Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the regulators of the UK insurance industry are taking to prevent UK insurers from offering insurance cover to operators of fishing vessels of any nationality that turn off their Automatic Identification Systems while fishing on the high seas.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government’s policy is that Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) should always be in operation when ships are underway or at anchor, however if the master believes that the continual operation of AIS might compromise the safety or security of the ship or where security incidents are imminent, AIS may be switched off.
Insurers make decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics and standards. The Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions by insurers as this could damage competition in the market.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to incorporate references to (1) solar gain and (2) solar shading, in their guidance on the retrofitting of older homes in order to mitigate the effects of overheating.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
Part O of the Building Regulations was introduced in 2021 to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings . Part O came into effect in June 2022. This means that new residential buildings must now be designed in such a way as to reduce overheating. This requirement is met by designing and constructing the building to limit unwanted solar gains in summer (including through shading) and by providing an adequate means of removing excess heat.
In existing residential buildings, insulation measures can help reduce risks of overheating, if correctly installed and with adequate ventilation. This is why all energy efficiency measures installed under current government funded schemes require installers to be Trustmark registered and measures must also be installed in accordance with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 and PAS 2035 standards, protecting the consumer against poor workmanship. PAS 2035/2030 requires a whole house approach to home retrofit projects and ensures that the risks of unintended consequences, such as mould and condensation due to poor ventilation, are minimised.
We are also considering the issues surrounding overheating in homes created through a material change of use (i.e. homes created by converting another building type, such as an office block) and whether changes to the Building Regulations are appropriate. We intend to consult on our approach to overheating in these homes as part of our consultation on the Future Homes Standard.
Details of further work to determine risk and guide interventions related to overheating, including in existing homes, is set out in the Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) report, published in July 2023.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to incorporate references to (1) solar gain and (2) solar shading, in the design requirements for new-build homes in order to mitigate the effects of overheating.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
Part O of the Building Regulations was introduced in 2021 to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings . Part O came into effect in June 2022. This means that new residential buildings must now be designed in such a way as to reduce overheating. This requirement is met by designing and constructing the building to limit unwanted solar gains in summer (including through shading) and by providing an adequate means of removing excess heat.
In existing residential buildings, insulation measures can help reduce risks of overheating, if correctly installed and with adequate ventilation. This is why all energy efficiency measures installed under current government funded schemes require installers to be Trustmark registered and measures must also be installed in accordance with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 and PAS 2035 standards, protecting the consumer against poor workmanship. PAS 2035/2030 requires a whole house approach to home retrofit projects and ensures that the risks of unintended consequences, such as mould and condensation due to poor ventilation, are minimised.
We are also considering the issues surrounding overheating in homes created through a material change of use (i.e. homes created by converting another building type, such as an office block) and whether changes to the Building Regulations are appropriate. We intend to consult on our approach to overheating in these homes as part of our consultation on the Future Homes Standard.
Details of further work to determine risk and guide interventions related to overheating, including in existing homes, is set out in the Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) report, published in July 2023.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in relation to (1) training additional heat pump engineers, (2) supporting heat pump manufacturers, and (3) making heat pumps more affordable for consumers, in order to ensure that they meet their target of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has set out a package of policies to help install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028:
On training, the £5 million Heat Training Grant is expected to support 6,000 trainees in England to become heat pump installers.
On manufacturing, the £30 million Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition aims to increase our manufacturing capacity.
On affordability, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers grants of £7,500 for heat pump installations, VAT has been eliminated on heat pump installations until 2027, and the Heat Pump Ready innovation programme supports projects to reduce whole life costs of heat pumps.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide consumers with updated guidance on the benefits of heat pump technology and its suitability for their homes.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In July 2022, the Government launched an online tool on GOV.UK which provides tailored advice to households about whether their home could be suitable for a heat pump, the upfront costs and links to further information.
An improved version of the Tool is in development and due to be launched next year.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the fishing landing obligation on discard reduction.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many tonnes of fish above quota have been landed by fishers as a result of the landing obligation; and what percentage of total landings this represents.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions have taken place in relation to illegal discarding since the introduction of the fishing landing obligation.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that fishing quotas are not above the levels recommended by scientific advice.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As an independent coastal State, the UK sets total allowable catches (TACs) through negotiations with other coastal States, led by the best scientific advice, including advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) on maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Per our obligations under the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement, we seek to achieve, or contribute to the achievement of the fisheries objectives. In particular, we strive for outcomes that ensure environmental sustainability, including increasing the total number of stocks fished at MSY, as well as bring socio-economic benefits. In early 2024, following the conclusion of the annual fisheries negotiations, the Government will publish an independent assessment of the number of TACs set consistent with ICES advice for 2024.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Electricity Generator Levy so that new investments in renewable electricity generation infrastructure are exempt from its scope.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
For the purposes of the EGL, extraordinary returns are defined as revenues from selling electricity for a period at an average price of more than £75/MWh. This is approximately 50% more than the average price of electricity over the last decade.
To ensure that it continues to represent a measure of exceptional revenues that exceed expectations, the benchmark price is indexed to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) from April 2024 and costs of fuel which have increased by a similar degree to the price of wholesale electricity can be deducted from EGL liabilities.
The EGL is legislated to end on 31 March 2028, which reflected the possibility that wholesale electricity prices could stay elevated for several years and the need for businesses to have certainty around the measures the UK would be taking in response.
Agreements to provide electricity to a customer at a pre-agreed price for a number of months or years mean that generators may continue to realise exceptional receipts resulting from the peak in electricity prices, even if wholesale prices are subsequently lower.
It is important to note, that despite the decline this year, electricity prices still remain high compared to the previous decade. Should the crisis abate, and prices fall below the benchmark price, the revenue forecast from the levy will not materialise and consideration would be given to the tax’s ongoing application.
The Government keeps all tax policy under review, including the EGL. The Government will of course pay particular attention to the impact of measures brought in to respond to the recent spike in wholesale electricity prices.
The Government intends that the Levy’s application does not discourage investment in new merchant renewables projects. The Government actively monitors the effects of the application of the EGL and has invited industry to share evidence on the impact of the measure. These insights continue to inform our ongoing assessment of the impact of the Levy.