Alex Cunningham

The provision of ring-fenced capital support for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) was judged against other Government funding priorities as part of the Spending Review. Government has not taken the Spending Review decision lightly. The Government continues to view CCS as having a potential role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors. Neither CCS Competition project proposed to capture CO2 from energy intensive industries.

The detailed design and implementation of CCS policy changes have yet to be determined. The Industrial 2050 Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Roadmaps reports published in March 2015 identified a potential role for industrial CCS technologies in decarbonising the steel, oil refining, chemicals and cement sectors. DECC and BIS continue to engage with the energy intensive industries and academics to develop decarbonisation Action Plans by the end of 2016 as the second phase of this process.

The Government remains committed to working with energy intensive industries including those in the Northern Powerhouse area. DECC provided £1million funding to Tees Valley Unlimited as part of the 2013 City Deal agreement to undertake an Industrial CCS feasibility study based on the chemicals and steel industry in the Teesside cluster and we continue to support that work. The devolution deal for Tees Valley, published in October this year, also included a commitment to explore how it can continue to develop its industrial CCS proposals.

The provision of ring-fenced capital support for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) was judged against other Government funding priorities as part of the Spending Review. Government has not taken the Spending Review decision lightly. The Government continues to view CCS as having a potential role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors. Neither CCS Competition project proposed to capture CO2 from energy intensive industries.

The detailed design and implementation of CCS policy changes have yet to be determined. The Industrial 2050 Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Roadmaps reports published in March 2015 identified a potential role for industrial CCS technologies in decarbonising the steel, oil refining, chemicals and cement sectors. DECC and BIS continue to engage with the energy intensive industries and academics to develop decarbonisation Action Plans by the end of 2016 as the second phase of this process.

The Government remains committed to working with energy intensive industries including those in the Northern Powerhouse area. DECC provided £1million funding to Tees Valley Unlimited as part of the 2013 City Deal agreement to undertake an Industrial CCS feasibility study based on the chemicals and steel industry in the Teesside cluster and we continue to support that work. The devolution deal for Tees Valley, published in October this year, also included a commitment to explore how it can continue to develop its industrial CCS proposals.

The Departments and their agencies will undertake this work with no additional staffing. Additional costs will be minimal. The Departments and agencies have re-prioritised from within existing resources to accommodate the additional work, including providing access to additional advice and support from further education and six form colleges Advisers.

Part of the purpose of the feed-in tariff (FIT) review consultation was to gather views on the broader economic impact of the proposed changes. We also sought views on whether the scheme should be focussed towards specific groups or sectors which might, for example, include households or communities. We had a strong response from community energy groups via the consultation and workshops.

The actual impact on the community sector will depend on the options taken forward after all responses to the consultation have been considered. We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the consultation and intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

The purpose of the tax-advantaged venture capital schemes is to provide funding to smaller higher-risk companies that would otherwise struggle to access finance to develop and grow. To ensure that the schemes are well targeted and deliver value for money, the government announced at the Autumn Statement the exclusion of all remaining energy generation activities from the schemes. This follows the exclusion of certain types of energy generation in 2012, 2014 and 2015, including most recently the announcement that the provision of reserve energy generating capacity and the generation of renewable energy benefiting from other government support by community energy organisations would be excluded from the schemes with effect from 30^th November 2015, as well as from Social Investment Tax Relief when that scheme is expanded. These changes help to ensure that higher risk investments are not crowded out by lower risk investments.

We will continue to work with the community energy sector over the coming months to develop a joint approach that addresses the priorities of the sector and satisfies our overarching objective of cost-effective emissions reductions.

The area reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity.

The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit supporting the area reviews will arrange for Hon. Members to receive a letter informing them when a review is being launched in any part of their constituency, which will also invite them to give their views.

Area reviews of post-16 education and training institutions are predominantly focused on general further education and sixth form colleges in order to ensure there is a high quality and financially resilient set of colleges in each area of England. Schools with sixth forms can opt in to a review if they wish to and the review’s local steering group agrees.

Each review will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current post-16 provision in the area which will include the offer made by schools with sixth forms. Regional Schools Commissioners will sit on local area review steering groups and will identify any issues with school sixth form provision, particularly academy and free school sixth forms and University Technical Colleges, and feed these into the reviews. We expect Regional Schools Commissioners to take account of the analysis from area reviews in any decisions they make about future provision.

The area reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Existing government resources are being reprioritised to support delivery of the area reviews.

The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit supporting the area reviews will arrange for Hon. Members to receive a letter informing them when a review is being launched in any part of their constituency, which will also invite them to give their views.

