Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the assessment made of the costs and benefits of including a clause in the Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill to allow organisations a right of appeal to the Competions and Markets Authority.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Bill requires Ofgem to consult on its proposal for setting the level of the price cap, and to have regard to the need to ensure that an efficient supplier can finance their licenced supply activities.
A route of appeal against Ofgem’s decision would be available via judicial review.
The Government is not in a position to assess or comment on the likely costs and benefits that might be incurred by third parties in relation to hypothetical legal challenges.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of UK gas demand that could be met from UK-sourced shale gas.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not made any estimates on the proportion of UK gas demand that could be met from UK-sourced shale gas. We do not yet know how much shale gas it will be possible to technologically and commercially extract from UK shale reserves. To determine the potential of the industry and the benefits it could bring the UK, we need exploration to go ahead and Government is supportive of this.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - 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 contribution of UK-sourced shale gas to the energy security of the UK.
Answered by Lord Henley
In October 2017, the Government published a report summarising gas security, including consideration of the role of shale gas, over the next 20 years, available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gas-security-of-supply-strategic-assessment-and-review
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the volume of shale gas and oil that will have been produced by (1) 2020, and (2) 2025.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not made any estimates of the volume of gas and oil that will have been produced by 2020 and 2025.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of shale gas and oil wells that will have been hydraulically fractured by (1) 2020, and (2) 2025.
Answered by Lord Henley
Based on information provided by industry dating from 2016, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy previously estimated in 2017 that there could be around 17 wells in 2020 and 155 wells by around 2025. These figures are now considered to be out of date.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average time taken between the first planning application for a shale gas well being received and final consent being granted for drilling.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Mineral Planning Authority decisions to grant or refuse planning permission for exploratory wells have taken between 17 and 83 weeks from date of validation to the date the decision was issued.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce delays in the planning process for shale gas development.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Through the 2017 manifesto we have put forward proposals to treat non-fracking drilling as permitted development. These proposals aim to establish expert planning functions to support local councils, and, when necessary, for major shale planning decisions to be made the responsibility of the National Planning Regime. We will continue to consider any further measures needed to help speed up the planning process.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of their commitment made in July to provide £1.3 billion to expand mental health services, whether any of those funds will be used to support people with behavioural problems as well as those with psychiatric problems.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England, published in July, committed funds for the expansion of the mental health workforce across a range of clinical areas including Children and Young People’s services, Core Acute and Core Community services. These areas support service users with behavioural problems, as well as meeting needs for wider psychiatric support. A copy of the report is attached.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on diplomatic relations of the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm El Sheikh.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a friend of Egypt – a firm security partner, business partner of choice, a practical supporter of empowering the Egyptian people, and an advocate of modernising reform. We cooperate on a range of issues both bilaterally and multilaterally, including in our shared interests of combating terrorism, countering extremism, and working to bring stability and security to Libya. I have visited Egypt twice this year, and the Foreign Secretary visited in February.
All relationships have their issues. We are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government about the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh. Our Travel Advice can have political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact on the economy of Egypt of the ban on flights between the UK and Sharm El Sheikh since the ban was imposed in 2015.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer my noble friend to the response given to PQ HL2384, copied below for ease of reference:
Despite Her Majesty's Government's ban on flights to Sharm El Sheikh, British tourists continue to visit Egypt. Our Travel Advice does not advise against travel to many parts of Egypt. So far this year, UK tourists have contributed US$153 million to the Egyptian economy. Britain is the number two western European country in terms of numbers of tourists in Egypt.
The Egyptian Tourism Minister stated in 2015 that flight suspensions following the Metrojet attack had resulted in direct losses estimated at US$280 million a month to the Egyptian economy. This figure included the impact of flight suspensions by a number of countries.
We know the importance of tourism in Sharm El Sheikh and are in constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government. Our Travel Advice can have trade and political implications, but we do not let this determine the advice we give. The safety of British nationals has to be our main concern.