Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to promote the UK as a place for international investment in digital assets.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is taking a range of steps to promote digital asset adoption. This includes initiatives such as the recently announced Digital Gilt Instrument, or DIGIT, and the new Digital Securities Sandbox, which opened in September.
Innovation and technology is also one of our five core policy pillars in our Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness strategy, which forms part of the government’s wider industrial strategy.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has had discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on regulation of digital assets.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury works closely with the regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority, on digital assets regulation. This includes the recent opening of the Digital Securities Sandbox, legislated for by HM Treasury and jointly operated by the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority, and the forthcoming regulatory regime for cryptoassets.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's Motorcycles in bus lanes consultation outcome, updated on 21 November 2024, what account her Department took of the outcomes of local authority trials allowing motorcycle access to bus lanes.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The consultation was designed to gather up to date information primarily from local authorities to expand the evidence base. The questions for local authorities included asking about existing levels of motorcycle use in bus lanes on their networks and what factors had been taken into account in their decision making. However, the number of local authorities responding was too small to draw useful conclusions.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to increase access to EU markets for UK collective Investment in transferable securities schemes; and what steps her Department is taking to help promote UK funds given their classification as alternative investment funds under EU rules.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has granted market access to certain retail funds from the European Economic Area under the Overseas Funds Regime. Decisions regarding market access for UK firms or products into the European Union are an autonomous decision for the European Union. The government has committed to reset the UK’s relationship with the European Union through strengthening ties, securing a broad-based security pact, and improving conditions for trade and investment. This recognises the inter-connectedness of our markets and ensures that our approach to financial services supports growth and delivers investment.
Ministers and officials at HM Treasury continue to engage regularly with the European Union and Governments in other jurisdictions, including through Economic and Financial Dialogues, to address barriers to UK financial services products being marketed abroad, and to promote the UK’s world-leading financial services sector.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the data on Departmental spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card solution, when he plans to publish this data for (a) October and (b) November 2024.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department intends to publish the October and November data on Departmental spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card before the end of the financial year.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many officials in his Department work full-time on COP summits.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The annual UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) is a crucial opportunity to tackle climate change internationally. As a top Government priority, officials across HMG are involved in making these summits as successful as they can be, from negotiations, logistics and Ministerial support to policy and stakeholder engagement. They typically do this as part of a broader role.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many purchases with a value of less than £500 were made by his Department using an electronic purchasing card solution in October 2024, what the value was of those purchases; and if he will take steps to publish this information for (a) November 2024 and (b) subsequent months.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This data is not published by the Department, in line with Section 8.2 Transparency in the Crown Commercial Services’ Procurement Cards Pan-Government Policy.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many gifts were received by Ministers in his Department for travel to COP conferences in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No gifts were received by Ministers for travel to COP conferences in the last 12 months.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
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 number of unfinanced energy projects in the queue to be connected to the power grid.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data on financing of projects in the connections queue is not available. However, National Energy System Operator estimates that historically, 60-70% of transmission connection projects do not ultimately connect, including those that do not secure financing. NESO is currently consulting on proposals that would, if approved, ensure only viable projects are able to obtain and retain a connection agreement.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many fax machines are in use by the National Energy System Operator; and whether his Department plans to provide funding to digitalise the energy grid.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not hold any information on the number of fax machines in use at the National Energy System Operator (NESO).
Government, Ofgem and NESO are working to digitalise the energy system. In August the government published a response to the digital spine feasibility study, detailing how NESO and others are improving energy data sharing. Government funds digitalisation innovation, including the Automatic Asset Registration programme which aims to improve visibility of small-scale low carbon technologies. Ofgem approves funding for digitalisation through its decisions on price controls of licenced organisations, and delivers the Strategic Innovation Fund.