Area reviews of post-16 education and training institutions are predominantly focused on general further education and sixth form colleges in order to ensure there is a high quality and financially resilient set of colleges in each area of England. Schools with sixth forms can opt in to a review if they wish to and the review’s local steering group agrees.

Each review will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current post-16 provision in the area which will include the offer made by schools with sixth forms. Regional Schools Commissioners will sit on local area review steering groups and will identify any issues with school sixth form provision, particularly academy and free school sixth forms and University Technical Colleges, and feed these into the reviews. We expect Regional Schools Commissioners to take account of the analysis from area reviews in any decisions they make about future provision.

The area reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Existing government resources are being reprioritised to support delivery of the area reviews.

The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit supporting the area reviews will arrange for Hon. Members to receive a letter informing them when a review is being launched in any part of their constituency, which will also invite them to give their views.

Area reviews of post-16 education and training institutions are predominantly focused on general further education and sixth form colleges in order to ensure there is a high quality and financially resilient set of colleges in each area of England. Schools with sixth forms can opt in to a review if they wish to and the review’s local steering group agrees.

Each review will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current post-16 provision in the area which will include the offer made by schools with sixth forms. Regional Schools Commissioners will sit on local area review steering groups and will identify any issues with school sixth form provision, particularly academy and free school sixth forms and University Technical Colleges, and feed these into the reviews. We expect Regional Schools Commissioners to take account of the analysis from area reviews in any decisions they make about future provision.

The area reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Existing government resources are being reprioritised to support delivery of the area reviews.

For the purpose of my response I have interpreted the £1.1bn capital infrastructure fund to be the long term Science Capital allocation announced at Spending Review 2013.

The long term Science Capital allocation is allocated by financial year, and Government plans are to spend the full amount of £1.1bn in financial year 2015-16.

For the purpose of my response I have interpreted the £1.1bn capital infrastructure fund to be the long term Science Capital allocation announced at Spending Review 2013 at £1.1bn a year.

a) All of the capital spend supports scientific infrastructure projects. It is allocated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to, and managed by, BIS partner organisations, including the Research Councils, HEFCE and the UK Space Agency.

Further details on the 15-16 Science Capital allocations are available in the 15-16 science and research allocation publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332767/bis-14-750-science-research-funding-allocations-2015-2016-corrected.pdf

b) In the 15-16 financial year, around £415m has been spent on Science Capital to end of August 2015.

The number of closures and total stock of businesses registered as being primarily involved in the sale of motor vehicles in the years 2009-2013 is listed in the table below.

“Sale of motor vehicles” businesses and businesses closures

Source: Business Demography (ONS)

Note that this excludes business primarily involved in the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, the sale of motor vehicles parts or accessories and the sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles. Figures for 2009 – 2013 are available from the ONS Business Demography report and figures for 2014 will be published in November 2015.

My Department currently has no plans to conduct such an assessment.

We have had no such discussions. Royal Mail is required by regulation to ensure that it maintains fair and reasonable remedies and redress.

Ofcom, the postal regulator, monitors the effectiveness of compensation arrangements and, if necessary, can direct Royal Mail to modify its Postal Schemes which cover charges and terms and conditions for its universal service products and services.

The specific details of its compensation arrangements are essentially a commercial matter for Royal Mail.

Customers who use stamps, on-line postage, or franking meters to pay for Royal Mail services do so under ‘Postal Schemes’ rather than individual contractual arrangements. These ‘Schemes’ are made under Section 89 of the Postal Services Act 2000 (as amended), which requires the company to formally consult with customers and stakeholders before amending its Schemes.

Royal Mail is also required by regulation to ensure that it maintains fair and reasonable remedies and redress. Ofcom, the postal regulator, monitors the effectiveness of compensation arrangements and has the power to direct Royal Mail to modify its Schemes if necessary.

The Schemes have been amended and updated on a number of occasions in recent years. More information about the Schemes and related consultations can be found on Royal Mail’s website (www.royalmailgroup.com/regulation/consultations/).

The regulation of the safety of offshore oil and gas installations is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and DECC has not carried out specific assessments in relation to safety-critical maintenance. However DECC and the Oil and Gas Authority are in regular contact with the HSE regarding offshore infrastructure issues and together, we aim to ensure that industry resources are directed to maximising safe, sustainable production.

Information on the proportion of employers offering apprenticeships is not centrally collected. However, data from the 2014 UKCES Employer Perspectives Survey^[1] show that 16 percent of all employers in the UK offered apprenticeships. The majority of these (15% of all employers) were formal apprenticeships.

Among those employers offering formal apprenticeships in the UK, 74 percent offered them to 16 to 18 year olds and 75 per cent offered them to 19 to 24 year olds. Data is not available for the 16 to 19 age group.

