Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are making maximum use of electricity inter-connectors with (1) France, (2) Norway, (3) Iceland, and (4) other countries; and to what extent such use helps limit price increases.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great Britain has electricity interconnectors with France (4 GW), Norway (1.4 GW), Belgium (1 GW), the Netherlands (1 GW) and the island of Ireland (1 GW). There are currently no electricity interconnectors to Iceland.
The Government works closely with National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) and the transmission system operators of all connected countries to ensure that the maximum interconnector capacity is available for use.
Increased interconnection promotes competition, leading to reduced consumer bills. Ofgem estimated the net total quantifiable impact on GB consumer welfare to be greater than £20 billion for projects under their regulatory regime, to date.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of calls by the President of the United States and NGOs to waive intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Intellectual Property rights have been critical in underpinning innovators’ confidence to form over 300 partnerships - an unprecedented number - which have made real, positive impacts on vaccine delivery; examples include AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India, and Pfizer-BioNTech and BIOVAC in South Africa. These examples show what is possible when the right partners work together and share technology.
While we must continue to ensure vaccine production needs are met globally, the WHO news release of 7 October made it clear that, “With global vaccine production now at nearly 1.5 billion doses per month, there is sufficient vaccine from a supply perspective to achieve global vaccination targets”. We must therefore also focus on issues of distribution and delivery to successfully vaccinate the globe.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to assess the risks of any increase in the number of satellites in low-orbit, including the risks of (1) light pollution, and (2) debris.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Her Majesty’s Government are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space and take our international responsibilities around debris mitigation very seriously. The Government is committed to regularly reviewing and assessing risks and uses a robust methodology to ensure that risks are up to date and understood.
In carrying out safety assessments under its current licensing process, the UK Space Agency considers operators’ collision avoidance and debris mitigation measures as conducted throughout the entire time the spacecraft remains in orbit around the Earth.
The Government also actively participates in a number of multi-lateral fora, including the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Subcommittees and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), alongside a number of bodies defining safety standards. Within these forums, the Government works collaboratively with its international partners to define the best practice and associated guidelines that will ensure space is accessible for future generations.
We are also working with satellite operators, the Royal Astronomical Society, the European Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union to understand the impacts of the artificial light generated by satellites and clarify what actions could be taken to mitigate interference for the UK community and our international partners. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, alongside the UK Space Agency, will continue to support the UK science and astronomy community.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to reduce and, if possible, (2) to eliminate, the flaring of surplus gas from production platforms and refineries before COP26.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government continues to support measures in place to continue the reduction in flared and vented gas, via both the individual actions of the relevant regulators and collaborative engagement to share learning and identify further improvements on this practice.
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) is taking a robust stance to reduce flaring and venting from oil and gas production platforms through its consents, field development process and project stewardship role. The OGA issues consents for flaring and venting of gas on extant licences, where necessary for safety purposes, and is exploring tougher measures as part of this process, to eliminate unnecessary flaring and venting. The OGA has also expanded its benchmarking activity to the flaring and venting of greenhouse gases on the UK Continental Shelf – detailing flaring and venting activity levels in the North Sea – to enable operators to learn from good examples set by others.
In 2018, the Environment Agency reissued its environmental permits for oil & gas refineries under the Environmental Permitting Regulations to reflect the revised European standard limiting the use of flares for safety reasons or for non-routine operational conditions only, alongside several techniques for reducing emissions to air when flaring is unavoidable.
Furthermore, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) is responsible for developing, administering and enforcing the offshore oil and gas environmental regulatory regime. As the Regulator for the environment, OPRED is charged with protecting the environment, and issuing permits under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme which provides a fiscal regime for emissions reduction.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a national fuel fund to support those unable to meet gas and electricity bills.
Answered by Lord Henley
We have no current plans to establish a national fuel fund.
The Government provides support to those struggling with their gas and electricity bills through:
• The Warm Home Discount, which provides a £140 rebate to more than two million households;
• Winter Fuel Payments, that provides £200-300 to pensioners, ensuring that they can keep warm during the colder months; and
• Cold Weather Payments, which were automatically provided to more than one million households during winter 2018-19.
