, the Government has reviewed these timeframes.

Although we recognise that many in the border industry and many businesses have been investing time and energy to be ready on time, and indeed we in Government were confident of being ready on time, we have listened to businesses who have made a strong case that they need more time to prepare. In reviewing the timeframes, we have given strong weight to the disruption which has been caused, and is still being caused, by COVID, and the need to ensure that the economy can recover fully.

We are therefore announcing today a clear revised timetable for the introduction of controls, as follows:

• Pre-notification requirements for Products of Animal Origin (POAO), certain animal by-products (ABP), and High Risk Food Not Of Animal Origin (HRFNAO) will not be required until 1 October 2021. Export Health Certificate requirements for POAO and certain ABP will come into force on the same date.
• Customs import declarations will still be required, but the option to use the deferred declaration scheme, including submitting supplementary declarations up to six months after the goods have been imported, has been extended to 1 January 2022.
• Safety and Security Declarations for imports will not be required until 1 January 2022.
• Physical SPS checks for POAO, certain ABP, and HRFNAO will not be required until 1 January 2022. At that point they will take place at Border Control Posts.
• Physical SPS checks on high risk plants will take place at Border Control Posts, rather than at the place of destination as now, from 1 January 2022.
• Pre-notification requirements and documentary checks, including phytosanitary certificates will be required for low risk plants and plant products, and will be introduced from 1 January 2022.
• From March 2022, checks at Border Control Posts will take place on live animals and low risk plants and plant products.

Traders moving controlled goods into Great Britain will continue to be ineligible for the deferred customs declaration approach. They will therefore be required to complete a full customs declaration when the goods enter Great Britain.

Controls and checks on Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods are of course a devolved matter and we continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations on their implementation, in particular with the Welsh Government on their timetable for completing supporting Border Control Post infrastructure in Wales.

We will continue to engage extensively with businesses to support them to adjust to the new requirements already in place and to prepare for the new requirements set out above so that they can continue to trade successfully under the new arrangements.

The Port of Dover has not formally requested additional funding in response to their provisional allocation. We have stated, more generally and to all ports, that there is no more funding available through the Port Infrastructure Fund.

The criteria for awarding grants were set out in the PIF Prospectus, which provided a guide to support Ports to apply for the PIF which opened for applications on 2 October 2020 and closed on 30 October 2020. We will place a copy in the library of the House, as well as publishing it online. Given the level of oversubscription, Government has had to apply the criteria strictly, in particular that works be required as a result of the introduction of the Border Operating Model.

The Port of Dover has not formally requested additional funding in response to their provisional allocation. We have stated, more generally and to all ports, that there is no more funding available through the Port Infrastructure Fund.

The criteria for awarding grants were set out in the PIF Prospectus, which provided a guide to support Ports to apply for the PIF which opened for applications on 2 October 2020 and closed on 30 October 2020. We will place a copy in the library of the House, as well as publishing it online. Given the level of oversubscription, Government has had to apply the criteria strictly, in particular that works be required as a result of the introduction of the Border Operating Model.

The Port Infrastructure Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the Fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.

It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government made £470m of funding available for new border infrastructure, with up to £200m available to ports through the Port Infrastructure Fund.

Ports will need to consider the scope of their infrastructure projects now that their funding allocations have been made - they may choose to scale back on the facilities they are building, or they may choose to provide additional funding themselves. This is a commercial decision for ports.

Any decisions on future funding for specialist facilities would be announced in the usual way.

The allocation of the Port Infrastructure Fund was announced on 15 December. The Port of Dover was allocated £33,000. The entirety of the £200 million in the Port Infrastructure Fund has been allocated, so no further funding is available for any port.

All allocations from the Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) have been published by HMG online at gov.uk. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/port-infrastructure-fund-allocations/port-infrastructure-fund-successful-applicants).

The criteria for awarding grants were set out in the PIF Prospectus.

All allocations from the Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) have been published by HMG online at gov.uk. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/port-infrastructure-fund-allocations/port-infrastructure-fund-successful-applicants).

The criteria for awarding grants were set out in the PIF Prospectus.

The Government regularly meets key representative organisations and trade associations in preparation for the end of the Transition Period. HMRC and Cabinet Office officials meet frequently with the British International Freight Association (BIFA), the most recent occasions for HMRC being an industry roundtable event on 17 September and a customs forum on 21 September. Cabinet Office have also been in discussions with BIFA regarding the Border Operating Model (BOM) on 23 September.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out on 23 September, the Government has invited businesses to participate in user testing for the Smart Freight Service, and continues to engage regarding preparations for the end of the Transition Period.

