Lord Judd Portrait

Lord Judd

Labour - Life peer

Became Member: 10th June 1991

Left House: 17th April 2021 (Death)


Lord Judd is not a member of any APPGs
4 Former APPG memberships
Dark Skies, Haiti, National Parks, Tidy Britain
Ecclesiastical Committee (Joint Committee)
9th Jul 2015 - 17th Apr 2021
EU Justice Sub-Committee
12th Jun 2015 - 2nd Jul 2019
Ecclesiastical Committee (Joint Committee)
24th Jan 2002 - 30th Mar 2015
Human Rights (Joint Committee)
2nd Dec 2003 - 14th Nov 2007
Procedure and Privileges Committee
26th Jun 2001 - 18th Nov 2004
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
21st Feb 1977 - 4th May 1979
Minister (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (Overseas Development)
21st Dec 1976 - 21st Feb 1977
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Royal Navy)
8th Mar 1974 - 14th Apr 1976
Shadow Minister (Defence)
1st Jan 1972 - 1st Jan 1974
Public Accounts Committee
1st Jan 1968 - 1st Jan 1971


Division Voting information

Lord Judd has voted in 922 divisions, and 19 times against the majority of their Party.

7 Mar 2017 - European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 3 Labour Aye votes vs 65 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 95 Noes - 340
27 Feb 2017 - European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 33 Labour Aye votes vs 53 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 136 Noes - 299
15 Nov 2011 - Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Labour Aye votes vs 83 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 79 Noes - 273
13 Oct 2008 - Counter-Terrorism Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Labour Aye votes vs 105 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 309 Noes - 118
23 Apr 2008 - Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 51 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 21 Noes - 55
17 Mar 2008 - Children and Young Persons Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 6 Labour Aye votes vs 109 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 173 Noes - 119
11 Oct 2007 - UK Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Labour Aye votes vs 95 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 58 Noes - 106
9 Oct 2007 - UK Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 97 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 104 Noes - 105
27 Jun 2007 - Offender Management Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 118 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 77 Noes - 140
12 Jun 2007 - Offender Management Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 106 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 85 Noes - 112
5 Jun 2007 - Offender Management Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 107 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 120 Noes - 116
25 Apr 2007 - Serious Crime Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 107 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 182 Noes - 121
5 Mar 2007 - Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (Continuance in force of sections 1 to 9) Order 2007 - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 5 Labour Aye votes vs 132 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 96 Noes - 141
5 Feb 2007 - Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour Aye votes vs 120 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 222 Noes - 127
2 Nov 2006 - Companies Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Labour Aye votes vs 101 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 48 Noes - 192
31 Oct 2006 - Armed Forces Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 123 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 63 Noes - 165
30 Oct 2006 - Education and Inspections Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 112 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 65 Noes - 157
24 Oct 2006 - Education and Inspections Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 7 Labour Aye votes vs 114 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 85 Noes - 173
10 Oct 2006 - Police and Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Judd voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour Aye votes vs 95 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 211 Noes - 98
View All Lord Judd Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Department Debates
Home Office
(147 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(54 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Judd's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Judd, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Judd has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Judd has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
10 Other Department Questions
12th Oct 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that all personnel working in the nuclear generation sector are briefed and adequately prepared to deal with cyber attacks.

Government, through the National Cyber Security Programme, has provided training to key personnel within the civil nuclear industry to continuously improve the cyber security of the nuclear sector. We are doing this by facilitating training for the regulator and civil nuclear personnel, and carrying out risk reviews of sites within the civil nuclear sector to provide recommendations on how their cyber security can be enhanced. Additionally, operators of nuclear power plants in the UK must operate in accordance with the UK’s very stringent safety and security regulations and legal framework. These are enforced by the independent Office for Nuclear Regulation.


The UK’s Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 require all site licence companies to detail their arrangements for physical, personnel, and cyber security, which includes the protection of equipment and technology, in a security plan that is approved by ONR. These plans are routinely tested and exercised. Furthermore, as a requirement for security plan approval, ONR also seek assurance that all personnel are adequately trained and competent to undertake their role and that dutyholders encourage a strong security culture through regular briefings on a wide range of threats.’



7th Sep 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has sufficient human resources of the necessary calibre and expertise to ensure that construction work at Sellafield is being effectively managed and supervised; whether that work is on course to meet all the necessary deadlines; and what progress has been made with that work.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for ensuring that it and its delivery partners (the Site Licence Companies) have the right skills and capability to deliver its mission. The Department monitors closely the work of the NDA – a specialist contracting authority - and its contractors, which manage and operate the sites on its behalf.

The current NDA team bring decades of technical and commercial experience to the oversight of these major contracts and the Department is assured that the NDA has the necessary resource and expertise to oversee work at Sellafield and its other sites.

In light of the decision, announced by the Secretary of State in January 2015, to change the ownership model for Sellafield, bringing the Sellafield Ltd Site Licence Company under the direct ownership of the NDA as a wholly owned subsidiary with effect from April 2016, the NDA is re-assessing its future resource requirements. The model change has prioritised accessing world class capabilities to all levels of the site.

