Craig Mackinlay

The Department does not hold information on how many listed buildings have been granted an exemption from obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate. Therefore, we have not made an assessment of the potential merits of providing a statutory exemption for listed buildings to protect their historic value.

The UK has not had discussions with the EU on the free movement of chilled meats or other goods originating in the USA, between Sint Maarten and Saint Martin, in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

In 2019, the Government confirmed that the pause on the exploration of shale gas reserves in England would remain in place unless and until further evidence was provided that shale gas extraction could be carried out safely. Any exploration or development of shale gas would need to meet rigorous safety and environmental protections both above ground and sub-surface.

The Government has commissioned the British Geological Survey to advise on the latest scientific evidence around shale gas extraction. Unless the latest scientific evidence demonstrates that shale gas extraction is safe, sustainable and of minimal disturbance to those living and working nearby, the pause in England will remain in place.

The diversity of Great Britain’s sources of gas supply obviates a reliance on natural gas storage. This distinguishes Great Britain from some European countries which have a relative larger storage capacity than Great Britain.

The Government is continuing to explore the future of the gas storage landscape, including in relation to hydrogen. The UK Hydrogen Strategy considers the role of hydrogen storage in greater detail and whether further regulation or support mechanisms are needed to maximise its potential.

The recent request to the British Geological Survey has been made to assess if any progress has been made in the scientific understanding which underpins government policy on hydraulic fracturing.

The Government has always been clear that the exploration of shale gas reserves in England could only proceed if the science shows that it is safe, sustainable and of minimal disturbance to those living and working nearby. The request to the British Geological Survey does not indicate a change to government policy.

Annex O of the Government’s Energy and Emission Projections provides four indicative 2050 scenarios for the power sector: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-and-emissions-projections. These have two levels of demand (higher and lower) and show capacity mixes that could meet this demand, while ensuring emissions fall in line with legislated ambition and costs to consumers are minimised.

The legislation on Limited Partnerships does not prevent a Limited Partnership’s name from being re-used after dissolution as the rules that prevent duplicate company or LLP names do not apply to LPs.

The Government is committing to reforming the legislation on limited partnerships; this will include proposals that will bring the rules on the names of limited partnerships in line with those for limited liability partnerships and limited companies.

The report produced by Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) is currently being reviewed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on behalf of Defra. Where any non-compliance set out in the report is confirmed, APHA will take appropriate regulatory or enforcement action.

The Government is committed to the welfare of all animals and to making further improvements to animal welfare in transport. We fully intend to take advantage of our departure from the European Union to improve animal welfare and to ensure the highest standards. We have a commitment to end excessively long journeys for slaughter and fattening and we intend to consult on how we deliver on that manifesto commitment before the end of this year.

Government accredited Official Veterinarians ensure that every animal for which export certification is requested is fit to travel and has been rested, fed and watered.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) undertakes supervised loadings in all bar exceptional circumstances at departure premises where animals are being exported for further fattening or slaughter. In addition, welfare checks are conducted on all vehicles on arrival at Ramsgate. These checks range from ensuring all watering and ventilation systems are fully functional, to an inspection of the animals on board the vehicle.

APHA inspectors are present at every sailing from Ramsgate involving the export of live animals destined for slaughter. Where breaches in the legislation are identified APHA can, and does, take regulatory action to ensure compliance, protect the welfare of the animals and to achieve ongoing compliance.

Influenza infection levels and related deaths are not routinely collected in the format requested, therefore this specific estimate has not been made. The number of influenza infections and deaths due to influenza-related complications varies with each flu season.

The Government has not estimated the cost of including secondary glazing in the VAT relief for energy saving materials.

HMRC does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, such as secondary glazing, because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level on their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

The Government is fully committed to encouraging homeowners to incorporate energy efficiency measures in their properties in order to tackle climate change. As part of this, we recognise the need to ensure that more historic buildings are able to be adapted to support our zero carbon objectives.

In our recently published White Paper, Planning for the Future, we have therefore committed to reviewing and updating the planning framework for listed buildings and conservation areas, to ensure their significance is conserved while allowing, where appropriate, sympathetic changes to support their continued use and address climate change.