[1]https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/373769/14.11.11._EPS_2014_-_Main_Report_full_V2.pdf (p.90)

At an official level, DECC has regular contact with DWP, the Health and Safety Executive, the Oil and Gas Authority and Oil and Gas UK on a range of issues relating to the oil and gas industry, including maintenance of offshore infrastructure.

Support and funding for young people to complete higher level qualifications after acquiring level 2 qualifications is aimed at the individual not the employer. Although under the Apprenticeships Grant for Employers, eligible employers can receive an incentive of £1500 for each new apprentice they take on and train.

Apprenticeships are our top priority for skills and we are committed to 3m starts over the next 5 years. Apprenticeships are jobs with training from level 2 to level 7 and we are aiming to achieve more higher and degree level apprenticeships, having made additional funding available to support that.

We are also establishing National Colleges to deliver high level skills training, predominantly at levels 4 and 5, in sectors that are critical to economic growth where there are recognised skills gaps.

We are supporting adult learners aged 19-23 (inclusive) by fully funding all first qualifications up to a full level 3.

Learners aged 24 and above studying at Level 3 and 4 can access loan support to help meet up-front fees, removing one of the main barriers to learning.

Support and funding for young people to complete higher level qualifications after acquiring level 2 qualifications is aimed at the individual not the employer. Although under the Apprenticeships Grant for Employers, eligible employers can receive an incentive of £1500 for each new apprentice they take on and train.

Apprenticeships are our top priority for skills and we are committed to 3m starts over the next 5 years. Apprenticeships are jobs with training from level 2 to level 7 and we are aiming to achieve more higher and degree level apprenticeships, having made additional funding available to support that.

We are also establishing National Colleges to deliver high level skills training, predominantly at levels 4 and 5, in sectors that are critical to economic growth where there are recognised skills gaps.

We are supporting adult learners aged 19-23 (inclusive) by fully funding all first qualifications up to a full level 3.

Learners aged 24 and above studying at Level 3 and 4 can access loan support to help meet up-front fees, removing one of the main barriers to learning.

The Government is committed to effective enforcement of the National Minimum Wage for all apprentices and we have taken steps to reduce non-compliance. HMRC prioritises complaints made concerning apprenticeship pay. Employers who fail to pay the age appropriate apprenticeship minimum wage will be ‘Named and Shamed’, as well as receiving financial penalties. Furthermore, where there is evidence that an offence has been committed the case will always be considered for prosecution. We have recently increased HMRC’s 2015/16 budget which will enable more HMRC compliance officers to identify businesses that exploit their workers.

This information is not collected.

However, the 2014 Apprenticeships Evaluation: Learners survey found that nine in ten of all apprenticeship completers (88%) were in either full or part-time employment; only six per cent of completers were unemployed and a further two per cent were in education or training, and two per cent were self-employed.

The 2014 Apprenticeship Evaluation: Learners survey report can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387662/bis-14-1208-Apprenticeships-Evaluation-Learners-December-2014.pdf

This information is not collected.

However, the 2014 Apprenticeships Evaluation: Learners survey found that nine in ten of all apprenticeship completers (88%) were in either full or part-time employment; only six per cent of completers were unemployed and a further two per cent were in education or training, and two per cent were self-employed.

The 2014 Apprenticeship Evaluation: Learners survey report can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387662/bis-14-1208-Apprenticeships-Evaluation-Learners-December-2014.pdf

We have made no forecast of this. The majority of vocational training by adults is privately funded. The levels of vocational training funded by the State will depend on future spending reviews.

The Department reported there were 6,809 unique households that had taken out ‘live’ Green Deal Plans at the end of March 2015, (i.e. Plans with measures installed) as reported in Table 1.7 of the following National Statistics release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/green-deal-energy-company-obligation-eco-and-insulation-levels-in-great-britain-quarterly-report-to-march-2015

The initial Green Deal finance loan values associated with these Plans at the end of March 2015 was estimated in the order of around £26.5m (excluding APR payments, i.e. the original loan amount). A breakdown by region is shown in the table below:

Table A: The number of 'live' Green Deal Plans and initial loan amounts by Region, up to 31st March 2015

*Rounded to nearest ten thousand.

The Department reported on 18th June 2015, the number of 'live' Green Deal Plans (i.e. Plans with measures installed) by Region, up to 31st March 2015, in Table 1.7 of the following National Statistics release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/green-deal-energy-company-obligation-eco-and-insulation-levels-in-great-britain-quarterly-report-to-march-2015.

The attached table shows how many measures of each type have been installed by region using Green Deal Finance up to end March 2015, based on the number of Green Deal Plans that were ‘live’ by the end of April 2015. This was reported in Table 3a in the following National statistic release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-may-2015.

