Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to review the vulnerability of electricity power lines to disruption caused by storm damage.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned a post-incident review into Storm Arwen to identify lessons and best practice for system resilience, consumer protection and additional response support. The Interim Report was published on 17 February 2022 and can be accessed on gov.uk
Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the details of (1) the criteria they will apply to, and (2) the timetable for making, a decision on participating in (a) Horizon 2020, and (b) Erasmus Plus, after the transition period of the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On the issue of Horizon Europe, I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to the noble Lord Bassam of Brighton on 20th May 2020 to Question HL3887.
On the issue of Erasmus Plus, the Government remains open to considering participation the next Erasmus+ programme, provided it is in the UK’s interest to do so.
The UK will consider options for participation in elements of Erasmus+ on a time limited basis, provided they are in line with UK interests and we can agree a fair and proportionate financial contribution. Erasmus+ is a complex programme with very many elements, of which some provide value to the British taxpayer. This will be subject to our ongoing negotiations with the EU.
We will, in parallel with these negotiations, continue to develop a domestic alternative to Erasmus+, to ensure we are prepared for every eventuality as the Government remains committed to international exchanges in education, both with the EU and beyond.
Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking, or plan to take, to support the UK offshore oil and gas industry and its supply chain through (1) the changes in the global oil market, and (2) the COVID-19 pandemic. [T]
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a host of measures to help business in this period with £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. These support measures remain under review and have been adapted based on feedback from industry to ensure they continue to meet the needs of all sectors of the economy.
Over the past month, Ministers and officials have been proactively engaging with the oil and gas sector and its supply chain by holding virtual meetings with representatives, individual businesses, trade associations, their members and the regulators to ensure that the sector can benefit from the far-reaching package of interventions that the government has put in place to help businesses through the current situation.
Officials in the Department are working closely with the Oil and Gas Authority, to monitor and mitigate the impacts of low oil prices and Covid-19 on the sector and track any financial and operational risks, particularly any that could impact on health, safety, the environment or security of supply.
Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage the installation of domestic combined heat and power systems.
Answered by Lord Henley
Government has encouraged the installation of domestic micro-combined heat and power systems (with an electrical capacity of 2 kilowatts or less) through the Feed-in Tariffs scheme which was introduced in April 2010.
Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a preferred alternative source of fuel for domestic central heating of homes not on the gas grid.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Clean Growth Strategy committed Government to phase out the use of fossil fuel heating in all buildings off the gas grid. Last year we engaged widely with industry and consumers to gather evidence to inform policy decisions. Respondents felt that it was highly likely that a range of technologies would be needed and that there was no single solution that would be appropriate for all buildings.
Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans there are for reviewing the decommissioning policy for UK oil and gas installations at the end of their operating life.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The policy for the decommissioning of UK Offshore oil and gas installations is based on the International Marine Organisation guidelines, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and ultimately OSPAR decision 98/3, which prohibits the dumping, and the leaving wholly or partly in place, of disused offshore installations within the maritime area. A derogation to leave installations or parts of installations in place can be agreed, if the installations were put in place prior to 1999 and the jacket is over 10,000 tonnes, or if it is a gravity-based concrete installation.
We comply with our legal obligations and the policy is fully understood and well accepted by industry, NGOs, statutory nature conservation bodies and other users of the sea. We have no current plans to review this policy; however we are constantly updating our guidance to reflect what we and industry have learned from the removal of infrastructure already decommissioned.
Asked by: Lord Bruce of Bennachie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are proposed to stimulate new exploration and appraisal drilling on the UK Continental Shelf.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
In addition to establishing the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), over the last two years the Government has introduced a package of measures for the oil and gas industry worth £2.3bn. This included £40 million of funding for new seismic surveys to stimulate exploration and investment in existing and frontier areas in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), and funding for the Oil and Gas Technology Centre to serve as a global centre for solving the challenges of mature basins and maximising economic recovery of the UKCS. In addition, the OGA has awarded over £450,000 in an industry competition to improve the geological understanding of specific areas of the UKCS, taken forward two recent offshore licensing rounds, and introduced a new “Innovate Licence” to give operators greater flexibility around their work programme.