Performance at Sellafield has been improving steadily since the NDA took ownership in 2005, prior to which there was little investment in the legacy infrastructure and no progress with decommissioning. Sellafield Ltd has on average met 86% of its milestones in recent years and is making good progress against its work plan for 2015/16.

The NDA publishes reports on its website on progress on priority programmes and projects. The latest version of the document can be viewed at:

http://www.nda.gov.uk/publication/programmes-and-major-projects-report-pilot-3/

An update is scheduled for later this Autumn.

21st Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their decision to endorse the site at Moorside in West Cumbria for the construction of a new nuclear power station, what action they are taking to ensure that any consequent or related infrastructure, including that proposed by National Grid, fully complies with the law and with the undertakings of the government that landscapes designated as of the highest quality, including the landscapes of the National Park, should be protected and not damaged by electricity infrastructure development.

Moorside is one of the eight sites listed as potentially suitable for the construction of new nuclear power stations in the Nuclear National Policy Statement published in 2011. In the event of an application for development consent being made, the Nuclear National Policy Statement sets out how the Planning Inspectorate should consider impacts, including at section 3.10, landscape and visual impacts, before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State. Section 2.8 of the National Policy Statement for Electricity Networks Infrastructure makes similar provisions for related Grid developments. The Energy National Policy Statements are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-policy-statements-for-energy-infrastructure

9th Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in their national survey to establish the most suitable, and least hazardous, geological sites for the long-term storage of nuclear waste.

As one of the actions in the 2014 Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper, Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM) are carrying out a national geological screening exercise, based on existing geological information. This screening exercise will not target or select individual sites for development of a geological disposal facility (GDF). Its purpose is to provide authoritative information that can be used in future discussions with communities thinking about possible GDF developments.

The process will involve two steps: guidance will be produced by RWM in 2015, which will be subject to expert review, by an Independent Review Panel established by the Geological Society, and public consultation. The final guidance will be applied during 2016, using the specialist expertise of the British Geological Survey. Outputs will be in the form of narratives describing characteristics of the geological environment across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the relevance of these characteristics to safety. There is a large range of potentially suitable geological environments in the UK, and no single ‘most suitable’ type of geological environment for a GDF. There are several programmes at an advanced stage in different parts of the world, focussing on different geological environments, each designed to be safe.

The Independent Review Panel held a public meeting with RWM on 23 June to discuss the draft screening guidance. This meeting was streamed live on YouTube and the draft guidance has been published on the web. RWM has given presentations to eleven Geological Society Regional Groups, and held six meetings with stakeholders, including Local Authority representatives and other members of the public who have expressed interest.

The public consultation on the draft screening guidance will take place in the autumn.

This work will support the process of formal engagement with communities interested in hosting a GDF, which will start in 2017. Current estimates are that it will take between 15 and 20 years to agree a site through the national siting process. After this, GDF construction should proceed from the 2030s, with disposal of radioactive waste in the facility starting from the 2040s.

9th Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to increase the contribution made by thermal heating and other low-carbon heat technologies, and by building regulations, to the fulfilment of their 2020 carbon emissions reductions target, and to sustained reductions beyond 2020.

The main policy to support the uptake of low-carbon heat technologies is the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The RHI is a financial incentive scheme, designed to bridge the gap between the cost of fossil fuel heat sources and renewable heat alternatives. The 2014 projections suggested that in 2020 the RHI would account for 5% of the total reduction in emissions delivered by policies.

The RHI budget for 2015-16 is £430million. Budget for future years are the subject of the Spending Review

1st Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of their 2020 carbon emissions reduction target they intend to achieve through the development of thermal heating capacity in the United Kingdom.

The Climate Change Act (2008) requires the Government to set legally binding ‘carbon budgets’ to meet the objective of reducing emissions by at least 80% in 2050 from 1990 levels. The Act requires that the UK’s emissions in the third carbon budget period, which covers 2020, are at least 34% below the 1990 baseline for emissions.

The Government has not set specific targets for how much of the emissions reductions required for each carbon budget should come from different emissions sources, for example heat, electricity or transport. This is to provide sufficient flexibility to ensure carbon savings are delivered across the economy in the most cost effective way.

However, DECC does produce projections of UK emissions that account for the impact of Government policies. The last projections published in September 2014 [1] showed that the UK was on track to meet the second (2013-17) and third (2018-22) budgets having already met the first carbon budget (2008-12).

In 2020, policies [2] which drive improvements in energy efficiency (across all sectors) are projected to contribute 61% of the total reduction in emissions and policies influencing the uptake of low-carbon heat technologies are projected to contribute 5%. Other policies such as Building Regulations also support the reduction of heat emissions from buildings for example through the requirement to install a condensing boiler in most cases when a boiler needs to be replaced.

[1] Updated Energy and Emissions Projections: 2014 (DECC)

[2] Source: Annex D of the Updated Energy and Emissions Projections (EEP): 2014 (DECC). Based on all policies listed in EEP, including those introduced before as well as after the publication of the Low Carbon Transition Plan (LCTP) 2009

1st Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of their 2020 carbon emissions reduction target they intend to achieve through energy efficiency measures.

