Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental committee to implement the transition to a net zero economy.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today, and tackling it is a cross-government priority.
The Clean Growth Inter-Ministerial Group, which brings together ministers from across government, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Clean Growth Strategy and driving ambitious clean growth, decarbonisation and wider environmental policies.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure cross-departmental spending decisions support the transition to a net zero economy.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Environmental objectives are always fully considered as part of Treasury spending and policy decisions, including at the next Spending Review.
The Treasury has accepted the recommendation from the Committee on Climate change to conduct a review into the costs of decarbonisation. The Review will consider how to achieve this transition in a way that works for households, businesses and public finances, as well as the implications for UK competitiveness.
The next Spending Review will build on experience and lessons learnt from previous events and aim to ensure that policy issues are considered across departmental boundaries.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on (a) finalising the Smart Export Guarantee and (b) providing support for community energy as referred to in the consultation on that guarantee.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
On 10 June we launched the Smart Export Guarantee, which will ensure that small-scale low-carbon generators are paid for the power they export to the grid. The SEG provides space for innovative market solutions to come forward, and supports the uptake of flexible technologies such as batteries - reinforcing our smart energy agenda.
BEIS also supports communities through the Rural Community Energy Fund. This re-opened at the end of May to support communities seeking to develop a wide range of low carbon activities. The £10m fund provides grants to communities for feasibility studies to scope out ideas, and where projects are viable, another grant to help develop the project to investment readiness.
Eligible community projects will be able to benefit from the SEG, however we recognise that it may be more suitable for some projects than others. We are continuing to consider what measures we could take to support the efforts of communities that wish to invest in low-carbon community energy.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
What recent comparative assessment he has made of education funding in England and in other countries.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The most recent OECD data shows that the UK spent at least as much per pupil on state school education as any other G7 nation, apart from the United States.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2019 to Question 206432, whether he plans to hold a further route refinement consultation in relation to the High Speed Two Phase 2b route this year.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Secretary of State explained in his statement to the House on 11 October 2018, that he expects to consult on further potential changes to Phase 2b in 2019, including some to facilitate Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2019 to Question 205987 on High Speed 2, when he plans to publish the barn owl mitigation plan.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
HS2 Ltd has been working closely with stakeholders and experts to develop the barn owl mitigation plan, which they plan to publish early this year.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the publication on the High Speed Two website of statistics on applications received for the High Speed Two (a) phase one and (b) phase two (i) Exceptional Hardship Scheme and (ii) Need to Sell Scheme up to 30 November 2018.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
This information was placed on the HS2 website on 09/01/19 and can be viewed here:
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the comments by Pete Waterman, Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Transport Board on 31 December 2018, whether he plans to increase the number of High Speed Two trains stopping at Crewe station to seven an hour; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Crewe Hub consultation response, published in March 2018, confirmed the Government’s support for the vision of a Crewe Hub.
Fully realising the Crewe Hub vision will also require a junction north of Crewe back to the HS2 mainline to Manchester, as part of Phase 2b.
As set out in the March 2018 Consultation Response, this would allow 5-7 HS2 trains per hour to call at Crewe.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the statement by Pete Waterman, Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Transport Board published on 31 December 2018, what plans he has for the tunnel and junction at Crewe North and the Golborne Link near Warrington, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The HS2 Phase 2b route was confirmed in the July 2017 Command Paper, ‘High Speed Two: from Crewe to Manchester, West Midlands to Leeds and beyond’, including a tunnel at Crewe and the Golborne link at Warrington.
Any junction north of Crewe back to the HS2 mainline to Manchester will be considered separately as part of Crewe Hub decision making.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities have entered into non-disclosure agreements with High Speed Two Limited.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
HS2 Ltd has entered into non-disclosure agreements – also known as confidentiality agreements - with a number of local authorities to enable the sharing of confidential or commercially sensitive information in connection with the delivery of HS2.
Disclosure concerning those agreements is subject to obligations of confidentiality but, to the extent I can identify local authorities, the following have entered into such agreements:
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Warwickshire County Council
Staffordshire County Council
Lichfield District Council
Stafford Borough Council
Cheshire East Council
Shropshire Council
Bolsover District Council
Erewash Borough Council
Trafford Borough Council
Cheshire East Council
Nottingham City Council
North East Derbyshire District Council
Bolsover District Council
Rushcliffe Borough Council
North Yorkshire County Council
Doncaster Borough Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Chesterfield Borough Council
Leeds City Council
Council of the City of Wakefield
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
Cheshire West & Chester Council
Warwickshire County Council
Tamworth Borough Council
Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council
Stoke City Council;
Warrington Borough Council; and
Derbyshire County Council