Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of funding provided by UK Research and Investment for research papers.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
UKRI is the national funding agency that invests in and facilitates research and innovation activities across the United Kingdom. Research papers are a key means of communicating the results of research and innovation activities contributing to the body of knowledge across different research areas.
Every £1 of public R&D funding leverages around £2 of additional private sector investment. The UK is a leader in science and research. With less than one per cent of the world’s population, the UK accounts for 6.3% of the world’s academic publications, and 13.4% of the most highly cited research publications.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the state of Havering Council’s finances.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates how the Government stands behind councils up and down the country.
For Havering Council, this Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £15.82 million (7.2%) – making available a total of up to £236.4 million in 2024-25. We have also published details of support agreed with a small number of councils, including Havering Council, that have requested financial support on an exceptional basis due to specific local issues that they are unable to manage themselves.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department have made an assessment of the impact of the local government finance settlement on Havering Council.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates how the Government stands behind councils up and down the country.
For Havering Council, this Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £15.82 million (7.2%) – making available a total of up to £236.4 million in 2024-25. We have also published details of support agreed with a small number of councils, including Havering Council, that have requested financial support on an exceptional basis due to specific local issues that they are unable to manage themselves.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to ensure that research papers funded through UK Research and Innovation are politically neutral.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Decisions on research papers funded by UKRI are made through independent evaluation by experts who are required to be politically neutral in their decision making.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department is taking steps to maintain energy security in the context of the availability of electricity supplies from (a) central and (b) western Europe.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. The market has successfully delivered sufficient electricity supplies amidst a recent period characterised by high energy prices and increased uncertainties caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) Summer Outlook expects sufficient supply to meet demand at all times this summer; net imports into Great Britain from mainland Europe; and to be able to support exports if needed.
We continue to work with Ofgem and ESO to monitor energy security and ensure ESO can deploy all tools at its disposal if needed to secure supply.
ESO Summer Outlook weblink: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/316126/download
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of electricity is forecast to be imported via interconnector by (a) 2030 and (b) 2040.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
As set out in our net zero and power sector scenarios,[1] the UK could become a net electricity exporter in future. In 2030, net exports are 2.4% of gross generation supplied in the higher electricity demand scenario. The UK remains a net importer in the lower electricity demand scenario with net imports providing an additional 2.3% to gross generation supplied. In 2040, net exports are 8.2% of gross generation supplied in the higher electricity demand scenario and 6.6% in the lower demand scenario.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2021-to-2040
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made representations to HM Treasury on the inclusion of imported electricity in Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism taxation.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Electricity generation was not included within the initial sectoral scope of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), announced in December 2023. The approach aligns with free allowance allocations, under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which are not provided to electricity generators.
In making the decision, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK ETS, carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness.
The sectoral scope of a UK CBAM will remain under review. The design and delivery of a CBAM is subject to consultation, closing on 13 June 2024.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department last made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of imported electricity through interconnectors on energy security.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Government consider that interconnectors will play a key role in enabling greater security of supply by providing access to a more diverse electricity generation mix, responding to shocks in the GB system by importing electricity.
The Capacity Market (CM) is our main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. CM auction targets are set based on advice from the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report which considers the contribution interconnectors make to security of supply.
With the exception of 2022, GB has historically been a net importer of electricity, though ESO forecasts suggest that GB will likely become a net exporter in future.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will take steps to reform the capacity market to ensure that new gas power plants have parity with interconnectors.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The technology-neutral Capacity Market (CM) provides all forms of capacity, including new and existing gas generation and interconnectors, with the right incentives to be on the system to deliver when needed.
All capacity in the CM is derated by technology type, to account for expected contributions to electricity security of supply during times of system stress. Derating factors for all technology types are determined annually and are set out in the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report and Secretary of State’s decision on CM auction parameters each year and are published online.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the use of imported electricity on (a) industrial and (b) domestic energy prices.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Interconnectors are built to share energy with some of our closest European allies, who are also generating renewable, clean energy at affordable prices, enabling access to lower-cost electricity for GB consumers. Analysis supporting the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan [1] showed that increasing the level of interconnection could reduce system costs by over £1bn annually (based on 2012 prices).
New interconnectors are subject to an independent and robust regulatory process run by Ofgem, ensuring that only projects which bring benefits to GB consumers are built.