Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he expects 8 November 2022 to remain the latest date for the decision on West Cumbria Mining’s planning application.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Planning Ministers require more time to consider this case. A decision will now be issued on or before 8 December.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the Planning Inspector’s report for the West Cumbria mining planning application.
Answered by Paul Scully
The case remains under consideration and the Inspector's report will be published alongside the final decision, as is the case for all substantive planning decisions made by Ministers.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of comments by Iranian official Kamal Kharrazi that that country has the technical ability to build a nuclear bomb.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Iran has been in non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) since 2019 and its nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. Iran's escalation of its nuclear activities is threatening regional and international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
There has been a viable deal on the table since March which would return Iran to compliance with its JCPoA commitments and return the US to the deal. The deal would reverse Iran's nuclear escalation, return Iran's nuclear programme to strict JCPoA limits and restore extensive monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency. If Iran fails to conclude the deal its nuclear escalation will cause the collapse of the JCPoA. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Iran continues to develop its ballistic missile programme, which is destabilising for the region and poses a threat to European security. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (UNSCR 2231), which was unanimously adopted in the Security Council and underpins the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), calls on Iran not to undertake activities related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, including launches using such ballistic missile technology. Alongside France and Germany, we have written regularly to the UN Secretary-General, most recently on 24 May, to draw attention to Iranian missile activity inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 and raised this at the UN Security Council on 30 June. We urge Iran to fully abide by UNSCR 2231 and all other relevant resolutions.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question
To ask the President of COP26, what comparative impact assessment he has made of the use of imported critical minerals and domestically-sourced minerals on delivering COP26 commitments.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government’s critical mineral strategy, to be published this year, will focus on a resilient, long term supply chain for critical minerals, addressing both domestic and international opportunities. The Government is also establishing a Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre to provide robust, dynamic analysis on stocks and flows.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment (a) of the potential effect of Ofgem's Access and Forward-looking Charges Significant Code Review on the timetable for investment in renewable generation in the North West as a result of the creation of uncertainty in charging for connections over 1MW and (b) of the potential for that review to be frustrated in its objectives by key pinch points on the National Grid.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofgem has recently consulted on three areas of reform through its Access and Forward-looking Charges Review. First, it is proposing to reduce or remove the contribution to distribution network reinforcement costs paid by connecting customers. This would support the roll-out of low carbon technologies, including by further incentivising network companies to ensure that new connections can be accommodated on the network. Second, Ofgem is proposing to improve the definition and choice of rights that users have to access the distribution network, with the aim of supporting more efficient use and development of network capacity. Third, Ofgem is minded to remove a difference in charging arrangements between large and small generators, by extending transmission charges to small distributed generation.
Ofgem has published a draft impact assessment to support its proposals, which includes consideration of implications for investment decisions and constraint management. It is available at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/access-and-forward-looking-charges-significant-code-review-consultation-minded-positions. My Department is continuing to engage as Ofgem progresses the review, to understand how any decisions can help support delivery of a secure, net zero energy system at lowest cost to consumers.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of Ofgem's Access and Forward-looking Charges Significant Code Review.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofgem has recently consulted on three areas of reform through its Access and Forward-looking Charges Review. First, it is proposing to reduce or remove the contribution to distribution network reinforcement costs paid by connecting customers. This would support the roll-out of low carbon technologies, including by further incentivising network companies to ensure that new connections can be accommodated on the network. Second, Ofgem is proposing to improve the definition and choice of rights that users have to access the distribution network, with the aim of supporting more efficient use and development of network capacity. Third, Ofgem is minded to remove a difference in charging arrangements between large and small generators, by extending transmission charges to small distributed generation.
Ofgem has published a draft impact assessment to support its proposals, which includes consideration of implications for investment decisions and constraint management. It is available at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/access-and-forward-looking-charges-significant-code-review-consultation-minded-positions. My Department is continuing to engage as Ofgem progresses the review, to understand how any decisions can help support delivery of a secure, net zero energy system at lowest cost to consumers.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the energy retail market; what steps his Department has taken to ensure the protection of existing customers whose suppliers fail; and what steps he is taking to reform that market.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government previously committed to assess potential preform of the retail energy market as we transition to net zero. The Net Zero Strategy is clear that the energy retail market must be sustainable and resilient and protect consumers in the transition to net zero. The Government will work with Ofgem to identify the reforms needed to build a resilient market
The Government and Ofgem ensure the customers of companies who exit the market have their credit balances protected and continuity of supply – through a Supplier of Last Resort process.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure the recording of biological sex on medical records to ensure that appropriate sex-related care is offered.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
National Health Service datasets include a field entitled 'Patient Stated Gender Code' with four options: male, female, indeterminate (unable to be classified as either male or female) and not known. This field collects information on sex for those whose gender is the same as their sex registered at birth. Details on sex for trans people and those who are intersex or who have disorders of sexual development should be recorded within their clinical notes to ensure safe and appropriate care.
The General Medical Council provides guidance on keeping clear, accurate and legible records. All patients should be given the care they need and treated with respect and dignity, in accordance with the values of the NHS. Investigations or treatment must be based on the assessment the clinician and their patient make of their needs and priorities and the clinician’s clinical judgement about the likely effectiveness of the options.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she will take to ensure the recording of biological natal sex on all records in her Department's remit.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The General Register Office records sex as part of a birth registration. Her Majesty’s Passport Office currently use the sex recorded on the customer’s birth certificate to record the customer’s gender on the passport and in passport records.
The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 and associated regulations prescribe the information to be recorded in a birth entry.