Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be making the decision as to whether Sizewell C will be granted a Development Consent Order.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The decision on the application for development consent for Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station was announced on 20 July 2022. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Paul Scully took the decision on behalf of the Secretary of State who had confirmed that his delegation of the decision-making powers to Minister Scully in respect of the Sizewell C application should continue, notwithstanding Minister Scully’s move to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make a decision on (1) whether to grant Sizewell C a Development Consent Order, or (2) any commitment of public investment in Sizewell C, before the appointment of a new Prime Minister; and what assessment they have made of the conformity of any such decisions with the Prime Minister’s statement to Cabinet on 6 July that major fiscal decisions should be left for the next Prime Minister.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State granted development consent for the Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station on July 20th 2022, after thorough consideration of all relevant information.
Commercial negotiations on the project are strictly separate from consideration of the application for development consent. To date these negotiations have been constructive, but are ongoing and no decisions have been made.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why a 10-mile section of the A12 between Ipswich and Colchester has a 40 mile per hour speed limit; and when this section will return to its previous speed limit.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
A temporary 40 mph speed limit is in place on the A12 between Marks Tey and the Four Sisters Interchange as National Highways is currently carrying out a programme of works. These works include resurfacing, barrier replacement, drainage renewal, replacing road studs and road markings and, other safety improvements.
Whilst the works are predominantly carried out during carriageway closures overnight, the 40mph speed limit is currently in place during the day to ensure the safety of road users whilst the works are still incomplete. National Highways anticipates that this temporary speed restriction will be in place until September 2022 when the works are expected to be completed.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the area of land that has been used in England for the installation of solar panels in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not hold information on the area of land in England used for solar installations.
Further information is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the (1) installation, (2) sale, and (3) use, of wood-burning stoves in private dwellings, in either (a) rural, or (b) urban, areas.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We currently have no plans to introduce a ban on the installation, sale or use of wood-burning stoves in private dwellings. Woodburning stoves are subject to strict controls in terms of emissions of air pollutants and some households in rural areas rely on the use of these appliances to heat their homes. In Smoke Control Areas woodburning stoves use must comply with the relevant legislation restricting smoke emissions. The recently introduced Environment Act 2021 will make it easier for local authorities to enforce these requirements. Outside of these areas, from 1 January 2022, all new solid fuel burning stoves entering the market must adhere to specific air quality standards and in October 2020 we introduced new legislation to phase out the most polluting fuels used for domestic combustion with most measures coming into force on 1 May 2021.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the screening of illegal immigrants includes a comparison with biometric details held by the EU in order to detect the entry of terrorists into the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Illegal migrants detected in the UK are subject to comprehensive identity and security checks, including biometric checks.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the report "Guidance on Collaborative Procurement for Design and Construction to Support Building Safety" recently published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was not dated; which Government department is responsible for ensuring that all Government publications are dated;and what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that dating practices are implemented throughout Whitehall.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The publication date is automatically published when a department adds or publishes a page to GOV.UK . The Guidance on Collaborative Procurement for Design and Construction to Support Building Safety report was published on 10 January. The PDF’s have also been updated to include a date and will be refreshed on the website.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in cases involving the extradition of a UK citizen to the United States where there is an outstanding judgment in the UK High Court, the Home Secretary is entitled to await such judgment before making a decision on extradition.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Extradition requests between the UK and the US are governed by Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. This sets out the factors that the Home Secretary must consider before making a decision on an extradition request.
Under the Act, the Home Secretary may seek an extension from the court to the time permitted to consider a request.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all irregular migrants arriving in the UK are tested for COVID-19; what proportion of such migrants have had positive COVID-19 test results; and how many migrants have had to be admitted to hospital as a result of COVID-19 within a week of arrival in the last 10-week period.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
All individuals arriving by small boats are tested by the Home Office for COVID-19 using a lateral flow test immediately on arrival. If the result is positive, they are immediately isolated along with any family members.
Testing of migrants arriving in the UK by other irregular means may vary depending on who is the first responder. However, in line with recent updates to the Government’s Coronavirus regulations, new arrivals to Immigration removal centres and residential short-term holding facilities are tested on or by day 2 by PCR test. Within asylum accommodation, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office conduct day 2 and day 8 testing, which is administered and managed by our service provider staff on site.
The Home Office does not routinely publish information on the proportion of migrants testing positive for COVID-19.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what biometric details are taken from irregular migrants who arrive in the UK from France by boat; whether such details are taken from all irregular migrants arriving from France by boat; and whether it is possible for the UK immigration authorities to compare these details with records held by EU member states.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
People arriving by small boats across the Channel are subject to stringent checks on arrival in the UK and again as they are processed into the asylum system.
Immediately on arrival, initial identity checks are undertaken for all individuals over the age of five, based on the name given and fingerprints are checked against immigration and Police criminal databases.
Once triaged and moved to appropriate accommodation, arrivals will be subject to additional checks as part of the asylum intake process. This will include identity and biometric enrolment based on fingerprints taken, with details checked against law enforcement, immigration, Police and security databases. There may be some individual cases where these checks are not conducted. It is not possible to check these details against the EU systems to which the UK has access under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement because use of those systems is only permitted for law enforcement, not immigration purposes.