Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created at each proposed freeport.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Freeports Programme monitoring and evaluation strategy sets out how the effectiveness and impact of the Freeport programme will be measured.
A breakdown of the amount of jobs that English Freeports estimate they will contribute to can be found in the UK Freeports programme annual report . In addition, we recently announced two new Green Freeports in Scotland, which estimate they will create over 75,000 new, high-skilled jobs. These forecasts will be reviewed through a baselining exercise in early 2024 and performance against them tracked and reported on through the Government's ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
With the majority of English Freeports now fully up-and-running, we are starting to see them attract new investment to their regions. More information about how Freeports deliver for the UK economy can be found in the UK Freeports programme annual report.
Freeport’s special customs status - which builds on facilitations available elsewhere in the UK - is available only on specific 'customs sites' within the wider Freeport footprint. These are secure sites administered by a specially authorised 'Customs Site Operator' or CSO. CSOs are required to obtain AEO(S) or equivalent authorisation from HMRC, an international gold standard for safety and security, and remain subject to robust ongoing oversight from HMRC. Freeports uphold the UK's high standards on security and preventing illicit activity.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what criteria his Department plans to use to measure the success of freeports.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Freeports Programme monitoring and evaluation strategy sets out how the effectiveness and impact of the Freeport programme will be measured.
A breakdown of the amount of jobs that English Freeports estimate they will contribute to can be found in the UK Freeports programme annual report . In addition, we recently announced two new Green Freeports in Scotland, which estimate they will create over 75,000 new, high-skilled jobs. These forecasts will be reviewed through a baselining exercise in early 2024 and performance against them tracked and reported on through the Government's ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
With the majority of English Freeports now fully up-and-running, we are starting to see them attract new investment to their regions. More information about how Freeports deliver for the UK economy can be found in the UK Freeports programme annual report.
Freeport’s special customs status - which builds on facilitations available elsewhere in the UK - is available only on specific 'customs sites' within the wider Freeport footprint. These are secure sites administered by a specially authorised 'Customs Site Operator' or CSO. CSOs are required to obtain AEO(S) or equivalent authorisation from HMRC, an international gold standard for safety and security, and remain subject to robust ongoing oversight from HMRC. Freeports uphold the UK's high standards on security and preventing illicit activity.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January to Question 122084 on Electric Vehicles: Copper, what estimate he has made of how many tonnes of copper will be required for (a) additional cabling, (b) vehicles, (c) turbines and (d) electrical generation components by 2040.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government does not hold information on the amount of copper required by 2040, however it is working closely with industry to ensure robust supply chains to meet its net zero commitments.
In 2022, the Department commissioned the British Geological Survey to undertake the UK’s first criticality assessment. 18 minerals – assessed as having the highest supply risk and highest economic importance – were defined as “critical”. Many other minerals, such as copper, have important uses but have not been classed as critical in this context.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when will the Government have a 3D air navigation system in place, in line with other G20 countries, given the UK's departure from European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department is considering all options in relation to the loss of access to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The priority remains to identify a system that retains the benefits and functionality that EGNOS provided, while offering benefits across transport and other sectors with critical national infrastructure
To meet this ambition the DfT is funding via the UK Space Agency a project led by Inmarsat, a UK satellite communications company, to use one of its spacecraft to demonstrate the capabilities of a UK Satellite-Based Augmentation System. In addition, the Department is conducting further research to assess requirements following loss of access to EGNOS. The Inmarsat trial and accompanying research will inform the Department’s considerations on next steps for this work.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Colombian counterpart on tackling violence against media professionals in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Colombia is a UK Human Rights Priority Country and UK ministers and senior officials regularly discuss security issues with the Colombian Government. Most recently, I [Minister Rutley] met with the Colombian Foreign Minister at the UN Security Council on 11 January to discuss tackling the root causes of violence in Colombia. The UK has provided longstanding support through our Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme to support at risk-Human Rights Defenders and social leaders, including journalists. We will continue to work closely with organisations such as the Foundation for Freedom of the Press (FLIP) and UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in support of human rights and media freedom.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 30 November 2022 to Question 93487, whether any funding from the European Regional Development Fund was available for spending on UK programmes in 2020-2021.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Yes, funding is available up until the end of 2023.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
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 make an estimate of the amount of copper that will (a) be laid in the UK in the next 17 years and (b) need to be laid to meet 2040 electric vehicle targets.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Government analysis in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework suggests that the distribution network in Great Britain could require up to 380,000km of additional cabling by 2040 compared to the baseline demand scenario.
The Government is working with Ofgem and industry to ensure the energy system is ready for additional demand from low-carbon technologies, like electric vehicles. A smart and flexible electricity system, including electric vehicle smart charging, could reduce infrastructure needs, saving up to £10billion per year by 2050.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of connectivity between London and Glasgow; and what steps he is taking to help improve that connectivity.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Lord Peter Hendy’s independent Union Connectivity Review, published in November 2021, considered transport connectivity across the UK.
We are considering Lord Hendy’s recommendations carefully and will publish our response as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to your response to the Answer of 22 November 2022 to Question 83567 on European Regional Development Fund: Brexit, what did the UK spend on UK Shared Prosperity Fund in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and what was the EU spend on the European Regional Development Fund in (a) 2019, (b) 2018, (c) 2017, (d) 2016 and (e) 2015.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund was launched in April 2022, there was no spend in 2020 or 2021. Funding for 2022/23 is £400 million as set out in section 3.1 of the UKSPF Prospectus.
The annual EU Funding available for each of the UK's European Regional Development Fund Programmes is set out in section 1.6 of the UK Partnership Agreement. The Programmes have the year the Funding becomes available plus a further 3 years in which to spend it.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much European Regional Development Funding has not been received in (a) England and (b) Scotland since the UK left the European Union; and how much of that potential funding was replaced by the Government funding in (a) England and (b) Scotland.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
As a result of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, the UK continues to participate in the EU programmes funded through the current 2014-20 Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF) which includes European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Agreement ensures that ERDF funding is available until the end of 2023. England and Scotland continue to receive the same levels of funding under the 2014-20 MMF.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) acts as the successor to the ERDF. At Spending Review 2021, the UK Government announced that funding for the UKSPF will ramp up so that total domestic UK-wide funding will at least match receipts from EU structural funds, on average reaching around £1.5 billion per year by March 2025. This upholds the UK Government's commitment to match EU structural fund receipts for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.