The Climate Change Act (2008) requires the Government to set legally binding ‘carbon budgets’ to meet the objective of reducing emissions by at least 80% in 2050 from 1990 levels. The Act requires that the UK’s emissions in the third carbon budget period, which covers 2020, are at least 34% below the 1990 baseline for emissions.

The Government has not set specific targets for how much of the emissions reductions required for each carbon budget should come from different emissions sources, for example heat, electricity or transport. This is to provide sufficient flexibility to ensure carbon savings are delivered across the economy in the most cost effective way.

However, DECC does produce projections of UK emissions that account for the impact of Government policies. The last projections published in September 2014 [1] showed that the UK was on track to meet the second (2013-17) and third (2018-22) budgets having already met the first carbon budget (2008-12).

In 2020, policies [2] which drive improvements in energy efficiency (across all sectors) are projected to contribute 61% of the total reduction in emissions and policies influencing the uptake of low-carbon heat technologies are projected to contribute 5%. Other policies such as Building Regulations also support the reduction of heat emissions from buildings for example through the requirement to install a condensing boiler in most cases when a boiler needs to be replaced.

[1] Updated Energy and Emissions Projections: 2014 (DECC)

[2] Source: Annex D of the Updated Energy and Emissions Projections (EEP): 2014 (DECC). Based on all policies listed in EEP, including those introduced before as well as after the publication of the Low Carbon Transition Plan (LCTP) 2009

3rd Nov 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what calculations they have made about the size and scale of potential security, environmental and public safety consequences of any potential failure in nuclear waste storage systems at Sellafield; and when they will publish details of those calculations.

Government and licensees take very seriously the need to decommission legacy facilities, including those at Sellafield. This work is underpinned by periodic safety reviews, which are assessed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). In addition to this, nuclear operators have a legal obligation under the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) to identify, evaluate and assess their hazards and risks, which enables the ONR to determine the off-site emergency planning area in line with its assessment principles:

http://www.onr.org.uk/depz-onr-principles.htm.

3rd Nov 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Sellafield Ltd, the Office of Nuclear Regulation and other relevant bodies about existing, or potential, public safety, wildlife vulnerability and security risks arising from the condition of nuclear waste storage ponds at Sellafield; what was the outcome of any such discussions; and what action they are taking to deal with any risks that may have been identified.

It is a national priority to reduce the hazard and risk at Sellafield in a safe and timely manner and progress in addressing the hazards at Sellafield is kept under frequent review. The actual detail of the programmes and the actions to maintain safety, are matters between Sellafield Ltd. as the site licence company and ONR as the independent nuclear regulator. Sellafield is ONR’s highest regulatory priority and receives a significantly enhanced level of regulatory attention.

Security at Sellafield is specifically designed to address a wide range of credible threats, with measures including perimeter and internal physical barriers, detection and surveillance technologies and an armed response provided by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. In line with internationally established principle of continuous improvement, the Sellafield site has seen a series of security enhancements over the last few years to ensure security remains robust.

15th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Royal National Institute of Blind People Turned Out 2019, published on 13 October; and what steps they are taking to address the findings of that report.

The Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the electoral process for voters with sight loss and other disabilities, and is already in the process of taking forward some of the recommendations made in the report while considering other measures.

The Government is looking at trialling ways to provide blind and partially sighted voters with electoral information in more accessible formats and is working with electoral partners, including the Electoral Commission, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and the Association of Electoral Administrators to ensure the support available to voters with disabilities is effectively publicised.

We will continue working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People to improve processes and will review what additional support might be provided to help voters with sight loss to vote by post.

Lord True
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
25th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have in place to ensure that, following the merger of the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, there is designated ministerial representation at the National Security Council specifically to deal with international development matters and to speak for them.

Membership of Cabinet Committees is decided by the Prime Minister and is regularly published on GOV.UK.

Lord True
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
17th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish comparative statistics of death rates from diseases including (1) tuberculosis, (2) heart disease, (3) influenza, (4) diabetes, and (5) similar diseases, to contextualise death rates from COVID-19 and improve public understanding.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Dear Lord Judd,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what plans there are to publish comparative statistics on death rates from diseases including (1) tuberculosis, (2) heart disease, (3) influenza, (4) diabetes, and (5) similar diseases, to contextualise death rates from COVID-19 and improve public understanding (HL5854).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent annual figures published are for deaths registered in 2018[1]. The finalised annual death registrations for 2019 will be presented in the forthcoming Death Registrations[2] publication, due to be published on 1 July 2020.

We also publish provisional data on weekly deaths registrations, which are currently published for deaths registered up to 5 June 2020[3]. National Records Scotland (NRS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

The ONS has recently published an article that presents additional data on deaths involving COVID-19, for deaths that occurred between 1 March and 30 April (and registered up to 5 May 2020), in England and Wales[4]. This publication provides a breakdown of the 10 leading causes of death during this period, which include ischaemic heart disease, influenza and pneumonia. Figures 3 and 4 in this publication compare the age-standardised mortality rate for the 10 leading causes of death against the 5-year average. Age-standardised rates are used because they provide a better measure of mortality than the number of deaths, as they account for the population size and age structure. They are also better for comparing between areas and over time.

