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Written Question
Energy Charter: Biofuels
Monday 6th September 2021

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the inclusion of biomass in the Energy Charter Treaty on transition to cleaner renewable energy sources including wind and solar.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports the process to modernise the Energy Charter Treaty in a way that helps the global energy transition, such as the right for States to regulate to reach emissions reduction targets and a stronger focus on climate security issues.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Thursday 21st January 2021

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many individual doses of the (a) Pfizer Biontech vaccine and (b) Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine NHS England had taken delivery of as at 5.00pm on 15 January 2021.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

Vaccines are a precious resource and are in very high demand across the world; therefore, for security reasons it is not possible to provide detail about the size of our supplies or give exact detail about future deliveries.

As of 18 January 2021, over 4.6 million people in the UK had been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine. We are in the process of understanding the implications of Pfizer’s announcement on 15 January, regarding upgrades to its manufacturing capacity. We continue to work to meet our target of vaccinating all four priority groups, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, by the middle of February.


Written Question
Fracking
Wednesday 8th July 2020

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the University of Stirling on the Government's response to public health concerns on shale gas exploration, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in July 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

We are committed to ensuring a rigorous, evidence-based approach to shale gas extraction, and as such welcome any new research that can further enhance our understanding and help inform our policy development.

On the basis of the current scientific evidence, Government has confirmed that it will take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents in England, which are required before hydraulic fracturing operations can take place. This position, an effective moratorium, will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.


Written Question
Renewable Energy: India
Thursday 18th June 2020

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with the Indian government on the (a) launch of One Sun One World One Grid and (b) formation of a Global Green Grid Alliance.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

India is an important partner for the UK and we have a long history of engaging with the Government of India on climate change and clean energy.

To date, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not discussed Prime Minister Modi's new One Sun One World One Grid initiative or the formation of the Global Green Grids Alliance with the Government of India. However, we welcome the ambition on the initiatives and will continue to look for opportunities to work with India to increase global action on climate change and clean energy in the run-up to COP26. The British High Commission in India and the Department for International Development have had exploratory discussions with the Government of India and want to learn more about both initiatives.


Written Question
Climate Change Convention
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether her Department plans to submit a new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which is separate from the EU's NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as required by the Paris Agreement after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear at the UN Climate Action Summit in September that it is vital that all countries come forward with increased Nationally Determined Contributions.

Following the Summit, my. rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed to Parliament that the UK will raise our own 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution by February 2020.


Written Question
Climate Change Convention
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether she plans to establish an advisory board to support her Department’s preparations for hosting the 26th Conference of the Parties.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

We are fortunate in the UK to have a wealth of external expertise on climate change and energy across a range of sectors. We already engage with many of these stakeholders on a regular basis and will continue to ensure the wealth of external expertise is utilised during preparations for COP26.


Written Question
Climate Change Convention
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings officials in her Department have had with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat on the UK hosting the 26th Conference of the Parties.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

The UNFCCC Secretariat will be crucial partners in delivering a successful COP. Officials working on UNFCCC negotiations engage with colleagues in the Secretariat on a regular basis. In order to inform the UK decision to bid to host COP26, and subsequent preparations, officials undertook several fact-finding meetings in the margins of intersessional meetings in 2018 and 2019. A specific visit to inform the decision to bid was undertaken to Bonn in October 2018.


Written Question
Climate Change Convention
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has been made of the advantages and disadvantages of appointing the role of President of the 26th Conference of the Parties UN Climate Conference external to the executive.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked my rt. hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Claire Perry MP) to take on the role of UK nominated COP26 President. This is a strong signal that the PM is committed to a successful COP and is keen we ramp up preparations accordingly.

My rt. hon. Friend’s experience as a former minister for energy and clean growth, as well as founding the Powering Past Coal Alliance (alongside Canada) will be invaluable in delivering COP26.


Written Question
Climate Change Convention
Tuesday 22nd October 2019

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff her Department have recruited to prepare for the UK hosting of the 26th Conference of the Parties.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

To date, the Department has largely resourced its preparations for COP26 through the reprioritisation of existing staff. In addition it has recruited seven new staff to work on COP26.

BEIS staff will support a whole of government effort to deliver COP26, led by a new unit in Cabinet Office, where the majority of staff will be located.


Written Question
Climate Change Convention
Monday 21st October 2019

Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of hosting the 26th Conference of the Parties.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

We are relatively early in the preparations, and our estimates of the cost of the conference are developing.