Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable the increased use of imperial units following the UK’s departure from the EU; whether they are reviewing the present metric regulations; and, if so, what plans they have to consult The British Weights and Measures Association as a result of this review.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is reviewing the current law on the use of metric and imperial units of measurement. The purpose of the review is to identify how we can give more choice to businesses and consumers over the units of measurement they use, while ensuring that measurement information remains accurate.
As part of this review, we will carry out an early-stage consultation to gather views and to ensure that we have the best evidence available to make any changes. We would encourage the British Weights and Measures Association to share their views as part of that process.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total cost to the UK of its participation in the Galileo satellite navigation system; and how much of this was recovered as an offset to the settlement cost of the UK leaving the European Union.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As an EU Member State and under the Transition Period, the UK did not contribute to individual programmes. The UK contributed to the EU Budget in entirety, as such it is not possible to attribute a financing share to any specific programme. For the EU Budget between the 2014 and 2019, the UK’s average financing share to the entire EU Budget was 12.3%. Further details of the UK contribution to the EU Budget are available in HM Treasury’s publication, European Union Finances Statement.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend British Summer Time; and what assessment they have made of the impact of any such extension on (1) energy consumption, and (2) business productivity.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK. We do not believe there is sufficient evidence to support changing the current system of clock changes, including for energy usage. An exceptionally wide-ranging cost benefit analysis would need to be performed to inform a decision on changing the current system, especially given the uncertainty that many businesses are already facing as a result of COVID-19.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to finance new nuclear generation through (1) the use of long-term borrowing, and (2) partnering with the private sector, in order to achieve their net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are looking at options for the financing of new nuclear projects. In 2019, we consulted on a Regulated Asset Base as a possible funding model for future nuclear projects. We will respond to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total level of subsidy given to (1) private, and (2) commercial, users in 2019 to encourage the burning of woodchip; and what was the total level provided to all users from 2015 to 2019 inclusive.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Subsidies for burning woodchip are paid under three renewable energy schemes.
The Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme and the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme support the generation of renewable electricity. The RO does not pay a direct subsidy; support is through tradeable renewable electricity certificates. The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme supports renewable heat technologies.
The table below sets out the spend under each scheme relating to the use of solid biomass (information is not available relating to the burning of woodchip specifically). The RO and CFD schemes do not distinguish between private or commercial users, although the users are mainly commercial. In the CFD scheme there were no payments made for generation from solid biomass before 2016.
The figures for GB are as follows:
Scheme | Spend (£m) | |
2019 | 2015-2019 | |
RO – solid biomass[1] | 991 | 4,338 |
CFD | 408 | 1,063[2] |
Renewable Heat Incentive |
|
|
| 52 | 237 |
| 373 | 1,419 |
| 47 | 100 |
| 471 | 1,757 |
Overall total | 1,870 | 7,158 |
[1] The RO figures are based on Ofgem’s certificate report as at 17 June 2020 from their Renewables and CHP Register
[2] CFD payments for generators using solid biomass are for 2016-2019 as no payments were made before 2016
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any subsidies provided to incentivise the burning of woodchip on reducing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government keeps the impact of the burning of biomass, including woodchip, on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions under review.
The UK only supports biomass for heat and electricity generation which complies with strict sustainability criteria, and generating stations utilising biomass only receive subsidies in respect of compliant biomass. These criteria include a minimum 60% lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions saving, compared to emissions from an EU fossil fuel comparator for electricity. The calculation requires transport, growing and processing emissions to be included. The greenhouse gas savings requirement will be tightened in a trajectory to 2025.
Those plants using biomass, with a capacity greater than or equal to one megawatt, must also prepare an annual sustainability report, compiled by a third-party auditor/verifier which will provide assurance that biomass is from sustainable sources.
Recent analysis done in relation to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme estimated lifetime carbon savings as follows:
Lifetime carbon savings (MtCO2e) from RHI installations (for all types of solid biomass, not just woodchip). | |
Domestic biomass boilers | 2.4 |
Non-domestic biomass boilers | 37.5 |
Biomass CHP | 3.9 |
Total | 43.8 |
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they (1) sought, and (2) received, from Advent International in regard to the acquisition of Cobham plc, that Cobham plc would not be stripped of its assets.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
On 20 December, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced that she had accepted statutory undertakings from the parties involved in the proposed acquisition of Cobham by Advent International. These undertakings:
Separately, the companies also provided legally-binding undertakings on the wider economic implications of the transaction. The companies have agreed with the Takeover Panel that Cobham’s headquarters will remain in the UK, that the Cobham name will continue to be used and that there will be a guaranteed level of R&D spend. Advent also gave a commitment to the Business Secretary to protect jobs.
These undertakings will secure the future of Cobham and the important role it plays in our world-leading defence sector and economy.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek compensation for the UK's contributions to the European Space Agency for those EU programmes it will no longer be able to participate in after Brexit; and if so, how much.
Answered by Lord Henley
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organisation, independent of the European Union. We have been clear that we will continue membership of ESA and an independent report has shown that the UK gets on average a return of £10 for every £1 it invests with ESA.
The EU’s space programmes are not funded by ESA, but by the EU itself (and, by extension, Member State contributions to the EU’s budget).
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provisional finding by the Competition and Markets Authority that the anticipated acquisition by Tesco plc of Booker Group plc "may not be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition".
Answered by Lord Henley
Competition investigations into mergers are a matter for the independent Competition and Markets Authority.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following completion of phase one of their assessment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and in the light of international competition, when they will release the roadmap of the way forward for SMRs.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Policy development is under way for small modular reactors. Phase One of the competition remains open, and plans for the future of the competition will be shared with the House in due course.