Lord Lilley

As part of the UK-EU Summit on 19^th May, the UK and the EU have agreed to work towards linking the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This will be subject to negotiations.

The Government has agreed with the EU that we will not be linking the UK to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme 2 (ETS2). EU ETS 2 is a separate scheme to the original EU ETS and covers emissions from buildings and road transport.

This Government has been clear that the answers to the challenges around energy security, affordability and sustainability point in the same direction – clean energy. The electricity market in GB operates on the principle of marginal pricing, whereby the price of electricity is set by the last technology needed to meet overall demand, often gas. The ever-increasing participation of renewables in the market means that over time, cheaper electricity produced by renewables will set the wholesale price more often than gas.

Interconnectors are, and will continue to be, an important component of GB’s energy capacity mix, supporting GB’s energy security and transition to net zero.

The majority of offshore wind and solar projects are led by the private sector, with many structured through individual Special Purpose Vehicles whose financial accounts are either privately held or reported in a limited form. Analysis by the independent NESO shows that offshore wind and solar are core components of a clean power system which can protect billpayers from international gas price volatility for the long-term.

As has long been the case, such certification is required for export of bovine, ovine/caprine, porcine and poultry animals in both directions.

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on products of animal origin entering Great Britain are risk-based and focus on high and medium risk consignments, prioritising those that present the highest food safety and biosecurity risks. Port Health Authorities and relevant local authorities also have the power to inspect goods at their discretion or if they are deemed to pose a risk to biosecurity. Consignments of low-risk animal products are also subject to intelligence-led controls. The checks conducted will vary according to each individual consignment and commodity type and may range from visual inspections to lab sampling as appropriate. Defra does therefore not hold information on the precise proportion due to the dynamic nature of our biosecurity controls.

The EU determines the checks that are required for SPS goods entering the EEA at their Points of Entry. Exporters to and importers into the EU are obliged to present their goods to an appropriate Border Control Post, where the selection for checks is made. This data is held by the EU. GB imports are similarly required to present goods for checks at an appropriate BCP but clearance mechanisms are in operation to allow most of them to enter the UK without stopping at a BCP.

The information requested is not held.

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