Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 1 February (HL5048), what account was taken by the external experts of the proportionality of the costs of the works at Peers' Entrance against the background that further related security works will be undertaken within the next three years.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The proportionality of the costs of the works at Peers’ Entrance, and the security benefits arising, have been the subject of rigorous internal assessment through the usual business case process. The plans have also been validated by external experts.
To avoid publicly disclosing sensitive security matters it is not possible to go into further detail, however Members are always welcome to contact the Director of Security to discuss any security-related concerns privately.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 1 February (HL5048), what account was taken of the further security works to be undertaken within the next three years when assessing the proportionality of the cost of the works at Peers' Entrance.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The proportionality of the costs of the works at Peers’ Entrance, and the security benefits arising, have been the subject of rigorous internal assessment through the usual business case process. The plans have also been validated by external experts.
To avoid publicly disclosing sensitive security matters it is not possible to go into further detail, however Members are always welcome to contact the Director of Security to discuss any security-related concerns privately.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment has been made of the proportionality of the cost of replacing the revolving door at Peers' Entrance, given the plans for further related security works within the next three years.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The proportionality of the costs of the works at Peers’ Entrance, and the security benefits arising, have been the subject of rigorous internal assessment through the usual business case process. The plans have also been validated by external experts.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sale of part of the British Embassy in Tokyo during the 150th anniversary year of the visit to the UK of the Iwakura Mission.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has completed the sale of an under-used part of our Tokyo compound to Mitsubishi Estates, while retaining the Chancery building and its historic frontage. In line with our ambitions for the Indo-Pacific tilt, this sale gives us the opportunity to modernise and upgrade our Tokyo embassy to ensure it is truly representative of the best of Britain, including through sustainable and inclusive design, whilst also preserving its heritage buildings. The sale has maximised value for money for the British taxpayer, funding much-needed investment not just in Tokyo but also elsewhere in our global estate. The Japanese Government has been kept informed of our plans.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the decision to sell part of the British Embassy estate in Tokyo.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has completed the sale of an under-used part of our Tokyo compound to Mitsubishi Estates, while retaining the Chancery building and its historic frontage. In line with our ambitions for the Indo-Pacific tilt, this sale gives us the opportunity to modernise and upgrade our Tokyo embassy to ensure it is truly representative of the best of Britain, including through sustainable and inclusive design, whilst also preserving its heritage buildings. The sale has maximised value for money for the British taxpayer, funding much-needed investment not just in Tokyo but also elsewhere in our global estate. The Japanese Government has been kept informed of our plans.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Treasury provide the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with financial support for the (1) maintenance, and (2) development, of the overseas diplomatic estate; and if not, what assessment they have made of the compatibility of this approach with their (a) Global Britain, and (b) tilt to Asia–Pacific, policies.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO's Spending Round settlement provides funds for the maintenance of the diplomatic estate. The disposal of surplus, under-used and uneconomic assets releases capital to enable us to invest in the estate. Taken together, this provides much needed investment in the FCDO's wider diplomatic estate, providing modern, fit for purpose offices and residences, tackling a large deficit of health and safety, backlog building maintenance and security-related needs across Europe, Africa and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, and funding various projects to help towards the FCDO's Net Zero ambitions.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a planning framework to facilitate the adoption of new potential sites for nuclear reactors, including (1) small modular reactors, and (2) advanced modular reactors.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We stated in the 2020 Energy White Paper our intention to undertake a review of the energy National Policy Statement (NPS) suite. This review was published for consultation on 6th September 2021.
This consultation includes the revised overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1). The revised EN-1 sets out that a new technology specific NPS for nuclear electricity generation deployable after 2025 is proposed and will be developed to reflect the changing policy and technology landscape for nuclear and support the transition to net zero. This will be consulted on in the usual manner, in due course.
The revised EN1, also sets out that the need for nuclear could be met by large scale gigawatt nuclear, Small Modular Reactors, Advanced Modular Reactors and fusion technologies.
The publication of this consultation is a first step toward a planning framework to facilitate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an updated National Policy Statement for nuclear power to reflect the range of applications envisaged for nuclear technology set out in the Energy White Paper published on 14 December 2020.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We stated in the 2020 Energy White Paper our intention to undertake a review of the energy National Policy Statement (NPS) suite. This review was published for consultation on 6th September 2021.
This consultation includes the revised overarching National Policy Statement for energy (EN-1). The revised EN-1 sets out that a new technology specific NPS for nuclear electricity generation deployable after 2025 is proposed and will be developed to reflect the changing policy and technology landscape for nuclear and support the transition to net zero. This will be consulted on in the usual manner, in due course.
The revised EN1, also sets out that the need for nuclear could be met by large scale gigawatt nuclear, Small Modular Reactors, Advanced Modular Reactors and fusion technologies.
The publication of this consultation is a first step toward a planning framework to facilitate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to apply for COVID-19 to be considered an exceptional circumstance under Article 107(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and what assessment they have made of how that could alter the support provided to businesses in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Aid for COVID-19 related losses may be given under article 107(2)(b) or article 107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Article 107(2)(b) requires the European Commission to approve aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences. The Commission declared on 12 March that COVID-19 qualified as an exceptional occurrence. A key feature of this provision is that schemes must only compensate businesses for damages actually suffered as a result of COVID-19. Schemes under this provision must be individually notified to and approved by, the Commission.
Under Article 107(3)(b) the Commission may approve aid to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy. Under this article, the Commission has introduced some welcome flexibilities into the rules to deal with the impacts of the COVID-19, in the form of a Temporary Framework. This facilitates aid going to the companies who need it most, quickly and efficiently.
When the Government considered its State aid options in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, it took the decision to design schemes that would allow organisations to access funds quickly and easily with a minimal number of checks and balances attached to the application and approval processes.
Following work by BEIS officials, the COVID-19 Temporary Framework was approved by the Commission under the Temporary Framework on 6 April. This allows public authorities to introduce their own aid measures without the necessity of obtaining an individual Commission approval. The combination of this and other measures such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Self Employed Income Support Scheme constitute an important part of the unprecedented programme of Government support for business to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Viscount Trenchard (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in discussions with the European Commission about amendments to the Temporary Framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak, adopted on 19 March, to permit small and medium enterprises whose capital is principally represented by long-term shareholders' loans but whose businesses were viable until the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; and whether they have raised in such discussions the case for permitting those enterprises to apply for such loans even if those businesses could be deemed as ‘undertakings in difficulty’ under EU State Aid rules.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Although the UK has left the EU, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the EU State Aid rules continue to apply in the UK until the end of the Transition Period. The State aid rules are a sole competence of the European Commission. The Commission has introduced some flexibilities into the rules to deal with the impacts of the Coronavirus, in the form of a Temporary Framework.
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is a State Aid approved scheme under the European Commission’s Temporary State Aid Framework. Companies that do not pass the ‘undertaking in difficulty’ test are eligible for support, in recognition of the impact of Coronavirus, unless they were in difficulty on 31 December 2019, prior to the outbreak.