Table 1[5] reports the number of deaths occurring between 1 March and 30 April 2020, grouped by leading causes, including COVID-19. An extract of the data containing the conditions you have requested is below. Unfortunately, due to the way we analyse the data, we are unable to separate those deaths where the cause of death was registered as influenza or pneumonia. An update of this dataset will be published on 23 June 2020[6].

Our future analysis workplan includes further investigation of deaths involving COVID-19 and those from other causes.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Number of deaths by select causes, England and Wales, deaths occurring between March and April 2020[7],[8],[9]

England and Wales

England

Wales

ICD-10 codes

Cause of death groups

March

April

March

April

March

April

U07.1-U07.2

Coronavirus

4,379

27,764

4,208

26,396

158

1,326

A15–A19, B90

Tuberculosis

13

8

12

7

1

1

E10–E14

Diabetes

655

851

616

809

38

41

I05–I09

Chronic rheumatic heart diseases

94

69

89

64

5

5

I10–I15

Hypertensive diseases

669

714

633

675

34

39

I20–I25

Ischaemic heart diseases

4,624

4,053

4,307

3,815

311

236

I26–I28

Pulmonary heart disease and diseases of pulmonary circulation

219

225

205

208

13

17

J09–J18

Influenza and pneumonia

2,554

1,806

2,386

1,698

163

106


Source: Office for National Statistics

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsregisteredinenglandandwalesseriesdrreferencetables

[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/deathsregisteredinenglandandwales2019

[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/weeklyprovisionalfiguresondeathsregisteredinenglandandwales

[4]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsinvolvingcovid19englandandwales/latest

[5]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsinvolvingcovid19englandandwales

[6]https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/deathsinvolvingcovid19englandandwalesmay2020

[7]England and Wales includes deaths of non-residents. England and Wales separately excludes deaths of non-residents.

[8]Based on the data a death occurred rather than when a death was registered.

[9]Based on the bounderies as of February 2020.

Lord True
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
13th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that relevant sectors of civil society, including non-governmental organisations, are able to contribute to the forthcoming Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review.

The review will engage and collaborate with a range of external stakeholders to ensure proper challenge and scrutiny. We will listen and learn from different voices across society, from the public, academics to international partners. Good practice from previous reviews and strategies will be explored when formulating the right approach.

Earl Howe
Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
13th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that officials from the Department for International Development are able to contribute to the forthcoming Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review.

The review will involve officials from a wide range of Government departments including the Department for International Development. The review will reassess the nation’s place in the world, covering all aspects of international policy from defence to diplomacy and development.

Earl Howe
Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
23rd Nov 2017
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they are making to ensure that the roles of (1) the intelligence services, and (2) the police, including community policing, are taken fully into account in the Strategic Defence Review.

The government remains focused on implementing the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which was published in 2015. In July the government announced a review of national security capabilities, in support of SDSR implementation, to ensure that we have a full suite of effective and efficient national security capabilities to achieve our three national security objectives: protecting our people, projecting our global influence and promoting our prosperity. The work is being coordinated by the National Security Adviser, with individual strands taken forward by cross-departmental teams, which has involved a range of Government departments and our law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

29th Jun 2017
Her Majesty's Government, in the light of their commitment to a more outward-looking Global Britain, what steps they are taking to ensure that Government departments refrain from anti-internationalist rhetoric.

As the Prime Minister said to the UN General Assembly, the United Kingdom has always been an outward-facing, global partner at the heart of international efforts to secure peace and prosperity for all. She also pledged that the UK will be a confident, strong and dependable partner internationally – true to the UN's universal values. Both the rhetoric, but also the policy at the heart of this government's approach, make it clear that our posture must be internationalist as we build a new, deep and special partnership with our European neighbours and seek to strengthen our global role and relations. This sets a clear tone for all Government departments' approach.

28th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that National Security Council objectives are scrutinised by Parliament.

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review set out the long term direction to meet the strategic objectives of ensuring domestic security and resilience, and shaping a stable world. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, comprising members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, scrutinises the National Security Strategy and the structures for government decision-making on national security, particularly the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser.

The NSC brings together departments, including DFID, to take collective decisions, balancing the mutually–reinforcing elements of national security including domestic, foreign, development, defence and economic policy. The NSC has introduced, from April 20145, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and associated governance reforms. Together these looking systematically at deployed overseas dealing with the risk of instability. links NSC strategic decision making with programmes on the ground.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
28th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that National Security Council country strategies are informed by critical analysis and by in-country stakeholders.

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review set out the long term direction to meet the strategic objectives of ensuring domestic security and resilience, and shaping a stable world. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, comprising members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, scrutinises the National Security Strategy and the structures for government decision-making on national security, particularly the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser.

The NSC brings together departments, including DFID, to take collective decisions, balancing the mutually–reinforcing elements of national security including domestic, foreign, development, defence and economic policy. The NSC has introduced, from April 20145, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and associated governance reforms. Together these looking systematically at deployed overseas dealing with the risk of instability. links NSC strategic decision making with programmes on the ground.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
28th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that objectives within National Security Council country strategies are consistent and focussed on the long term.

