Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to updating the Pedlars' Act 1871, as amended in 1881.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government considers the effectiveness of legislation periodically and will take action where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the annual subsidy paid to Drax power station for burning wood pellets and (2) the estimated total cost of funding the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project; and what measurement has been made of the polluting effects of each of those schemes.
Answered by Lord Henley
In 2016/2017 Drax generated 11.3 TWh of electricity under the Renewables Obligation for which they received around £470m[1]. Drax also receives payments under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme from the Low Carbon Contracts Company. Based on available information, we estimate that Drax received around £120 million in 2016/17 (in 2011/12 prices) in CfD payments. Whilst Drax co-fires biomass and coal, it only receives support for the proportion of electricity generated from biomass, which includes wood pellets.
The developer estimates the capital cost of funding the proposed Swansea Tidal Lagoon project to be approximately £1.3bn.
Contracts for Difference are awarded for the purpose of encouraging low carbon electricity generation. All projects receiving support under the Renewables Obligation and the Contracts for Difference financial incentives mechanisms must comply with relevant greenhouse gas measures and standards on sustainable sourcing of feedstock. All electricity generators must comply with relevant environmental regulations.
[1] In 2011/12 prices and based on Drax receiving 10,986,268 Renewables Obligation Certificates ( ROCs) with the notional value of each ROC estimated to be £43.10. [The RO does not pay a direct subsidy. Instead, it places an obligation on UK electricity suppliers to present to Ofgem a certain number of ROCs in respect of each MWh of electricity supplied each year, or to make a payment per ROC (the “buy-out price”) into a buy-out fund. Ofgem issue ROCs to generators in relation to the amount of renewable electricity that they generate and the relevant support rate. Generators sell their ROCs to suppliers or traders, with or without the electricity generated, as tradable commodities. After Ofgem’s administration costs have been deducted, the money from the buy-out fund is recycled on a pro-rata basis to suppliers who presented ROCs. The price of a ROC is not fixed and is a matter for negotiation between the generator and supplier/trader. However, the notional value of a ROC is considered to be the buy-out price, plus the value of the recycled buy-out fund payments].
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will consider and respond to relevant parts of the (1) Clean Growth Strategy, (2) Industrial Strategy, and (3) Hendry Review, in order that a decision is reached on progressing the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
Answered by Lord Henley
In coming to any decision on the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, the Government is currently assessing the Hendry Review and considering how this technology delivers against its priorities, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy and the Industrial Strategy.
This will ensure that the response to the Hendry Review takes into account the best interests of the UK as a whole and represents value for money for the UK taxpayer and the consumer.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to take a decision on whether to proceed with the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project; what factors they will take into account in taking that decision; and what further evidence they require to allow them to do so.
Answered by Lord Henley
In coming to any decision on the role of tidal lagoons in the UK’s energy mix, the Government needs to consider how this technology delivers against its priorities, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy and Industrial Strategy, of reducing emissions and protecting UK businesses and households from high energy costs.
This will ensure that the Government response to the Hendry Review takes into account the best interests of the UK as a whole and represents value for money for the UK taxpayer and the consumer.
A Government response to the Hendry Review will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 14 February (HL5241), whether the Consumer Green Paper has been published.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government will in due course publish a Green Paper that will examine markets which are not working fairly for consumers.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 1 February (HL4906), whether the Consumer Green Paper will address the level of staffing in local authorities which is deemed sufficient to enforce consumer protection.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Dangerous goods, poor quality services and criminal scams damage consumer confidence and legitimate businesses – a strong protection system benefits everyone.
There has been significant progress to improve coordination of consumer protection since 2011 but more needs to be done, particularly in light of the reductions in resource at local authorities. We are examining the consumer protection regime and will consider proposals for the Consumer Green Paper in Spring 2017.