Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Government plans to announce the results of the latest round of the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government expects the initial assessment of applications to conclude towards the end of the year. The Department will notify projects at that point if they have been placed on either the primary or reserve list. The Department will also notify unsuccessful applicants at that time.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of inadequately documented arrivals by air.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government’s number one priority is keeping the UK safe. As such, the UK is launching an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to further strengthen the security of our border.
The ETA scheme will close the current gap in advance permissions for non-visa national visitors to the UK and enhance the Government’s ability to screen such travellers and prevent the travel of those who pose a threat to the UK, making the UK safer.
Under the Carriers Liability scheme, carriers already have responsibilities to ensure their passengers are properly documented for travel to the UK and may be subject to charges if they allow them to travel without the correct documentation. Details of the scheme are published on gov.uk.
To assist carriers, the Home Office issues core guidance regarding the necessary check’s carriers are expected to undertake. The Home Office regularly train carriers and their handling agents in the UK and overseas, in documentary requirements and detection techniques. The Home Office publishes alerts to highlight any new trends or arising issues and provides a 24-hour carrier call service to advise carriers on specific documentation concerns.
Home Office teams overseas work closely with UK based colleagues who analyse travel data. Where high risk passengers are identified, teams engage with airlines to ensure that the individual is entitled to travel on the documentation held. Overseas teams are located around the globe, and the focus of their activities is kept under constant review.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to maximise the opportunity of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government fully supports the Crown Estate's Leasing Round 5, which will make available seabed areas capable of supporting up to 4.5 gigawatts of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. The Crown Estate will set out next steps on the Round later this year.
The Department is currently assessing applications for the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme, worth up to £160 million, which will support investment in port infrastructure to deliver the Government's floating offshore wind ambitions.
The UK and Welsh Governments have also jointly announced two freeports in Wales, each backed by UK Government funding of £26 million.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps have been taken in relation to the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The application window for the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme closed on 27 August. Applications have been received and are currently being assessed.
The Department expects the initial assessment of applications to conclude towards the end of the year and will notify projects at that point if they have been placed on either the primary or reserve list. The Department will also notify unsuccessful applicants at that time.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what role (a) regional job creation and (b) investment growth play in decisions relating to the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme assessment.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Value for money assessments for all applications will consider the wider economic benefits of applications including job creation, upskilling and wider regional investment.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the consultation outcome, Possible changes to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Rules and the Upper Tribunal Rules arising from Nationality and Borders Act 2022, published by the Tribunal Procedure Committee on 27 October 2022, whether it remains the Government’s policy not to proceed with implementation of the proposed rules in relation to accelerated detained appeals, as drafted by the Tribunal Procedure Committee pursuant to section 27 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Work is underway to bring the provisions in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 relating to accelerated detained appeals into force as soon as possible. We cannot commit to a specific date at this point.
In due course, we will seek the Tribunal Procedural Committee's views on whether their work needs to be revisited in order to effectively implement the policy in relation to accelerated detained appeals.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of fuel prices at (a) supermarkets and (b) other fuel retailers on (i) haulage and (ii) transport industries.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Transport (DfT) is in regular contact with haulage and transport businesses but has not made an assessment in the form suggested.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of fuel prices at (a) supermarkets and (b) other fuel retailers on the cost of goods.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The major impact of road fuels prices on the cost of goods will be from the impact on supply chain logistics and distribution. These will be only one of many different sources of cost and the proportion will vary from one product to another. In general, large hauliers involved in these activities will not purchase fuel at the retail prices quoted at forecourts of either supermarkets or other retailers.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to An inspection of Border Force insider threat (January – March 2023), published by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on 7 September 2023, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications of low morale among Border Force officers for her Department’s efforts to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the channel in small boats.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The ICIBI’s report acknowledged that Border Force has built strong organisational trust and has a supportive culture through a specific programme for identifying and preventing insider threats, which built on existing vetting and security procedures. The Home Office has also instituted several support mechanisms to provide help to its staff.
However, the Home Office does not recognise the morale of staff to be a current issue in the response to, and management of, dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by migrants in Small Boats. The Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) of Border Force has a number of support mechanisms in place to provide help to its staff and so lesson risks to morale. Since integrating into Border Force, and with new governance structures in place, the Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) can proactively manage and prioritise mental health and wellbeing in line with the wider Command, ensuring staff feel supported.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK and Türkiye strengthen partnership to help tackle illegal migration, published 9 August 2023, whether her Department has reached an agreement on a framework for the return of failed asylum seekers of (a) Turkish or (b) any other nationality from the UK to Turkiye.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK and Türkiye are close strategic partners and have agreed to enhance cooperation on tackling the illegal movement of migrants. This covers close engagement and support in numerous areas, and we are bolstering our resources, for example to enable collaboration on joint law enforcement operations to disrupt the criminal gangs who are facilitating and profiting from illegal journeys. As a cooperative initiative in development it is not possible to set out the parameters or extent of UK funding, but any financial support offered will be agreed with our partners, and focused in areas that will bolster our effectiveness in tackling this shared challenge.
Anyone with no right to be in the UK and whose appeal rights are exhausted is expected to leave the UK. Those who can return home but refuse to do so will face enforced removal, including Turkish nationals.