Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
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 ensure Ofgem domestic feed-in tariff rates accurately reflect energy market pricing for those who generate energy.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for Stockton South on 28 February 2022 to Question 125580.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the context of wood pellets being sourced from Estonia and burnt at the Drax power station, what his policy is on the minimum number of trees per hectare that need to be replanted for a forest to count as sustainably managed.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In accordance with the Government’s strict sustainability criteria, biomass needs to be sourced from areas managed in a way that is consistent with sustainable forest management practices, irrespective of the sourcing location. Further information on sustainable forest management that informs the UK’s sustainability criteria can be found at:
https://foresteurope.org/workstreams/sustainable-forest-management/#.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of megawatt-hours of power produced by Drax power station from burning wood pellets in the last year and (b) tonnes of CO2 created by that supply chain; and whether he has made an estimate of the equivalent supply chain carbon cost in the event that that power station was still burning coal.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Data regarding the electricity generation in megawatt-hours derived from burning wood pellets at the Drax power station is not available due to commercial confidentiality.
The supply chain target for biomass supported under the Renewable Obligation and Contracts for Difference scheme is 240 kgCO2eq per MWh (from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2020), and 200 kgCO2eq per MWh (from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025), though generators may perform lower than that.
The Department does not hold supply chain emissions data for coal.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will undertake an impact assessment of implications for the British horse racing industry of measures proposed in the forthcoming White Paper on gambling.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Gambling Act Review is wide-ranging and aims to ensure that the regulation of gambling is fit for the digital age. We will publish a white paper setting out our conclusions and next steps in the coming months, with appropriate consideration of impacts being made at all stages.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to introduce a secure electronic system that will enable British citizens living overseas to submit documentary evidence as proof of entitlement particularly in relation to pensions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP already uses a secure electronic system to allow customers to upload certain categories of evidence to the department.
We have been carrying out extensive research to expand this capability to cover other services such as pensions. Our expectation is that this capability will possibly be available towards the end of the next financial year 2022/3.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which have been lost as a result of counterfeiting and piracy in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Freeman
In a study published in 2019, the OECD estimate the job losses in the UK that result in the retail and wholesale sector due to counterfeit and pirated imports in 2016 totalled almost 60,000.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made on the impact of counterfeit and pirated goods on the UK economy.
Answered by George Freeman
In a study published in 2019 the OECD estimate the total volume of forgone sales for UK wholesalers and retailers due to counterfeit and pirated products smuggled into the UK in 2016 is £9.2 billion.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Section 90 Police Act 1996, who authorised the Prime Minister's possession and wearing of articles of police uniform when appearing in a televised interview on 6 December 2021.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Prime Minister accompanied Merseyside Police on 6 December to watch their County Lines enforcement work in action.
His attendance and participation was agreed with Merseyside Police, who ensured that clothing and protective equipment, to reflect the operational conditions, was provided.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of changes to the state pension age for women born in the 1950s on revenue accruing to the Exchequer from (a) income tax, (b) national insurance, (c) VAT and (d) other fiscal sources.
Answered by Simon Clarke
No such estimate has been made of the effect of changes to the state pension age for women born in the 1950s on revenue accruing to the Exchequer.
The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women.
Raising State Pension age in line with life expectancy changes has been the policy of successive administrations over many years
DWP estimate that the total additional cost if we had not implemented any increases in State Pension age would be in the region of £215bn for the period 2010/11 to 2025/26, in 2018/19 prices. This figure takes into account State Pension, other pensioner benefits, and savings made on .working age benefits.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure people receive confirmation of having received a covid-19 vaccine.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Coronavirus Record Service shows an individual’s dates of vaccination, the vaccine administered and the vaccination site, which is available at the following link:
www.coronavirus-record.service.nhs.uk
The NHS COVID Pass also shows vaccination details or test results and is available through the NHS App, NHS.UK and by letter, which can be requested through NHS.UK or via 119. Individuals will usually be able to get their pass within 24 hours of having received a vaccination.