Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether their Department has issued guidance to Local Authorities regarding the procurement or negotiation of insurance policies for Community Councils, specifically in relation to the exclusion of Judicial Review defence costs.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh
Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities.
As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of insurance provision available to Community Councils and other volunteer‑run civic bodies, particularly regarding the availability of cover for defending Judicial Review proceedings.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh
Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities.
As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether their Department intends to explore mechanisms, such as pooled schemes, indemnity funds, or shared‑risk arrangements, to ensure that Community Councils can access protection against high‑cost legal challenges, including Judicial Review.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh
Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities.
As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the levels of imported ammonia required for munitions manufacturing.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Ammonia, an important precursor in the production of energetics and munitions, is one of many chemicals critical to defence manufacturing and, as such, supply levels are kept under review.
The levels of ammonia required for munitions manufacturing differs between programmes. The fulfilment of those requirements is managed by Defence suppliers, and the MOD works closely with them to monitor and review national and international supply networks to ensure availability and manage risks to Defence outputs.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 merits of low-carbon ammonia as a flexible energy store, including to provide seasonal energy storage and dispatchable power.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recognises that ammonia could play an important role for the transport, storage and
trade of hydrogen, especially for hydrogen users with limited access to networks.
Ammonia based chemical storage for cracking hydrogen was assessed to have a low technology readiness and is not eligible for the first round of the Hydrogen Storage Business Model (HSBM), which will support large scale geological storage of hydrogen as part of the UK’s first regional hydrogen network, aimed at decarbonising industry and providing flexible power generation.
Government continues to review developments and welcomes evidence from industry on ammonia.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the near-term and long-term i) demand for and ii) supply of ammonia in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ammonia can serve as an essential feedstock across a wide range of industrial applications and could support decarbonisation in hard-to-electrify transport sectors, such as maritime. Ammonia can also be used as a ‘hydrogen carrier’ to store, transport and trade hydrogen.
However, the scale of future UK demand for ammonia is uncertain, with a key factor being the decarbonisation pathways chosen by sectors such as maritime. We will continue to review emerging evidence on UK supply and demand for ammonia and will consider the development of any further appropriate policy measures as needed.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department intends to develop a standard for low carbon ammonia.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ammonia can serve as an essential feedstock across a wide range of industrial applications and could support decarbonisation in hard-to-electrify transport sectors, such as maritime. Ammonia can also be used as a ‘hydrogen carrier’ to store, transport and trade hydrogen.' We do not have plans currently to create a standard for ammonia, given our primary focus on hydrogen production. However, we will continue to review emerging evidence on UK supply and demand for ammonia and will consider the development of any further appropriate policy measures as needed.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 assessment of the potential merits of providing revenue support for ammonia-to-power projects (a) under the Hydrogen to Production Business Model and (b) through a bespoke business model.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Hydrogen Production Business Model provides revenue support to selected low carbon hydrogen producers who may sell that hydrogen for a variety of applications including as a feedstock for the production of ammonia.
The Government’s Hydrogen to Power business model is currently focused on delivery of the first regional network where wider infrastructure is supporting hydrogen. We want to ensure integration into the wider hydrogen value chain to ensure the business model provides dispatchable power to the energy system. We will keep the eligibility of ammonia and other hydrogen derivates under review.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 implications of low-carbon ammonia for UK energy security, in the context of rising natural gas prices linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The biggest threat to energy security for families and businesses in the UK is continued reliance on unstable fossil fuel markets. That is why we’re taking back control with clean, homegrown power to ensure our energy security, protect the British people and bring down bills for good.
DESNZ officials are working across government and with industry to understand the role low carbon ammonia could play in the UK’s future energy security.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of i) the levels of the ammonia production in the UK ii) the security of supply of imported ammonia and iii) the rising costs of fertilisers as a result of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK does not manufacture ammonia in significant volumes. CF Fertilisers made the commercial decision to switch to an import model of ammonia in 2022. Whilst there has been a significant increase in ammonia costs due to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf, there has been no assertion yet that supply is not secure.
Recent market volatility has seen an increase in fertiliser prices, reflecting global conditions rather than any immediate supply disruption to the UK. The government is in close contact with domestic fertiliser suppliers and is monitoring overall supply and pricing in the UK.