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review set out the long term direction to meet the strategic objectives of ensuring domestic security and resilience, and shaping a stable world. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, comprising members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, scrutinises the National Security Strategy and the structures for government decision-making on national security, particularly the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser.

The NSC brings together departments, including DFID, to take collective decisions, balancing the mutually–reinforcing elements of national security including domestic, foreign, development, defence and economic policy. The NSC has introduced, from April 20145, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and associated governance reforms. Together these looking systematically at deployed overseas dealing with the risk of instability. links NSC strategic decision making with programmes on the ground.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
28th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the National Security Council define national security when reviewing country strategies.

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review set out the long term direction to meet the strategic objectives of ensuring domestic security and resilience, and shaping a stable world. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, comprising members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, scrutinises the National Security Strategy and the structures for government decision-making on national security, particularly the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser.

The NSC brings together departments, including DFID, to take collective decisions, balancing the mutually–reinforcing elements of national security including domestic, foreign, development, defence and economic policy. The NSC has introduced, from April 20145, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and associated governance reforms. Together these looking systematically at deployed overseas dealing with the risk of instability. links NSC strategic decision making with programmes on the ground.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
28th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Security Council country objectives are consistent with those of the Department for International Development; and what steps they will take to resolve any differences.

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review set out the long term direction to meet the strategic objectives of ensuring domestic security and resilience, and shaping a stable world. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, comprising members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, scrutinises the National Security Strategy and the structures for government decision-making on national security, particularly the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser.

The NSC brings together departments, including DFID, to take collective decisions, balancing the mutually–reinforcing elements of national security including domestic, foreign, development, defence and economic policy. The NSC has introduced, from April 20145, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and associated governance reforms. Together these looking systematically at deployed overseas dealing with the risk of instability. links NSC strategic decision making with programmes on the ground.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
8th Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what priority they will give to specific economic green development in West Cumbria in their post-COVID-19 reconstruction plans.

We are seizing the initiative to build back better, greener, and faster from COVID-19. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution is part of the government’s mission to level up across the country, mobilising £12 billion of government investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs in the UK including in West Cumbria, helping recovery from the pandemic and spurring over three times as much private sector investment by 2030.

We have previously funded the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to produce the Cumbria Local Energy Plan helping businesses develop low carbon and renewable energy projects which will contribute to sustainable economic growth. As part of a restructuring of the North West Energy Hub, the Cumbria LEP will gain a dedicated Energy Officer to assist in the delivery of the Cumbria Local Energy Plan.

Over the coming months, we will bring forward further bold proposals to deliver on our ambitious climate commitments and further cement a green recovery from Covid-19, including a Net Zero Strategy, to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
23rd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to develop opportunities for geothermal energy generation to help address climate change.

Opportunities for geothermal electricity generation in the UK are limited and only likely to be economically feasible in certain locations, such as the far South West of England. The Government is supporting the development of the United Downs Deep Geothermal Project in Cornwall.

The most promising use of geothermal energy in the UK is for low temperature applications such as district heating schemes. BEIS has been providing support to the deployment of district heat networks from geothermal through the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) and the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP). We also announced a further £270m from 2022 to 2025 in the Green Heat Network Fund at the March budget and we will be consulting on eligibility criteria in due course.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the School of Advanced Study’s proposals to close the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and the Institute of Latin American Studies (1) for the Commonwealth community, and (2) for the UK’s post-Brexit relations with Latin America; what representations they are making to the School of Advanced Study about the implications of these proposals; and what plans they have, if any, to provide support to help maintain these institutes.

Universities are independent, autonomous organisations and are therefore responsible for their decisions relating to research priorities and which activities to support. We would expect universities to regularly review and develop their strategic research priorities, and that this may result in some internal restructuring to better support these priorities.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
17th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to give immediate priority to the development of hydrogen as a potential source of energy.

The Government is committed to exploring the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. In line with this we are already investing up to £121m in hydrogen innovation across the value chain and are developing new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chain we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes business models to support the deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production and a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund to stimulate capital investment. We will be engaging with industry on both schemes throughout the year.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
13th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide legal enforcement for the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment “to ensure high standards of workers’ rights, environmental protection and consumer rights” post-Brexit; and whether any such steps will include upholding and enhancing all such existing rights and protections.

In the Queen’s Speech the Government announced a new Employment Rights Bill which will include enhancing workers’ rights, encouraging flexible working, introducing an entitlement to leave for unpaid carers, and ensuring workers keep their hard earned tips.

The Government will also shortly be introducing the Environment Bill – which will strengthen environmental protections. The Bill will enshrine environmental principles in law. The Bill will also include measures to improve air and water quality, tackle plastic pollution and restore habitats. It will create legally-binding environmental improvement targets and establish a new independent Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). This will collectively ensure that environmental ambition is at the heart of Government once we leave the EU.

5th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they are taking to establish a state system of accountancy for safeguarded nuclear materials which will match that applied by Euratom.

The Government is working to implement a new domestic UK nuclear safeguards regime when Euratom arrangements no longer apply to the UK. The new regime will be regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and will be equivalent in effectiveness and coverage to that currently provided by Euratom.

