Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's original budget was, including Government-backed loans and guarantees, to support the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in (a) real and (b) current terms; how much his Department has provided since the project started; and how much he estimates that it will have provided by the completion of the project.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The financing of Hinkley Point C is the responsibility of EDF (Électricité de France) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN). The latest update from EDF on costs of Hinkley Point C can be found here (on page 29):
https://www.edf.fr/sites/groupe/files/2025-03/annual-results-edf-2024-presentation-2025-03-07.pdf
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what figure his Department is using as the average household energy bill for his policy of a £300 cut in energy bills.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.
The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.
We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office keeps all the recommendations from the report by the UN Committee under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The department will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Government's agriculture and rural economy directorates on the workforce needs of the (a) agriculture, (b) fishing and (c) rural economy sector and the skilled worker visa since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office and Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers and officials to discuss all aspects of Home Office business, including immigration and our work linking skills and visa policy to ensure our immigration system works in the interests of the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is fully committed to human rights and to upholding the rule of law. We take our international obligations seriously and valued the opportunity for a dialogue with UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East sent on 3 February and 24 March 2025, reference SL01756/dw.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member’s correspondence about the oil and gas industry in Scotland, reference SL01756/dw. I issued a response to the hon. Member on 23 April.