In addition, the default tariff cap protects all consumers on default tariffs from being overcharged and Ofgem’s safeguard price cap protects consumers on pre-payment meter tariffs.
The most sustainable approach to decreasing energy bills is improving energy efficiency.
• The Energy Company Obligation drives £640 million of investment annually into improving the efficiency of low income and vulnerable households.
• The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards require landlords spend up to £3500 (including VAT) improving their rented properties to EPC Band E.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the reuse of the sites of former coal-fired power stations; and whether any such plans include using those sites for (1) alternative energy production, (2) industrial and employment uses, and (3) housing, in particular social housing.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government has a clear policy to close all unabated coal power generation by 2025. Decisions on the reuse of the sites of former coal-fired power stations will be for the commercial owners or operators.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Henley on 4 December (HL Deb, col 850), what steps they intend to take to manage the risk of high electricity costs arising from the Hinkley Point C plant, particularly with regard to (1) poor people, and (2) commercial users.
Answered by Lord Henley
The strike price for Hinkley Point C (HPC) is fixed at £92.50 (2012 prices, rising with CPI inflation) for each megawatt hour (MWh) generated over the first 35 years of operation. The strike price is made up of a combination of wholesale market prices and a levy on consumer energy bills and ensures that consumers will pay no more than this for electricity from HPC during the contract period. When wholesale prices rise above the strike price the developer will need to repay the difference. When shared across consumers (households and businesses), payments under the Contract for Difference will amount to around £12 of the average household bill over 2026 – 2030 (based on 2012 prices).
This Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty. In line with our commitment to upgrade fuel poor homes to band C by 2030 we are taking action to support households in fuel poverty. The Warm Home Discount provides over 2 million low income and vulnerable households each year with a £140 rebate on their energy bills, including this winter. Since April, 70% of the £640m per year Energy Company Obligation has been focused on low income households through the Affordable Warmth part of the scheme. It will upgrade the energy efficiency of over 300,000 homes per year, tackling the root cause of fuel poverty. We are also safeguarding the competitiveness of those energy intensive industries particularly exposed to the additional costs arising from the Contract for Difference by exempting them from a proportion of these costs. An exemption scheme allows for real-time changes in energy use to be taken into account and provides certainty to business.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the social and economic consequences of restricting zero-hours contracts to students and pensioners.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to question UIN HL893 that states that the government has not made an estimate of the social and economic consequences of restricting zero hours contracts to students and pensioners.
The government has not assessed the social and economic consequences of restricting zero hours contracts to students and pensioners. The Matthew Taylor review found that zero hours contracts have a part to play in a modern, flexible labour market and benefit those who cannot or do not want to work in a regular contract.
However, this government shares the concerns regarding flexible work arrangements. That is why in October 2016 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister asked Matthew Taylor to carry out an independent review to consider employment practices and whether they need to change to keep pace with modern business models. We are now considering the report and will respond in full later in the year.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the social and economic consequences of restricting zero-hours contracts to students and pensioners.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Government has not made an estimate of the social and economic consequences of restricting zero hour contracts to students and pensioners.
Further to my oral statement in the House on 11 July regarding the publication of the independent Review of Modern Working Practices by Matthew Taylor, the Review concluded that the UK has employment levels and rates that are at historic highs. It also concluded that the UK is widely recognised as having one of the most flexible labour markets in the world and many people working on atypical contracts value the flexibility that they bring and choose to work this way.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Prior of Brampton on 11 July (HL Deb) on Good work: the Taylor review of modern working practices, why no reference was made to zero-hours contracts; what consideration they are giving to increasing the level of employment rights protections afforded to workers employed under such contracts towards the level afforded to full-time workers, or the self-employed; and whether they intend to introduce a right to weekly guaranteed minimum paid hours.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The oral statement referred to was to bring to the notice of the House the publication of the independent Matthew Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. Zero hours contracts are just one example of a working practice in the UK labour market and Matthew in his review has considered the labour market as a whole. I refer the noble Lord to the full transcript of the statement where zero hours contracts are discussed.
This Government will give the report the careful consideration it deserves and will respond in full later this year.