Parliament has passed the Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018 which provides the legal framework for setting up a domestic nuclear safeguards regime; and Government is consulting on draft Nuclear Safeguards Regulations, which set out the proposed detail of the regime.

The ONR will run the UK's State System of Accountancy and Control (SSAC) of Nuclear Material as part of the new domestic regime. The ONR is working to ensure it can have in place by 29 March 2019 the IT systems and safeguards inspectors needed to deliver safeguards arrangements that meet international standards and to build, over time, to coverage and effectiveness equivalent to Euratom.

5th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that UK nuclear regulators retain at least associate status at European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group meetings in order to maintain alignment with EU nuclear regulatory developments and to continue to influence decisions that may affect the UK; and if so, how.

Maintaining nuclear safety is and always will be a top priority for this Department. The UK has a well-established domestic civil nuclear safety regime which will continue to operate as now following the UK’s departure from the Euratom community.

Irrespective of our future relationship with Euratom, the UK will continue to be a committed and constructive member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and will continue to follow international standards on nuclear safety.

5th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they are making to ensure that nuclear issues specifically relevant to the UK's relationship with the Republic of Ireland are reviewed before the UK withdrawal from Euratom is completed.

The Department regularly discusses matters of mutual interest in the nuclear field with government counterparts in the Republic of Ireland. The Department, in partnership with the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, holds a biannual Contact Group on Radiological Matters with Irish government officials and environmental regulators. This Contact Group provides an opportunity to exchange information and to discuss approaches on a wide range of nuclear issues, including Euratom Exit. This is in addition to the regular contact between Ministers in my Department and the Government of Ireland on a range of matters including energy.

5th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to expedite an increase in the number of people in the Office for Nuclear Regulation and to fulfil the agreements recently reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency during and following withdrawal by the UK from Euratom.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation is responsible for its own recruitment.

The ONR currently has more safeguards inspectors than its own instructed minimum and is continuing to recruit to ensure the UK can deliver a domestic safeguards regime that honours our international obligation.

5th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they are taking to ensure that during and after the withdrawal of the UK from Euratom there will be seamless access to nuclear technology, decommissioning skills, and intellectual property as currently provided by membership of Euratom.

The UK and EU have agreed in principle the terms of an implementation period running from 30 March 2019 until 31 December 2020. As outlined in the draft Withdrawal Agreement published on 19 March, such a period will include the provisions of the Euratom Treaty.

Alongside this, the Government has stated in its White Paper on the UK’s Future Relationship with Euratom (Cm 9593) that the UK will be seeking a close association with Euratom which will come into force when Euratom arrangements no longer apply.

The Government has also published a technical notice on civil nuclear regulation (DEP2018-0836). This notice explains to the civil nuclear industry and stakeholders how the sector will be affected in the UK in the unlikely event that the UK leaves the EU and Euratom in March 2019 with no agreement in place.

The Nuclear Sector Deal announced on 28 June 2018 will also promote new opportunities in the sector including a focus on innovation to develop the technology and skills needed to maintain the UK’s position as one of the world’s leading nuclear nations.

5th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure an agreement to replace Euratom in order to guarantee the seamless continuation of research and development work with the remaining EU member states and other relevant countries.

The UK’s objective is to seek association to the Euratom Research and Training Programme as part of an ambitious Science and Innovation Accord with the EU. This would ensure collaboration with the EU across a range of nuclear R&D activities can continue uninterrupted.

The UK is also on track to have bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreements in place with key partners ahead of March 2019. This will facilitate continued, unimpeded civil nuclear trade and nuclear research cooperation with these countries.

4th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements, if any, they have made for regular consultation with the Nuclear Institute during the process of withdrawal from Euratom.

The Government regularly engages with stakeholders in the civil nuclear sector on Euratom Exit. The Nuclear Institute has participated in Euratom Industry Fora for interested stakeholders, hosted by Richard Harrington, the Minister of State for Business and Industry. Government also frequently communicates progress towards Euratom exit with a wider range of stakeholders, including the Nuclear Institute.

4th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their timetable for replacing each of the provisions of the Euratom Treaty with equivalent alternative arrangements.

We are putting in place appropriate measures to ensure uninterrupted cooperation and trade in the civil nuclear sector when Euratom arrangements no longer apply to the UK, whether at the end of March 2019 or at the end of an implementation period. These arrangements include new safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency, nuclear cooperation agreements with key trading partners and a domestic nuclear safeguards regime. We will present the new international agreements relating to Euratom exit to Parliament for ratification in the Autumn.

The Government has published quarterly updates to Parliament on progress towards the UK’s exit from the Euratom Treaty in March 2018 and June 2018. These reports contain further information on the arrangements being put in place. The next such quarterly update will be published in October.

4th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to consider a future relationship with Euratom similar to Switzerland's; and if not, why not.

