Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to compensate (1) the crew of, and (2) those employed through the supply chain of the catch from, the Kirkella trawler which has been unable to operate due to not having access to distant fishing waters.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to secure access for UK fishers to the (1) Barents Sea, (2) Norwegian Economic Zone, and (3) Greenland Economic Zone.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the memorandum of understanding with the government of Iceland, published on 11 November 2020, offers access to Icelandic waters for UK fishers.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK–Norway Framework Agreement on Fisheries ensures distant waters fishing access for UK trawlers.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to secure fishing treaties with the governments of (1) Norway, and (2) Iceland.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK secured a fisheries treaty with Norway which was signed on 30 September 2020 and approved by Parliament on 2 December 2020. It also secured fisheries memoranda of understanding with Iceland and with Greenland published on 11 November 2020.
The UK is currently conducting a series of negotiations with several of its coastal State partners on fishing opportunities and access arrangements for 2021. The UK's overriding priority in these negotiations is to agree the right deal, which is balanced in the best interests of the entire British fishing industry.
Ahead of the conclusion of those annual negotiations, the UK's distant water fleet already has access to Norwegian waters to fish in the waters around Svalbard, by separate arrangement with the Norwegian authorities. The details of these opportunities were published on 14 January in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats covering the period to 31 March 2021.
The Kirkella received its licence from the UK Single Issuing Authority on 13 January. Following internal procedures, she set sail for Svalbard last week, and is already more than half way to her destination.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include British Transport Police officers in the first round of those receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that Phase 1 of the vaccination programme should target individuals in order of age and risk. The vaccination programme will build up in the weeks and months ahead and extend to more and more people.
It is likely a number of transport workers and British Transport Police will be vaccinated in Phase 1 due to their age or underlying health conditions. The JCVI have recommended that vaccination of those at increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 due to their occupation should be a priority in the next phase, including British Transport Police and Transport workers.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans Ofwat has to review its market codes to encourage more companies to switch retailers in the coming year.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Since the business retail market opened in 2017, customer awareness and engagement has increased. In 2019/20, 58% of business customers (and 96% of large business customers) were aware that they can choose their retailer, up from 53% in 2018/19 and 48% in 2017/18. The annual rate of switching and/or re-negotiating remains at around 4%. Market Codes help to govern and underpin the business retail market. However, it is the responsibility of retailers to promote their services to encourage switching.
Ofwat’s role is to promote competition through a well-functioning market to further the interests of customers. Since market opening, Ofwat has published annual reports on the business retail market, with a focus on benefits delivered to customers. In August 2020, Ofwat also published its ‘review of incumbent company support for effective markets’, which made clear that a number of market frictions continue to impede the development of effective competition and better customer outcomes and challenged industry to address these as a matter of urgency. Ofwat recognises that industry efforts to improve market functioning have accelerated, aided by collaborative leadership from the market operator (MOSL), but also highlights that resolution of market frictions continues to require urgent attention from all trading parties to build on improvements seen to date.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ofwat has calculated the levels of water efficiency savings that were made in the non-household water retail marketplace in (1) 2018, and (2) 2019.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Ofwat makes an annual Request for Information to retailers, concerning their activities in the business retail market. This includes a request for information and data concerning water efficiency and the extent to which business customers have saved water as a result of water efficiency measures.
Business customers who have elected to become ‘Self-suppliers’ – generally large consumers of water - reported significant water efficiency savings in 2019. Eight self-suppliers, for example, reported saving around 567Ml in 2019 - approximately 5% of their 2019 consumption.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ofwat has fulfilled its role as regulator in promoting the entry of new entrant water retailers into the Non-Household Water Retail market.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Ofwat’s role is to promote competition through a well-functioning market where that will further the interests of customers. In furthering this role, since the market has opened the regulator has explored barriers to market entry, for example, credit security arrangements for smaller new entrants. Where appropriate, Ofwat has supported (and on occasions sponsored) market code amendments aimed at promoting new entrants to the market.
Over the past three years, we have seen greater choice for business customers with around twenty retailers operating in England. In addition, a number of larger customers have become licensed to operate as self-suppliers. The self-supply model enables customers to have greater control over their data, and has delivered price and water efficiency savings. In 2019/20, an additional three self-supply licences were granted bringing the total to 12 as at end March 2020.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ofwat has met its statutory requirements set out under the resilience clauses in the Water Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Water Act 2014 placed a new duty on Ofwat to further the resilience objective, which is to secure the long-term resilience of water supply and sewerage systems. It is for Ofwat, as the independent economic regulator, to consider how best to deliver its statutory duties when carrying out all relevant regulatory functions.
Ofwat has set out how it has met the resilience duty in its response to the UK Government’s Strategic Policy Statement at the Price Review Final Determination 2019. The document is available online: www.ofwat.gov.uk/publication/uk-government-priorities-and-our-2019-price-review-final-determinations.