Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the assumed monetary value of atmospheric carbon emissions per tonne they use when evaluating the total cost of different energy generation technologies.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government adopts a target-consistent approach to valuing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is based on estimates of the abatement costs needed to meet specific emissions reduction targets. The value placed on changes in GHG emissions has been reviewed and updated as of October 2021. The carbon values are used to quantify and value the emissions for appraisal purposes.
Specifics are detailed within supplementary guidance to HMT’s Green Book found on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/valuation-of-energy-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-for-appraisal#:~:text=This%20guidance%20provides%20government%20analysts,methodology%20for%20UK%20policy%20appraisal
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to fast-track visa applications from skilled engineers to support industry investment in the UK’s energy grid capacity.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Skilled Worker visas are normally processed within 3 weeks. Priority services are available for those who require a faster decision.
Further details on the Skilled Worker visa can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations have been carried out with renewable energy project developers to assess the impact of the National Energy System Operator strategic capability review.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is an independent public body. We do not hold information on the strategic capability review. I have asked NESO to write to the noble Lord and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on negotiations regarding the pre-Brexit EU fishing quota in UK waters for UK fishing boats from 30 June 2026.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was established when the UK left the EU. For fisheries, this provides full reciprocal access to exclusive economic zones, and certain access to territorial waters. This reciprocal access has a five-and-a-half-year adjustment period until June 2026. After June 2026, EU access to UK waters (and vice versa) becomes a matter for annual negotiation under the TCA, as is typical between coastal States.
We know that the EU want a new multi-year access agreement. The UK are happy to listen to what the EU have to say but we will protect the interests of the UK fishing industry and continue to fulfil our commitments to protect the marine environment.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of pre-Brexit EU fishing quotas in UK waters they intend to recover for UK fishing boats from 30 June 2026.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was established when the UK left the EU. For fisheries, this provides full reciprocal access to exclusive economic zones, and certain access to territorial waters. This reciprocal access has a five-and-a-half-year adjustment period until June 2026. After June 2026, EU access to UK waters (and vice versa) becomes a matter for annual negotiation under the TCA, as is typical between coastal States.
We know that the EU want a new multi-year access agreement. The UK are happy to listen to what the EU have to say but we will protect the interests of the UK fishing industry and continue to fulfil our commitments to protect the marine environment.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to offer EU fishing fleets increased access to UK territorial waters.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was established when the UK left the EU. For fisheries, this provides full reciprocal access to exclusive economic zones, and certain access to territorial waters. This reciprocal access has a five-and-a-half-year adjustment period until June 2026. After June 2026, EU access to UK waters (and vice versa) becomes a matter for annual negotiation under the TCA, as is typical between coastal States.
We know that the EU want a new multi-year access agreement. The UK are happy to listen to what the EU have to say but we will protect the interests of the UK fishing industry and continue to fulfil our commitments to protect the marine environment.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect a higher incidence of wildfires in the UK in the coming years and what plans they have to mitigate the impact of wildfires on newly established forests and woodland.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Outdoor fires, especially wildfires, are expected by many academics to increase in frequency in the coming years as a result of climate change.
A coordinated approach is essential to mitigate the impact of climate change on people, property, habitats, livestock, natural capital and wildlife, and to plan the most effective response to incidents.
Landowners and land managers are encouraged by Defra to adopt good quality wildfire management plans and use sustainable land management practices that reduce fuel loads.
The UK Forestry Standard1 highlights the need for woodland owners to have fire prevention in contingency plans and adaptation for the risk to be assessed in forest management plans. This is supported by the UKFS Practice Guidance "Building Wildfire Resilience in Forest Management Planning" for both new woodland creation and existing woodland management.2
Each fire and rescue authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfire), through their Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) while having regard to the views of other key local responders.
Fire and Rescue Services undertake a range of activities alongside local partners, including prevention and educational activities and the Forestry Commission also provide 'Lantra' accredited training to the forestry and land management sector on vegetation fires, with over 1,300 places delivered since 2021.3
1 The UK Forestry Standard - GOV.UK
2 Building wildfire resilience into forest management planning - Forest Research
3 Forestry Commission - Lantra Vegetation Fire Training
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier payments to farmers are being delayed from December 2024 to mid-2025; what is the reason for any delay; and what assessment they have made of the impact on farmers’ finances.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no delays to payment for existing Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier customers. Since 1 December we have paid around 14,000 customers with both Mid-Tier and Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreements, the revenue payment total around £151 million.
More information about the timing and content of the new expanded Higher Tier scheme will be published later in December.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to keep and publish detailed records of farmer, landowner, and family business owner suicides in the months leading up to the reduction of agricultural and business property reliefs for inheritance tax, for the purpose of public interest.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Lord Roborough
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
19 December 2024
Dear Lord Roborough,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking whether we plan to keep and publish detailed records of farmer, landowner, and family business owner suicides in the months leading up to the reduction of agricultural and business property reliefs for inheritance tax, for the purpose of public interest (HL3558).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration, which is a legal requirement. This data enables the ONS to produce detailed statistics on suicides that are registered in England and Wales and we publish regular annual[1] and quarterly[2] statistics. All these are based on date of registration, rather than occurrence.
In England and Wales, all deaths by suicide are certified by a coroner and cannot be registered until an inquest is completed. This results in a delay between the date the death occurred and the date of registration. Due to these registration delays, it will not be possible to produce accurate statistics on suicides occurring in 2026 until 2028. The ONS will continue its quarterly publication of suicide statistics and analysis of suicide deaths by occupation based on registration date. However, a more regular presentation of suicide deaths by occupation is not planned.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many avian influenza compensation scheme claims were paid in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024 to date.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2023 58 claims for compensation for avian influenza were paid. To date, in 2024 7 claims for compensation have been paid.