The Government has made clear that it is seeking a close association with Euratom. In the White Paper on our Future Relationship with the European Union (Cm 9593), the Government set out its vision for a relationship with Euratom that is broader and more comprehensive than any existing precedent. The Government proposed that this close association should be based on a comprehensive Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the UK and Euratom. This would help ensure the UK’s standing as a leading and responsible civil nuclear state is maintained, and would be mutually beneficial for the UK and the Euratom Community.

4th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to ensure a seamless continuity of legislation and regulatory standards, and the enforcement of industry’s compliance with them, throughout and following the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.

Nuclear safety and security in the UK are currently regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and these arrangements will continue.

When Euratom safeguards arrangements no longer apply to the UK, the ONR will regulate safeguards in the UK. The ONR is confident that they will have in place the IT system and safeguards inspectors needed to ensure the UK continues to meet its international obligations when Euratom arrangements no longer apply.

The Government has made significant progress in our preparations to leave Euratom, to ensure a domestic nuclear safeguards regime can be in place from day one of exit, including passing the Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018 and proposing draft Nuclear Safeguards Regulations.

As outlined in the White Paper published on 12 July, the UK has proposed that we will be seeking a close association with Euratom, including regulatory cooperation on nuclear safeguards and technical cooperation on nuclear safety. We are well advanced in our work to address the issues that may affect the civil nuclear sector if an agreement is not reached with the EU.

4th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures, if any, they are introducing prior to the UK's withdrawal from Euratom to ensure that each of the basic standards applied to the nuclear industries are checked and amended as necessary to ensure that each remains as valid and effective as those required by Euratom.

Nuclear safety in the UK is currently regulated by the UK’s independent regulator the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and this will not change. We remain absolutely committed to maintaining high standards of radiation protection for workers, the public and the environment.

As of February 2018, the UK has transposed the majority of Euratom’s 2013 Basic Safety Standards Directive (2013/59/Euratom) into UK legislation, which sets updated standards for radiation protection. We are committed to completing the transposition of the remaining parts as soon as possible to ensure that the UK continues to be recognised internationally as a leader in radiological safety.

24th Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which existing nuclear waste facilities are foolproof against (1) all possible types of security threat from land, sea and air, and (2) the consequences of climate change.

All nuclear sites, including nuclear waste facilities, are required to develop and maintain a site security plan in order to be licensed to operate by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. These site security plans are required to demonstrate compliance against the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003, which includes having to plan for managing all types of potential security threats. Implementation of the plans is also overseen by the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Flooding and climate change considerations are a major element of the Safety Case that must be developed and maintained for every nuclear facility as part of the licence conditions against which sites must operate. These Safety Cases are also assessed and approved by the by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. In addition, operators of nuclear waste disposal facilities must produce Environmental Safety Cases which demonstrate the safety of disposals of nuclear waste, now and in the future, managed within assessed risk scenarios consistent with regulatory guidance. These risk scenarios include the potential consequences of climate change. It is the Environmental Safety Case that determines if disposals may continue or not and what limitations or conditions may be required to minimise any impact to the environment.

23rd Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that (1) National Parks, (2) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and (3) other such protected areas, are excluded as potential sites for the disposal of nuclear waste; and if so, how.

A Geological Disposal Facility will provide a permanent and safe solution for disposing of the UK’s inventory of higher activity radioactive waste. The Government recently consulted on a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for geological disposal infrastructure. This draft National Policy Statement follows the approach of the National Planning Policy Framework and all other non-site specific National Policy Statements, by not excluding all development in designated areas such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and other such protected areas. Rather, the proposed draft NPS sets out that development for a Geological Disposal Facility should only be consented in nationally designated areas in exceptional circumstances and where it would be in the public interest to do so. Even if such development were consented, the developer would be required to take a number of measures to protect and where possible improve the environment. Existing UK legislation already provides a high degree of protection for National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other such protected areas; the proposed draft National Policy Statement reinforces this. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation on the draft National Policy Statement and will publish a response in due course.

23rd Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that all local authorities that would be adversely affected by the construction or operation of a nuclear waste facility, including a facility for radioactive gases, are fully involved in any consent process; and whether local authorities will have powers of veto over such construction in their areas.

The Government recently consulted on draft policy proposals for delivering a consent-based process for identifying a suitable location to site a Geological Disposal Facility, which will provide a permanent and safe solution for the disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. The proposals recognise that the relevant principal local authorities, including county councils, unitary authorities and district councils will have an integral role in this process through their role on ‘Community Partnerships’ which will be developed in all areas that wish to put themselves forward as potential sites for developing such a facility. The partnerships are proposed to be used to share information, raise awareness and make decisions on behalf of their local area. The proposals set out that as members of the Community Partnership, relevant principal local authorities will have the ability to invoke a right of withdrawal from the engagement process. Also, before making any final decision on where to locate the facility, it is proposed that there will need to have been a test of public support that demonstrates community support for the development at a particular site. A test of public support cannot be designed or enacted without the support of the relevant principal local authorities. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation on the draft proposals for delivering a consent based process and will publish a response in due course.

23rd Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans for (1) Ennerdale, and (2) the Ennerdale granite, in their future nuclear waste disposal policy.

