Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about the decarbonisation of the waste sector in Wales, following the decision to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to include Energy from Waste facilities from 2028.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to Energy from Waste facilities will provide an incentive for the development and uptake of decarbonisation technologies and practices to reduce emissions. The UK ETS Authority (which includes the UK Government and the Welsh Government) will ensure that the expansion will complement existing and upcoming waste and environmental policies. While waste policy is generally devolved, the UK Government, Welsh Government and other Devolved Governments, have committed to plan collectively for implementation of the ETS in this sector. The UK Government holds regular discussions with the Welsh Government as part of this.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Waste to Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (WECCS) projects in Wales to contribute to the UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget by (1) decarbonising residual waste, and (2) generating net Greenhouse Gas Removals to support other hard to abate sectors.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is currently the only net zero compliant technology for many types of plants in the residual waste management sector.
Energy from Waste with CCS projects have the potential to deliver Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs) by capturing biogenic carbon dioxide contained within waste streams.
The Government recognises the potential role that Energy from Waste with CCS projects, including those in Wales, could play in supporting delivery of future carbon budgets. The Carbon Budget Delivery Growth Plan set out projected emissions savings of 0.7Mtpa by 2030, increasing to 21.8Mtpa by 2035, but did not break this down by technology. Modelling is reviewed as evidence emerges.
A range of decarbonisation and greenhouse gas removals technologies will be needed to support delivery of Carbon Budget 7 and the UK's net zero target.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how their carbon capture policy will maximise opportunities for Wales; and what assessment they have made of how facilities like Parc Adfer can (1) support cost effective decarbonisation, (2) optimise the HyNet network, and (3) ensure successful delivery of the HyNet cluster.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The Government supports deployment of CCUS across the UK, including in Wales. The Heidelberg Materials North-Wales Padeswood project is in construction and currently expected to capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually once operational.
The HyNet Cluster Review Point (CRP) is underway and is considering projects from the August 2025 Project Negotiation List. The Government retains flexibility to move projects between classifications and is undertaking a holistic assessment against a range of factors, including affordability, value for money, maturity, deliverability, strategic contribution, and network capacity.
We will communicate outcomes and further CRP guidance to projects as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of available network capacity for HyNet expansion as part of their ongoing project review; and how the findings of any such assessment could benefit Wales.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The Government supports deployment of CCUS across the UK, including in Wales. The Heidelberg Materials North-Wales Padeswood project is in construction and currently expected to capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually once operational.
The HyNet Cluster Review Point (CRP) is underway and is considering projects from the August 2025 Project Negotiation List. The Government retains flexibility to move projects between classifications and is undertaking a holistic assessment against a range of factors, including affordability, value for money, maturity, deliverability, strategic contribution, and network capacity.
We will communicate outcomes and further CRP guidance to projects as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what process is in place to redesignate ‘Standby’ HyNet projects to ‘Priority’ following the publication of the HyNet expansion: project negotiation list in August 2025.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The Government supports deployment of CCUS across the UK, including in Wales. The Heidelberg Materials North-Wales Padeswood project is in construction and currently expected to capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually once operational.
The HyNet Cluster Review Point (CRP) is underway and is considering projects from the August 2025 Project Negotiation List. The Government retains flexibility to move projects between classifications and is undertaking a holistic assessment against a range of factors, including affordability, value for money, maturity, deliverability, strategic contribution, and network capacity.
We will communicate outcomes and further CRP guidance to projects as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for Waste to Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (WECCS) projects to minimise the need for government support through the generation of Greenhouse Gas Removals.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The Government recognises that Waste to Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage projects have the potential to generate revenues from Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs), reducing the level of government support required.
Energy from Waste projects can be supported by government through the Waste Industrial Carbon Capture Business Model, which accounts for potential revenue from Greenhouse Gas Removals generated by capturing the biogenic CO₂ from their waste feedstock.
If a supported project generates GGRs, 90% of the value of the credits sold is deducted from the subsidy payments to the project. This structure ensures that these revenues reduce the level of government support provided.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to appoint an industrial strategy champion.
Answered by Lord Stockwood
We are already implementing our Industrial Strategy in and through partnership with business. Each of our Sector Plans has been co-developed with business, with commitments from both government and industry based around shared priorities.
We will continue to work with business through dedicated councils and forums to ensure our strategy is agile and responsive to what business need from government and to create long term stability, certainty and longevity for the UK economy.
The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, chaired by Dame Clare Barclay, is an independent expert committee that is also advising the government on shaping and delivering the Industrial Strategy. The Council brings together experts from a range of backgrounds to help government to drive business investment and economic growth.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make bilingual birth and death certificates available in Wales.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Bilingual birth and death certificates are already available where the event hasbeen registered bilingually in Wales.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what policies and protections are in place to enable prisoners to use the Welsh language at HMP Berwyn.
Answered by Lord Timpson
The new HMPPS Welsh Language Scheme (24-27), published this month, sets out how the English and Welsh languages will be treated equally when delivering services to the public. This includes upholding and reinforcing the rights of prisoners to use Welsh, for example, through recording of language preference on arrival, provision of relevant information in Welsh, and offering opportunities for prisoners to use Welsh socially.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Penybont (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities for the promotion of industrial hemp.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Growers are the best judge of what planting is suited to their land type and long-term agronomic strategy, but Defra recognises the valuable addition industrial hemp can be to some farms as a break crop.
Defra and the Home Office have listened carefully to experienced growers, and we believe that the changes to the Home Office hemp licensing system, currently in delivery, will be key to unlocking the crop’s huge potential. These reforms will enable an expansion of the growing area, better alignment of licences with the farming calendar and rotation planning, and an increase in the number of varieties growers can access.
Defra has also commissioned several studies looking at hemp cultivation, to better understand how the crop can contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable actions.