Since the publication of the Border Operating Model in July, the Government has engaged extensively with industry to understand what more they need to be ready for the end of the Transition Period. Feedback received has been reflected in the updated Border Operating Model, due to be published shortly.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out on 23 September, the Government has invited businesses to participate in user testing for the Smart Freight Service, and continues to engage regarding preparations for the end of the Transition Period.

Since the publication of the Border Operating Model in July, the Government has engaged extensively with industry to understand what more they need to be ready for the end of the Transition Period. Feedback received has been reflected in the updated Border Operating Model, due to be published shortly.

Government officials have been in direct contact with Local Authorities which could be directly impacted by an inland site in their area. Officials also wrote to indirectly impacted Local Authorities to inform them that there are not any imminent plans in their area for an inland site and that they will be notified should this change. We want to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is in place, not just in Newhaven and Lewes, but at other ports also.

On 12 July, the Government announced a £705 million funding package in 2020/21 for border infrastructure, staffing and IT to ensure GB border systems are fully operational when the UK takes back control of its border after the end of the transition period.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has responded to the letter and hosted a roundtable alongside the Transport Secretary, other Ministers and senior officials on 17 September.

The Government agrees with the need for public authorities, businesses and individuals to take action now to prepare for the end of the transition and have set out extensive guidance on GOV.uk/transition.

As announced on 12 June and as set out on GOV.UK, the Government will publish a Border Operating Model in July.

The Government wrote to the Insolvency Service on 23 March asking it to undertake an urgent and thorough enquiry into the recent actions of P&O Ferries, to determine whether the law has been complied with and consider prompt and appropriate action where it has not.

The Insolvency Service confirmed on 01 April that following its enquiries it has initiated both formal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the redundancies made by P&O Ferries.

You will appreciate that while these investigations are being progressed it would not be appropriate to make further comment but the Insolvency Service will provide an update in due course.

The UK’s high labour standards were never dependent on our membership of the EU. The UK has a robust legal framework for employment rights – including giving workers the right to be consulted and given fair notice of potential redundancy. P&O Ferries has conducted itself in an appalling manner. We are working to establish the facts of the case, but there can be no excuse for the way workers have been treated.

The Department is unable to provide information relating to loan amounts for individual companies as this information is commercially sensitive for both investors and investee businesses.

All investee companies were required to certify that they met the UK nationality criteria as part of the process of signing the Convertible Loan Agreement. Businesses provided details of their country of incorporation, UK Company registration number as well as the citizenship of company officers and an ownership structure chart or supporting documentation showing ultimate beneficial owners of the company. These details were checked as part of the eligibility checks carried out. As this particular business was pre-revenue and pre-operational at the time of application, these checks also satisfied the requirement that over half of employees should be UK-based or half of revenues should be from UK sales.

Licensing is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority. A UK Air Operator Certificate has not been granted to this company to date.

The Government is committed to increasing research and innovation capacity across the UK.

Innovation Accelerators are a new pilot approach to supporting three UK city regions to become major, globally competitive centres for research and innovation. They will be locally led partnerships involving leaders in local government, business and R&D institutions.

The three city regions selected for the pilots demonstrate R&D strengths, robust private and public innovation governance, and strong local leadership which makes them strong candidates for testing this new approach.

If the Innovation Accelerator pilots prove successful, we will consider how the lessons learned can be applied to benefit other places in the UK.

The OneWeb Board voted to suspend all launches from Baikonur, including the launch scheduled for 4 March, and the company are currently considering options for alternative launches. This exercise is commercially sensitive and a matter for OneWeb.

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) contains provisions on the entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes (Mode IV), similar to the EU’s best precedent reached with Canada and Japan, with some improvements.

For short-stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, UK nationals will not need a visa when travelling to and within the Schengen Area, where they are undertaking a limited range of activities such as attending meetings, tourism, cultural or sporting events. Under the TCA with the EU, business travellers do not require a work permit to carry out certain short-term business travel activities, such as attending meetings and conferences, providing after sale-services, or translation and market research services, unless otherwise stated in the agreement. Some Member States allow additional activities without the need for a visa or work permit. The types of additional activities allowed differ by Member State, and UK nationals should check relevant rules before travelling.

For those undertaking longer-term stays or providing a service under a contract, a visa and/or work permit may be required. If you are travelling to several Member States for work purposes, you may need to apply for these documents for each country. UK nationals should therefore check the rules of each country they intend to travel to ahead of time.

