Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of generating capacity after the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors are decommissioned in 2023.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Capacity Market is securing the capacity required to meet peak electricity demand through auctions held four and one year ahead of delivery. It supports technically reliable existing plant to remain in the market and, as coal and other ageing plant retire, it strengthens incentives for new plant to be financed and built.
The Capacity Market has already secured over 5.4GW of new build capacity for delivery between 2018/19 and 2021/22. Alongside traditional gas generation, significant levels of alternative, innovative new capacity, such as demand-side response (DSR) and battery storage, has been brought forward. This wide range of new resources is helping deliver the security, reliability and flexibility that the country needs.
Other measures being taken to ensure the security of electricity supply include the broadening of the UK’s generation base through the deployment of new nuclear generation, with Hinkley Point C under construction, and offshore wind.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
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 effect of the UK leaving the EU on contracts held by UK businesses under the Euratom Supply Agency.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Under Euratom Treaty arrangements, businesses based in Euratom Member States are required to seek approval from the Euratom Supply Agency to conclude contracts for the supply of nuclear materials. When the UK leaves the Euratom Community, UK businesses will only be subject to these arrangements for supply contracts involving businesses in a Euratom Member State. The EU position is that, in a “no deal” scenario, these contracts would require re-approval once the UK is no longer part of the Euratom Community, as set out in the EU’s Notice to Stakeholders published on 28 March 2018[1].
The UK has raised this as a priority issue with the European Commission, as set out in the UK’s position paper on Nuclear materials and safeguards issues, published on 13 July 2017[2]. This remains an issue of concern to the nuclear industry in both the UK and in the wider EU. There are positive signs that the Commission are seeking ways to address the problem, and the UK will continue to press for a solution that does not lead to any additional costs or inconvenience to industry.
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/euratom_en
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-materials-and-safeguards-issues-position-paper
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any non-EU member states that participate in Galileo have companies that have access to contracts in the Galileo satellite programme.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Third countries currently participate in the Galileo programme via Cooperation Agreements. Both Norway and Switzerland are participants and contributors in the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and may bid for certain contracts. For example, Switzerland supplies on-board clock technology for the Galileo satellites and Norway hosts parts of the system infrastructure on its territory. However, their industries are restricted from bidding for contracts that include sensitive elements.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contribution her Department plans to make to the voluntary national review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Mark Field
I refer the honourable Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for International Development on 29 May 2018 (PQ 146233).
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to contribute to the UK's Voluntary National Review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals to be presented in 2019 at the High Level Political Forum of the United Nations.
Answered by George Eustice
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development PQ 146233.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what contribution her Department plans to make to the voluntary national review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK enjoys enormous respect and influence on development issues, and was at the forefront of negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs provide a framework to tackle the most pressing global challenges of our time – extreme poverty and disease, global instability and conflict, mass migration, climate change and gender inequality – challenges that are at the core of DFID’s work.
As such, DFID holds policy oversight for the SDGs, and we are working closely with the Cabinet Office and other Government Departments to develop our plans for the UK’s Voluntary National Review. We will ensure that the review takes account of the UK’s domestic and international contributions to this global agenda and will consult a wide range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timescale is for the commencement of s15 of the Road Safety Act 2006.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Section 15 of the Road Safety Act 2006 has not been commenced. For commencement, primary legislation would be required to amend section 16 and no timescales are currently planned for this. To date, the Government has not supported the mandatory use of alcohol interlocks as the disadvantages associated with such a scheme, including lack of evidence of long term behavioural change, ease of circumventing the device, and high installation and maintenance costs, together outweigh any potential benefits.
The Government will continue to enforce vigorously against drink drivers, and changes in the law in April 2015 made it a requirement for high risk offenders to undertake medical tests to ensure they are not still dependent before they are allowed to drive again.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, given the UK Government’s recent recommitment to defeating malaria, if her Department will increase investment in community-based primary healthcare programmes in remote, rural communities.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID supports low income countries to make faster progress towards universal health coverage, with a particular focus on improving access to good quality primary care in poorer, very often remote areas. This support to strengthening health systems helps to ensure that countries are better able to prevent, detect and treat all causes of ill health, including malaria.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ensure that HS2 Ltd release its plans for the Great Haywood Viaduct in advance of the relevant Select Committee sessions later in 2018.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The design of the Phase 2A scheme to date as set out in the Phase 2A Bill and the Environmental Statement deposited in July 2017 provides the level of detail necessary for the purposes of the Bill and the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2017.
The level of detailed design necessary to enable the scheme to be constructed has yet to be carried out, and is unlikely to be completed until after the Bill has secured Royal Assent.
Once complete, HS2 Ltd will need to apply for approval of the detailed design of various elements of the scheme, which would include the Great Hayward viaduct, from local planning authorities along the route under the planning regime established under Schedule 17 to the Bill. This will ensure that although deemed planning permission for the scheme is granted by Parliament, local planning authorities will be able to approve the detailed design thereby ensuring that the design of permanent structures fits into the local environment.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent steps the Government has taken to secure a formal agreement with Euratom after the UK leaves the EU and the expiry of the implementation period.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government has been clear that we want the broadest and deepest possible future partnership – covering more sectors and co-operating more fully than any Free Trade Agreement anywhere in the world today. In particular, as confirmed in the Prime Minister’s Mansion House speech, the Government will seek a close association with Euratom. We are pleased that the March European Council agreed guidelines for the next stage of negotiations on this future relationship.