Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of lighting a D-Day 80 Lamp Light of Peace.
Answered by Johnny Mercer
The Government recognises the significance of the 80th Anniversary of D-Day this year as an important opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of those who fought during World War Two.
Officials from across government are working to support the 80th anniversary celebrations with the appropriate events. The Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will liaise with the Cabinet Office so that the Major Events Team here can support as required.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Rawmarsh and Conisbrough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of the increase in the whole-life cost to the Lighting Programme is a result of inflation.
Answered by Alec Shelbrooke
The cost of delivering the Lightning Programme is under constant scrutiny in order to deliver the most cost-efficient capability to UK defence. Changes to its Whole Life Costs are reported through Ministry of Defence's Government Major Projects Portfolio data.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) insulation and (b) energy efficiency of buildings owned by (i) his Department and (ii) the armed services.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Department has invested in energy saving initiatives within the Defence Estate, including LED lighting, improving Building Management Control, the installation of pipe lagging and the replacement of boilers and heating systems. In addition, the Defence Related Environmental Assessment Method (DREAM) is an environmental performance assessment required for new build and refurbishment projects within Ministry of Defence (MOD). DREAM has a focus on the various means to reduce energy and improve efficiency.
Energy Audits are completed across the highest consuming Area Utility sites. This promotes the identification of future opportunities to help drive down cost, consumption and CO2 emissions.
Across the MOD housing estate, the annual improvement programme includes a range of energy efficiency measures such as: the installation of new boilers, doors and windows; improving loft and external wall insulation; replacing roofs; and removal and capping of chimneys.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it is Department's policy to implement energy efficient lighting across the MoD estate.
Answered by James Heappey
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to improving energy efficiency across the defence estate in line with the Net Zero ambition. Energy efficient lighting is one aspect of this and there is a proactive programme to transition to LED lighting.
For new builds the MOD policy is to achieve an excellent rating under the Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREAM) which requires the use of energy efficient fittings.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the (a) electricity cost of perimeter floodlighting of military bases and (b) potential cost saving of moving to LED or other energy efficient bulbs for such floodlighting.
Answered by James Heappey
Energy usage of perimeter floodlighting of military bases is not metered separately and no estimate of costs are held.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to improving energy efficiency across the defence estate in line with the Net Zero ambition. Energy efficient lighting is one aspect of this and there is a proactive programme to transition to LED lighting. However, as MOD is not able to baseline the cost of perimeter floodlighting, potential cost savings cannot be provided.
Asked by: Nicholas Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which provider supplies energy to his Department; how much CO2 was emitted through his Department’s energy consumption in the latest period for which figures are available; whether the criteria his Department uses to select an energy supplier includes how environmentally friendly the supplier is; and what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce CO2 emissions from its energy use.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
A list of the providers who supply energy to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) can be found in the table below.
Type of Energy | Name of Supplier/s |
Electricity (metered non-half hourly) | British Gas Business |
Electricity (metered half hourly) | EDF |
Gas | Corona |
LPG | Flogas and Calor |
Biomass | Forest Fuels |
Gas in Northern Ireland | Firmus |
Electricity in Northern Ireland | Veridian trading as Energia |
Oil | Certas Energy UK Ltd |
Oil | Certas Energy UK Ltd trading as Scottish Fuels |
Oil | Highland Fuels Ltd |
Oil | Oil NRG |
Oil | WFL UK Limited - a World Fuel Services company |
Oil | Standard Fuel Oils Ltd |
Oil | LCC Group |
The latest published Greening Government Commitment figures for MOD CO2 emissions are for 2018/19 and cover the UK estate. 827,829 tonnes of CO2 were emitted in that year. This represented a 42% reduction against a 2009/10 baseline, compared to a 2020 target of 40%.
The criteria used to select energy suppliers, is set by Crown Commercial Services.
The MOD has taken a number of steps to reduce CO2 emissions including:
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken for Block 3F testing of the F-35 Lighting II programme on the UK's planning Initial Operating Capability.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Ministry of Defence remains in regular dialogue with the US Department of Defense on all aspects of the F-35 programme. The System Development and Demonstration phase is currently progressing well.
The role of the US Director Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E) is to provide independent analysis and make recommendations regarding the readiness of the F-35 to begin the formal phase of initial OT&E. The US Joint Program Office has reviewed his latest reports and the issues identified are being addressed. The F-35 Programme Executive Officer has recently affirmed his intent to begin initial OT&E in early 2018, and initial operating capability for the UK F-35B, at Block 3F standard, remains on schedule for the end of 2018.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues on consultation with the Ministry of Defence to local authorities with Ministry of Defence facilities or land within their street lighting provision which plan to turn off street lighting for periods during the night.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
My Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in consultation with the Ministry of Defence about street lighting. It is up to locally elected councillors to make decisions on street lighting reflecting local circumstances and views.
Although there is no prescriptive Whitehall guidance on street lighting, the Government publication, Manual for Streets (2007), while out of date in certain areas (e.g. on parking and density), contains some useful guidance on getting the balance right when providing street lighting, taking into account the different issues around safety, street clutter and light pollution. It can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/maual-for-streets.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to insulate his departmental estate in order to improve energy efficiency; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anna Soubry
As part of its continuing energy efficiency programme the Ministry of Defence has invested in 1,400 energy efficiency projects. These include insulation measures as well as Building Energy Management Systems, boiler controls and LED lighting. These have been delivered across 223 Defence sites both in the UK and overseas.
Energy efficiency improvements are undertaken as part of all Service Family Accommodation (SFA) upgrade programmes where appropriate. SFA improvements include new or improved loft insulation, external wall insulation and new doors, windows, boilers and heating systems.
Asked by: Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat - Colchester)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to implement a replacement programme to introduce LED lighting throughout his Department's buildings and sites; if he will estimate the proportion of lighting in his Department which is LED; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is firmly committed to reducing its energy consumption across the Estate. Data about the proportion of lighting on the MOD estate which is LED is not held centrally. However, under the Energy Spend-to-Save programme, which was developed following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, £32.5 million was spent on lighting projects at approximately 160 sites. The majority of these projects were the replacement of existing lighting with LEDs. Altogther the projects are expected to generate an enduring saving of around £15 million each year.