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Written Question
Postal Services: Lancaster
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of letters bearing second class stamps were delivered by Royal Mail within three days in the LA postcode area in the last year.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government does not hold this information.

Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.

Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.

Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.


Written Question
Postal Services: Standards
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of letters bearing first class stamps were delivered by Royal Mail the following day in the last year.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government does not hold this information.

Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.

Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.

Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.


Written Question
Postal Services: Standards
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of letters handled by Royal Mail in England were not delivered within 5 days in the last year.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government does not hold this information.

Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.

Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.

Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.


Written Question
Postal Services: Lancaster
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of letters bearing first class stamps were delivered by Royal Mail within three days in the LA postcode area in the last year.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government does not hold this information.

Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is required to publish quarterly statistics reports, and an annual overview, on its quality of service performance against targets set and reviewed by Ofcom, the postal industry regulator.

Ofcom has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where Royal Mail fails to achieve the regulated standards, without sufficient justification.

Royal Mail’s reports are available to view on its website: www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/regulation/quality-of-service/.


Written Question
Tidal Power
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which tidal energy schemes his Department is providing support to.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Over 40MW of new tidal stream power has been secured via the Contracts for Difference scheme for low carbon generation in Allocation Round 4. Full results of the auction are available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1103022/contracts-for-difference-allocation-round-4-results.pdf

This builds on long-standing Government support for wave and tidal power research and development, with over £175m having been invested in this area over the last two decades.


Written Question
Tidal Power: Morecambe
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will undertake a feasibility study for a tidal energy project in Morecambe Bay.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives. Revised guidance in the energy National Policy Statement will be published shortly.


Written Question
Radioactive Waste: Irish Sea
Tuesday 18th October 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions have taken place between bodies associated with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man regarding potential transboundary impacts of activities associated with the planned construction of a geological disposal facility for the storage of high-level radioactive waste.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), a division of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is the delivery body for the geological disposal facility (GDF). NWS meets with officials from the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man under the auspices of the regular UK-Ireland Contact Group to update them on the siting process for a GDF, including sighting them on potential impacts of activities it undertakes to identify a suitable location. The community consent-based process to identify and select a site in England is at an early stage. Currently, four possible areas are under consideration – three in Cumbria and one in Lincolnshire.


Written Question
Renewable Energy
Tuesday 6th September 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to undertake an assessment of the contribution of community energy; and what discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on the value of community energy in helping to deliver (a) lower bills, (b) energy security and (c) net zero.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As promised in the Net Zero Strategy, the Government has created a Community Energy Contact Group to discuss policy and delivery issues relevant to community energy, including the contribution that community energy can make, to strengthen engagement with the sector.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss a range of issues relating to the energy market.


Written Question
Renewable Energy
Tuesday 12th July 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to promote community energy.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with local authorities to support the development of UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government is working with the sector to deliver a programme which will support local authorities develop community-led energy groups and projects. The Government has provided £10m funding to community energy groups through the Rural Community Energy Fund.

The Government has not made a formal assessment of the role of community energy in reducing household energy bills.


Written Question
Renewable Energy
Tuesday 12th July 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential role of community energy in reducing household energy bills.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with local authorities to support the development of UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government is working with the sector to deliver a programme which will support local authorities develop community-led energy groups and projects. The Government has provided £10m funding to community energy groups through the Rural Community Energy Fund.

The Government has not made a formal assessment of the role of community energy in reducing household energy bills.