Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 3 March by Gordon Hughes and Net Zero Watch, Will Net Zero Reduce Electricity Costs in 2030, in particular with regard to the impact of imports of electricity from the continent on UK wholesale electricity prices.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has analysed the accounts of special purpose vehicles for (1) offshore wind farms, and (2) solar energy farms, to calculate the cost of such ventures; and if so, whether they will publish the results.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many N1 claim forms (CPR Part 7) were submitted in the most recent year for which figures are available, and how many of them indicated that the claim does, or will, include any issues under the Human Rights Act 1998.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested is not held.
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the volume of claims received by claim type: Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures (1) train operators, and (2) ferry operators, have to deal with fires caused by batteries in electric vehicles while in transit.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
There is no evidence to suggest that electric vehicle fires are more likely to occur than petrol or diesel vehicle fires.
Electric vehicles are currently only transported by rail via the Eurotunnel. As the infrastructure manager of the Channel Tunnel and operator of its shuttle services, Eurotunnel is responsible for the safety of passengers and has to maintain risk assessments for its operations, including developing procedures specifically for the carriage of EVs. These are regularly assessed and challenged by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and their inspectors. The safety authorities also facilitate regular dialogue between Eurotunnel and the UK and French emergency services to review operating procedures.
Fire prevention, fire detection, and fire fighting in electric vehicles is a developing area and the Government continually reviews its guidance and regulations in step with the development of best practice.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the cost of training (1) a doctor, and (2) a nurse; and how much of that cost is covered by student loans.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) at the University of Kent estimates that the cost of training an individual doctor from the beginning of medical school through to the end of the foundation training programme is approximately £327,000. This includes salaries paid to the trainee during the foundation stage while they are working, living expenses and other costs of training. This includes costs borne by both the wider National Health Service and the individual undertaking the training.
PSSRU estimate the cost of training a nurse to be approximately £67,000. These estimates are published in their Unit Costs of Health and Social Care Manual.
The maximum amount that can be borrowed in student loans by an individual medical student is between £74,000 and £93,000 for a five-year course, depending on the individual’s living arrangements. From year five of an undergraduate course, and from year two of a graduate-entry course, medical students can also access the NHS Bursary. This is non-repayable and comprises payment for tuition fees and, where eligible, further grants and allowances.
The maximum amount that can be borrowed in student loans by an individual nursing student is between £53,000 and £67,000 for a three-year course, depending on the student’s living arrangements. In addition, since September 2020, all eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to (1) zero rate, and (2) exempt, new goods and services from VAT under the terms of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The Windsor Framework establishes new freedoms for the UK to set VAT rates and thresholds in Northern Ireland that go far beyond those available before EU Exit. That includes the ability to zero rate additional goods for VAT.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to (1) zero rate, and (2) exempt, additional goods and services from VAT in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The Windsor Framework establishes new freedoms for the UK to set VAT rates and thresholds in Northern Ireland that go far beyond those available before EU Exit. That includes the ability to zero rate additional goods for VAT.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be able to raise the VAT registration threshold in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The Windsor Framework establishes new freedoms for the UK to set VAT rates and thresholds in Northern Ireland that go far beyond those available before EU Exit. That includes the ability to zero rate additional goods for VAT.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) timetable, and (2) process, for appointing a new Chair of the Climate Change Committee; and how many applications were received for this post when it was advertised in July 2022.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Department’s Secretary of State makes appointments to the Climate Change Committee jointly with his devolved counterparts. The Committee Chair’s role was first advertised last summer. Due to the limited number of applicants demonstrating sufficient experience, the appointing parties agreed to re-advertise using executive search services. The updated advertisement is due to go live this month.
The role is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. In terms of process, the appointing parties follow the Governance Code for Public Appointments, including establishing an Advisory Assessment Panel that informs Ministers of progress throughout the competition.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses joined the Nursing and Midwife Council Register from countries graded by the World Health Organisation as having fewer nurses than the global median in the most recent year for which figures are available
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses, midwives, and nursing associates in the United Kingdom. The following table shows the number of nurses, midwives, and nursing associates joining the NMC’s register from each country with fewer nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 people than the global median in the year ending 31 March 2022.
Bahrain 4
Bangladesh 1
Barbados 18
Belize 17
Cameroon 17
China 6
Colombia 3
Egypt 13
Eswatini 9
Ethiopia 1
Gambia 12
India 9,769
Iran 19
Iraq 1
Jamaica 115
Jordan 12
Kenya 461
Lebanon 20
Lesotho 18
Malawi 7
Malaysia 20
Namibia 11
Nepal 210
Niger 1
Nigeria 3,010
Pakistan 112
Saint Lucia 13
Sri Lanka 14
Tanzania 1
Tunisia 1
Turkey 2
Uganda 30
Zambia 57
Zimbabwe 913
Notes:
1. The World Health Organization publishes a measure of the number of nurses per 10,000 population. The median for their measure, unweighted by countries population is 35.07 nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 population.
2. Countries below the median level of nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 population where there were no joiners to the NMC register are excluded.