Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the UK’s dependence on non-domestic energy resources.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The crisis in Ukraine and the UK’s exposure to high global gas prices show the importance of the Government’s plan for a strong home-grown low-carbon economy to strengthen energy security into the future.
The Government plans to reduce reliance on fossil fuels as the engine of the UK economy and make the transition to low carbon energy. This includes ambitious plans to support the deployment of low carbon and renewable technologies such as offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen, which will contribute to decarbonising the UK’s power, heat and transport sectors.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear his intention to publish an Energy Security Strategy, setting out how the UK will make the transition to a home-grown clean energy future and end reliance on Russian oil.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their policy of "seamless trade across the UK's Internal Market" as stated in the Policy Paper by the Business Secretary UK internal market, published in July 2020 (CP 278), as it relates to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has consistently stated its commitment to the preservation of seamless trade across the whole of the United Kingdom’s internal market, including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, within CP226 published in May 2020 and the White Paper published in July 2020.
The UK Internal Market Act 2020 implements these commitments compatibly with the Northern Ireland Protocol and in doing so protects Northern Ireland's place in the UK Internal Market.
In light of challenges in the first part of this year, temporary operational steps have been taken to minimise disruption, support the effective flow of goods and provide a period for businesses to plan, particularly in the current circumstances of a global pandemic. We continue to work very closely with businesses to look at any issues that do need to be addressed, and to offer any support that is required.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to support people with diabetes who return to work in their normal workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Our safer working guidance includes advice specifically on supporting employees with characteristics that put them at higher risk of infection and/or an adverse outcome if infected, including those with health conditions such as diabetes.
This guidance is regularly updated and measures reviewed in line with scientific evidence. The guidance can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on high street businesses of COVID-19 restrictions in the pre-Christmas period.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is fully committed to supporting the businesses that make our high streets and town centres successful as the nation responds to the impacts of COVID-19.
This is why we have delivered one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support globally, with a total fiscal response of over £200bn. The measures introduced, including loan schemes, grant funding, tax deferrals and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.
Businesses forced to close due will receive up to £3,000 per month, depending on their rateable value. Businesses in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors experienced reduced demand due to restrictions introduced between 1 August and 5 November, will receive up to £2,100 per month to cover the period during which they were subject to these restrictions.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the hospitality sector of COVID-19 restrictions in the pre-Christmas period.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We know that hospitality venues are subject to significant restrictions under the new regional tiered system and that is why on 1 December, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an additional £1,000 Christmas grant for ‘wet-led pubs’ in tiers 2 and 3 who will miss out on much needed business during the busy Christmas period.
This additional support comes on top of other measures, which include:
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the (1) Northern Irish, (2) Scottish, and (3) Welsh, Governments about re-opening the hospitality sector in their nations.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not held discussions with the Devolved Administrations on re-opening the hospitality sector in their nations. Public health is a devolved matter and this Department’s guidance on safer working applies to England only. The Devolved Administrations were asked if they knew of any stakeholders who had an interest in the development of the safer working guidance for the hospitality sector in England and these stakeholders were included in the consultation process to develop the guidance.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many objections to fracking they have received in 2018 to date.
Answered by Lord Henley
During 2018, the Department has received a range of correspondence from various stakeholders and the general public. The Government continues to work closely with regulators and with the shale industry to ensure that any concerns raised are appropriately addressed.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the amount of electricity generated by onshore wind farms in each of the last six months.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Monthly generation estimates are not available; however, the latest available quarterly estimates are published in Energy Trends table 6.1:
UK electricity generation from onshore wind, Apr-Jun 2016 and Jul-Sep 2016(1)(2)
|
| GWh |
| 2016 Q2 (Apr-Jun) | 2016 Q3 (Jul-Sep) |
Onshore Wind electricity generation | 4,028 | 4,566 |
|
|
|
Source: Energy Trends 6.1, December 2016, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-section-6-renewables
(1) Generation figures for the latest quarter are provisional.
(2) Actual generation figures are given where available. Otherwise they are estimated using a typical load factor or the design load factor, where known. Generation from Feed-in Tariff schemes is estimated this way.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the proportion of new jobs created in each of the last five years which required a university degree.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government does not hold data on new jobs created in each of the last five years that requires a university degree.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been paid in subsidies to off-shore wind farms in each of the last two years.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Offshore wind projects currently receive support under the Renewables Obligation scheme. Support for each of the last two years is shown below in nominal prices:
Renewables Obligation support (£million ) | 2014/15 | 2015/16 |
Offshore wind | £1,108.0 | £1,429.7 |
Source Ofgem:
Renewables Obligation library: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/ro/contacts-publications-and-data/publications-library-renewables-obligation-ro
Renewables Obligation Annual Report 2014-15: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/renewables-obligation-ro-annual-report-2014-15
Renewables Obligation register: https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1&ReportCategory=0