Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of protections for landowners entering into option agreements with renewable energy developers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that landowners are appropriately protected when entering into commercial agreements with renewable energy developers.
Option agreements are private contractual arrangements between landowners and developers, and as such are governed by general contract and property law, including requirements around fairness and transparency.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government supports changes to the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme rules to ensure that bonus pensions awarded to members cannot subsequently be withdrawn.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential fiscal implications of reforming the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme surplus sharing arrangements.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I have conversations with my colleagues on a range of issues. The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is considering proposals from the Trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to distribute the £1.1 billion of undistributed surplus currently held within the Scheme to members.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered the introduction of full inflation linking for Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme pensions as part of the Scheme's next valuation.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an estimate of the potential additional pension income that would be received by Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members in Wales if the Trustees’ proposals on the distribution of undistributed surplus were implemented.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential economic merits to former coalfield communities of distributing the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme's undistributed surplus to members through higher pension payments.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I recognise the benefits to coalfield communities of higher pension payments. The Government has already transferred £3.8bn to members of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme which has already made a significant impact.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the Trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme regarding the review of the Scheme’s surplus sharing arrangements; and what his planned timetable is for that review to conclude.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. I met the Trustees on 30 April for a constructive discussion of the proposals and how they might be taken forward. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the HGV road tax holiday will commence and finish; what the eligibility criteria are for that scheme; and how the application process will work.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The government will introduce a 12-month holiday from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, also known as road tax). This will apply to the majority of HGVs renewing their VED between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Eligible vehicles will pay just £1 for their annual VED, saving £600 for a typical heavy lorry. Tax classes eligible include: standard HGV (tax class 1); trailer HGV (tax class 2); special types (tax class 57); combined transport (tax class 23); and island goods vehicles (tax class 16). If a vehicle is liable for the HGV levy, it will continue to be charged at the existing rate.
This temporary reduction in VED is in recognition of the key role the road haulage sector plays in transporting goods, including food, across the UK and its disproportionate exposure to fuel costs. Fuel costs make up a substantial proportion of HGV operating costs, and this action will help prevent cost pressures from the Iran conflict spreading across the economy.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the role that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could play alongside electric vehicles in achieving net zero transport, particularly in light of vehicle weight, raw material availability and grid capacity constraints.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is technology neutral in its approach to road decarbonisation. Road transport accounts for 90% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions, making the transition to zero emission vehicles essential to achieving our climate obligations.
The market will decide which zero emission technologies are ultimately successful, and it is likely that battery electric vehicles will be the most cost effective and practical in the majority of applications. Battery electric vehicles with vehicle to grid capability are likely to play an important role in managing grid capacity, providing grid flexibility. However, hydrogen technology may be adopted in some cases where it makes sense to do so.