The Skills Funding Agency does not allocate funding to specific geographical areas. The Agency allocates funding to colleges and training providers, some of whom operate on very local geographic footprints, whilst others provide training and skills services to learners and employers across the country. College and training providers are required to work with local enterprise partnerships and local stakeholders to ensure that what they deliver locally is responding to local needs.

All new apprenticeships standards and related assessment plans must meet the requirements set out in the guidance for Trailblazers and undergo a rigorous approval process. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-of-apprenticeships-in-england-guidance-for-trailblazers

We are improving the quality of apprenticeships through the development of new standards focused on the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to achieve full competence in a particular occupation, and more rigorous end-point assessment against these requirements.

The Armed Forces and the MoD are heavily involved in the development of such standards via our Trailblazer programme, including the development of the Serviceperson, Systems Engineering Masters level and Maritime Mechanical Fitter standards which were approved and published on 12 March.

The Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy is under constant review by the Oil and Gas Industry Council, on which industry and trade unions are represented. The Council last met in November 2014. Discussions on the implications of the effect of recent reductions in oil prices took place at the January meeting of Pilot, on which industry and trade unions are also represented. The next meeting of the Industry Council is on 24th March 2015.

The Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy is under constant review by the Oil and Gas Industry Council. The Council met in November 2014 and is due to meet next in March 2015.

The time period in question is covered by current round of the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI). AMSCI 2014 has yet to announce any successful bids as the assessment phase is still on-going. Decisions are made by an Independent Investment Board.

There have been no revisions nor are there planned revisions to the UK's Supply Chain Code of Practice for the offshore oil and gas industry since July 2014.

A contractor’s employment protections will depend on the facts of the working relationship and the contract under which they are working. This is irrespective of whether the individual is being contracted for offshore work or not. Contractors who are actually workers or employees would be entitled to the same basic employment protections as other offshore workers with a similar status, and indeed would have common collective rights. Contractors who are self-employed may be entitled to a smaller number of employment protections, depending on the terms of their contract. There is no single list of the protections and rights of offshore workers and contractors because these will be specific to the contract, the location of the work place and the employment status of the contractor. The Government is exploring how to add clarity to this as part of the employment status review.

The protections for staff in the offshore oil and gas sector in this example depend on the exact nature of their employment and the location of their work. The employment status review, announced in October, will consider whether the framework underpinning employment rights in the UK is still fit for purpose. Amongst other things, it will consider the statutory employment rights and protections available to different groups in the UK and identify areas that Ministers may wish to look at further.

Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is an emerging technology and there are currently no commercial projects. We are working across Government to assess the opportunities provided by UCG.

We have asked Dr Samuel, Chief Executive designate of the Oil and Gas Authority to lead an urgent commission to identify risks from the low oil price and what further measures might be taken by Government and industry to mitigate them, Dr Samuel will report back by the end of February.

In the course of this work, Dr Samuel will be taking views from a wide range of interested parties including through his attendance at the Energy Jobs Taskforce in which government, agencies, trade unions and industry are participating.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State meet with Oil and Gas UK and senior representatives from the oil and gas industry on 15^th January in Aberdeen and tasked Dr Andy Samuel to lead an urgent commission to identify risks and what further measures might be taken by Government and industry to mitigate them. I convened PILOT on 13 January, including Trade Unions, Dr Samuel and industry representatives.

Dr Samuel and DECC officials also participated in the Jobs Taskforce which was held in Aberdeen on the 28 January and I will be visiting Aberdeen on 5 February.

There have been no such discussions.

Underground Coal Gasification is an emerging technology and there are currently no commercial projects. As such no estimate has been made of potential tax revenues.

DECC has established a Working Group to co-ordinate our interests in deep offshore Underground Coal Gasification and review the current licensing processes. This group is considering the regulatory process and will provide advice shortly.

Ministers have had no recent discussions with Scottish Ministers on these issues.

The fourth meeting of the Group took place on 1^st December 2014. The minutes of that meeting and all previous meetings of the Group will shortly be posted to the Government web site.

I last met with the Coal Authority on 6^th January 2015 as part of its core role and strategy in managing c£1bn of environmental and safety liabilities associated with coal mining. The Coal Authority’s role in relation to Underground Coal Gasification is the granting of licenses to access coal reserves for potential exploitation. They are a member of the Department’s Working Group on UCG which is examining licensing policy in this area.

No licences have been granted by the Coal Authority for onshore UCG projects and we do not have any estimates for onshore UCG resource.

At present there are 20 current conditional offshore licences granted by the Coal Authority for potential underground coal gasification (UCG) projects. The licensees’ estimates of the coal resource suitable for UCG in these licence areas equates to some 4.1 billion tonnes.