We have published guidance on GOV.UK for businesses to support our new trading relationship with the EU.

The examination of the application for development consent for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station closed on 14 October 2021 and the Examining Authority is now writing its report which will set out its conclusions and recommendations on the proposals. The Secretary of State is due to receive the Examining Authority’s report by 14 January 2022. Given the quasi-judicial role of the Secretary of State in determining the application, I cannot comment on specific matters regarding the proposed project, as this could be seen as prejudicing the decision-making process. As is the case for all applications for development consent, the Secretary of State will consider all matters that are relevant when taking his decision on the project.

The revised Terms of Reference for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry were announced by the Government on 19 May when the Inquiry was converted to a Statutory Inquiry. Last month, the Chair of the Inquiry set out his draft Lines of Inquiry. It will be for Sir Wyn Williams, as Chair of the Inquiry, to make whatever findings or recommendations that he sees fit.

The Government agrees with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that a comprehensive and competitive charging network is essential to support the country’s transition to electric vehicles. In line with the CMA’s recommendations, an Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy will be published later this year.

The Government committed £1.3 billion to EV infrastructure at the 2020 Spending Review. This includes the £950 million Rapid Charging Fund which will ensure that every Motorway Service Area in England has the grid capacity it needs to support the growth in EV usage to 2035. The Government has allocated £275 million in extended support for chargepoint installation at homes, workplaces, and on-street locations, and a further £90 million to support the roll out of larger, on-street charging schemes and rapid hubs in England.

The impact assessment considers the costs and benefits of provisions in the Professional Qualifications Bill. The proposals in the Bill do not affect the UK qualifications or experience required to practise a profession.

The Government ran a Call for Evidence on the recognition of professional qualifications and the regulation of professions between August 2020 and October 2020, which was open to anyone with an interest in professional qualifications. We received 417 responses, of which 26 responses were from educators who provide training and higher education institutions.

Officials have met representatives from Universities UK to discuss proposals in the Professional Qualifications Bill and will continue to pursue an active programme of stakeholder engagement.

The £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and its forerunner, the Energy Innovation Programme, seek to accelerate the commercialisation of low carbon technologies, systems and business models. These programmes include the new £60 million Low-Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 competition which is aimed at accelerating the development of a wide range of innovative low-carbon hydrogen supply solutions; and the Hy4Heat Programme, which is working to establish if it is technically possible, safe and convenient to replace natural gas (methane) with hydrogen in residential and commercial buildings. Hy4Heat has worked with Energy & Utility Skills to develop a competency framework for skills accreditation for heating engineers working with hydrogen.

We have also delivered projects such as the £20 million Industrial Fuel Switching which includes the first demonstrations of firing hydrogen at commercial fuel supply scale for the manufacture of cement and lime. Furthermore, the £10 million Green Distilleries Competition is supporting nine feasibility studies for low-carbon hydrogen-related projects. BEIS has also let a contract to the University of Cambridge to explore the atmospheric impacts of hydrogen release.

My Rt.Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan was clear on our aim for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy. The forthcoming Hydrogen Strategy will set out what is required to build a hydrogen economy fit for 2030, Carbon Budget 6 and beyond, whilst maximising economic benefits and supporting job and skills. We will also consult on priority policies, including hydrogen business models, a low carbon hydrogen standard, and the £240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

Valuing changes in greenhouse gases, including carbon, is vital to ensure climate change impacts are taken into account when appraising and evaluating public policies and projects. Carbon values used during policy appraisal are published as part of the Green Book supplementary guidance: valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for appraisal. A summary of the current carbon values for 2030, 2040, 2050 is given in the table below (the full annual series can be found in table 3 of the attached). The Government is not intending to publish equivalent figures for each of the OECD countries.

Table 1: HMG’s Carbon Values for policy appraisal

As outlined by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in his previous answer, we are presented with a challenging financial situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.

BEIS delivers R&D ODA funding through a range of Executive Agencies, Research Councils, National Academies, Royal Societies and more. As a result, the Department has several distinct legal agreements with our ODA Delivery Partners; and each of these also has a range of legal relationships with their individual grant holders. We are working with each Delivery Partner to ensure that contractual terms, including relevant notice periods, are respected.

I am pleased we reached agreement to take part in Horizon Europe; it will bring huge benefits to the UK.

We are continuing to work through the details of the costs for Horizon. We will set out our plans for R&D spend in 2021/22 – including funding for Horizon Europe – in due course.