Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Mott on 13 September (HL Deb col 1011), what assessment they have made of the case for imposing a moratorium on all deep sea mining as part their “precautionary and conditional” approach to that policy area.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's policy is not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems, and strong enforceable environmental Regulations, Standards and Guidelines have been developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and are in place. The UK's approach is both precautionary and conditional.
The Government commissioned an independent review from the British Geological Survey, the National Oceanography Centre, and Heriot-Watt University. The terms of reference included a review of minerals contained in seafloor deposits and how this compares to terrestrial resources, with discussion on future resource potential and knowledge gaps. The review was published in October 2022 and is available here: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/deep-sea-mining-evidence-review-published/
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee in is report Greening imports: a UK carbon border approach, published on 4 April 2022 (HC 737) that a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism design should reflect engagement with low and middle income country trading partners, given the fact that less developed countries are less likely to have carbon pricing or the systems in place to calculate the emissions of their exports.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The government has recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation closed on 22 June 2023. The government will respond to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 983) that most of the pellets used for biomass are “by-product from normal sustainable commercial forests”, what evidence they have to support the claim; and whether that evidence been corroborated and verified by independent experts.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Recent evidence on the feedstocks used in the production of wood pellets is available from a number of sources, for example, from the Sustainable Biomass Program’s 2021 Annual Review, a 2022 Fibre Study by independent experts for the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, and a 2022 review by the US Forest Service on wood pellet production in the US (the primary source of biomass for energy use).
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 983), when they expect the investigation by Ofgem on Drax Plc to conclude.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem has assured the Government that this matter is a priority for them and they are progressing the investigation at pace. Ofgem is engaging constructively with Drax, however, due to the sizeable amount of evidence that needs to be scrutinised in the course of this investigation and the fact that at this stage it is unclear whether further information will have to be collected, Ofgem cannot provide a timeline for when this investigation may be concluded.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Callanan on 3 July (HL Deb col 984) that "the “Panorama” programme provided an inaccurate representation of practices by the forestry and biomass sector on the ground", what evidence they have for that assertion.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ officials engaged with forestry experts and relevant officials to understand the evidence about the claims made in the Panorama programme and found no evidence that biomass pellets used in the UK are unsustainable or were associated with forest destruction. In addition, as part of ongoing scheme compliance monitoring, Ofgem opened an additional assurance audit of Drax. Based on the evidence reviewed to date, Ofgem has not established any non-compliance that would affect the issue of Renewables Obligation Certificates to Drax.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to "implement legislation for heat network zoning in England and Wales this parliamentary session and provide Ofgem with powers to regulate heat networks", as recommended by the Climate Change Committee in their 2023 Progress Report to Parliament.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In July 2022, the Government confirmed that Ofgem will be the heat network regulator and introduced the Energy Bill to Parliament. The Energy Bill is being driven forward this session and will provide Ofgem with powers to regulate heat networks. The Energy Bill will also facilitate the introduction of heat network zoning. We will consult further on zoning and intend to lay Regulations to ensure zoning will be established in England in 2025. Zoning policy is devolved.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received the letter from Mishcon De Reya on behalf of Community Windpower Ltd about impending legal action in respect of the Electricity Generator Levy; and what steps they intend to take in response.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The Treasury engages in good faith with all requests for further information it receives, just as it will in responding to any letter before claim should any be served in compliance with the established pre-action protocols. It is confident that it has, and continues to act, lawfully in the development of the Electricity Generator Levy.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that a failure to reform the Energy Charter Treaty would have on new fossil fuel developments in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has been a strong advocate for ECT modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty; and what recent discussions they have held with the EU on this.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has been a strong advocate for ECT modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties. The UK holds regular meetings with members of the Energy Charter Treaty Modernisation Group, including the EU and EU Member States, with respect to the modernisation of the ECT.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to their continuing participation in the Energy Charter Treaty in light of the recent withdrawals by other signatories.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is closely monitoring the positions of other Contracting Parties to the Energy Charter Treaty and takes into account these positions in its own interaction with the modernisation process of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).