The Government has no plans for Ennerdale and the Ennerdale granite in its proposals for developing a Geological Disposal Facility to provide a permanent and safe solution for the disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. The Government recently consulted on draft policy proposals for delivering a consent-based process for identifying a suitable location to site such a facility. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course. No sites have been identified and it is proposed that any interested communities will be able to begin formal discussions with the Government following the publication of the response to the consultation and the launch of the siting process.

23rd Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the soundness of the fabric and installations currently containing nuclear waste in (1) the short-term, (2) the mid-term, and (3) the long-term; and, in the light of that assessment, what assessment they have made of the urgency of constructing new facilities.

The safety and integrity of installations currently containing nuclear waste are kept under constant review by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, as the regulatory body responsible for the safety of nuclear installations in the UK. In 2009, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority carried out a national review of nuclear waste stores it is responsible for on behalf of the Government. This work has informed the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s current strategy for the safe and secure management of radioactive waste installations, which was last updated in 2016 and includes an ongoing programme of radioactive waste retrieval, treatment and storage.

Modern radioactive waste stores are designed to store waste for at least 100 years and operated to provide an environment necessary to ensure the longevity of the waste packaging. Packages for radioactive waste in the UK need to meet the appropriate regulatory standards and expectations to ensure their suitability for long-term storage and compatibility with the requirements for permanent disposal in the future.

18th Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will make public their findings of the relative geological suitability of all parts of the UK, including potential offshore sites, for the disposal of nuclear waste.

Ahead of the launch of a siting process for a Geological Disposal Facility, the Government will publish the findings from a National Geological Screening (NGS) exercise that brings together existing information about England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s geology relevant to the long term safety of a geological disposal facility. These findings will be presented in the format of a series of brief narratives describing the key characteristics of the geological environment and their relevance to safety for siting a Geological Disposal Facility for the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, subdivided in to 13 regions and out to 20 kilometres from the shore. The narratives will be illustrated with maps, where appropriate. For some attributes, information will be presented at a national level only, because data are very sparse or vary little across all regions, and so there will also be a short national output presenting this information, which is applicable to all regions. The findings will be made available in an accessible form, providing authoritative information that can be used in early discussions with communities about their geological potential to host a disposal facility.

18th Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to evaluate the suitability of offshore sites at (1) 5km, (2) 20km, and (3) other distances from the shoreline for the disposal of nuclear waste.

The Government has undertaken generic design work on the construction requirements for a Geological Disposal Facility, which demonstrate that the depth of the underground facilities are expected to be between 200m and 1000m. This work demonstrates that while the surface structures and access points of a Geological Disposal Facility will be located on land, the design could allow the underground facilities to extend offshore if accessed from onshore surface sites. Therefore the National Geological Screening (NGS) exercise will bring together existing information about England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s geology relevant to the long term safety of a geological disposal facility examines geological attributes out to 20 kilometres from the shore which is the extent of UK territorial waters.

18th Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to assess (1) which areas of the UK are most geologically suitable for the disposal of nuclear waste, and (2) which areas are less geologically suitable; and what priority they will give to the outcome of that process in consulting local communities prior to designating a site.

Ahead of the launch of a siting process for a Geological Disposal Facility, the Government will publish the findings from a National Geological Screening (NGS) exercise that brings together existing information about England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s geology relevant to the long term safety of a geological disposal facility. The findings from this exercise will not assess areas as either ‘suitable’ or ‘unsuitable’, but will provide an initial indication of the likely geological suitability of an area where the local community is interested in participating in the consent-based siting process for the disposal facility. There are a large range of potentially suitable geological settings in the UK, and the findings will inform early discussions with communities and provide the basis of subsequent detailed, site-specific geological investigations, which will be necessary to assess the degree to which a location is suitable or unsuitable.

18th Apr 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking as part of their consultation on geological disposal infrastructure for nuclear waste to screen out those areas of the UK that are geologically unsuitable for the disposal of nuclear waste.

Ahead of the launch of a siting process for a Geological Disposal Facility, the Government will publish the findings from a National Geological Screening (NGS) exercise that brings together existing information about England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s geology relevant to the long term safety of a geological disposal facility. The findings from this exercise will not assess areas as either ‘suitable’ or ‘unsuitable’, but will provide an initial indication of the likely geological suitability of an area where the local community is interested in participating in the consent-based siting process for the disposal facility. There are a large range of potentially suitable geological settings in the UK, and the findings will inform early discussions with communities and provide the basis of subsequent detailed, site-specific geological investigations, which will be necessary to determine, whether a location is suitable or unsuitable.

7th Dec 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they still intend to take steps to ensure that any site proposed by them for a national nuclear waste repository will be dependent on the approval and consent of all the relevant local, county and regional authorities.

The Government is committed to a consent based approach for siting a geological disposal facility, which will involve working with communities that are willing to participate in the siting process. In the 2014 Geological Disposal White Paper Government recognised that local representative bodies – including all levels of local government – will need to have a voice in this process.

In addition, a Geological Disposal Facility and associated boreholes have been brought within the definition of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects under the Planning Act 2008. The development consent process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects places specific requirements on the developer to consult local communities, local authorities, statutory bodies, and other interested parties before any application for development consent is made.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)