Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Addressing carbon leakage risk to support decarbonisation, published on 30 March 2023.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As set out in the Autumn Statement, the government is considering responses to the consultation and the evidence to inform policy decisions, and will respond shortly.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on including student visas for Indian nationals in a future free trade agreement with India.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
It is not government policy to comment on live negotiations. Trade and immigration are separate policy areas. Any trade agreement we conclude with other countries must be consistent with the UK’s points-based immigration system and the government’s commitment to bring down net migration to sustainable levels.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Land Registry does (a) include a record of the sale in 2011 and (b) not include a record of the sale in 2015 of the Old Rectory in Appleby Magna.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Land Registry does have a record of the sale in 2015 of the Old Rectory in Appleby Magna and a copy of the Land Registry summary of title document is attached.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to reopen the Ivanhoe line from Burton-on-Trent to Leicester.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The project is in the Development stage and is currently focusing on the reinstatement of services between Derby and Coalville. This will reconnect all key towns in the corridor and is likely to be deliverable the fastest. The Department is considering how an extension of this service to Leicester is best progressed.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to introduce a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation received more than 160 responses from the UK and overseas, including responses from a range of industry sectors and from civil society. The government is considering the evidence to inform policy decisions and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential (a) merits and (b) costs of linking the UK's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to the EU's ETS.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government recognises the importance of international co-operation on carbon pricing, and is keen to work with European partners to understand better the interactions between the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the EU Emissions Trading System as they expand and develop in parallel. In this context, the Government remains open to the possibility of linking the UK ETS internationally.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to help prepare the UK fishing fleet for the transfer of EU quotas to the UK by June 2026 in the context of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement secured the UK an increase in its share of quota for jointly managed fish stocks. This increase in fishing opportunities for the UK fleet has been gradually implemented across the duration of the transition period for fisheries to allow for the necessary adjustments by the UK fishing fleet, and in 2023 this uplift of quota was worth around £100m in additional fishing opportunities based on historic landing price. Increases in the UK quota share will continue annually until the adjustment period ends on 30 June 2026.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) trials and (b) tests were conducted to ensure the (i) safety and (ii) efficiency of mixing and matching covid-19 vaccines and boosters from different manufacturers; and when those trials and tests were conducted.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government-funded, world-first studies on the safety and efficacy of interchanging different COVID-19 vaccines include the Com-COV1, Com-COV2 and Com-COV3 studies led by the University of Oxford, and the COV-Boost study led by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Com-COV1 was launched in February 2021 and completed in June 2022. Com-COV2 was launched in April 2021 and is still ongoing. Com-COV3 was launched in January 2022 and is still ongoing. COV-Boost was launched in May 2021 and completed in April 2023. More information on these studies is available at the following links:
https://comcovstudy.web.ox.ac.uk/about-com-cov1
https://comcovstudy.web.ox.ac.uk/about-com-cov2
https://comcovstudy.web.ox.ac.uk/about-com-cov3
https://covboost.web.ox.ac.uk/about
All these studies have found interchanging vaccines to be safe and, in some cases, more likely to produce a stronger immune response. These findings have helped to inform the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 vaccination programme as well as vaccine policy around the world. Preliminary data from these studies was shared with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Vaccine Taskforce and the Department as it became available.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology what information her Department holds on the number of shares in Eutelsat that are owned by the Chinese government.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is the lead department for OneWeb and its associated policy and is responding in place of the Department for Business and Trade.
According to last available data from June 2023, the Chinese Investment Corporation (CIC) held 7,561,000 shares, equivalent to c. 1.6% of Eutelsat Group’s total shares. Eutelsat Group is a publicly traded company and the number of shares held by CIC may have changed since June. The CIC has never been represented on its Board nor has it had access to any privileged information on Eutelsat or OneWeb’s operations.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department has provided to Oneweb; and how that funding has been used.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is the lead department for OneWeb and its associated policy and is responding in place of the Department for Business and Trade.
HM Government made an equity investment of $500 million in OneWeb in 2020, securing a strategic investment stake and preferential UK rights to OneWeb manufacturing and supply chains on a commercial basis. This was drawn down over the period July 2020 to August 2023 to meet company cash requirements ahead of OneWeb’s merger with Eutelsat. These funds supported the successful delivery of OneWeb’s first-generation constellation – completed earlier this year – and establishing provision of associated services.