Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much of the estimated cost of each of the following undersea electricity transmission cables will ultimately be funded through electricity bills to residential and commercial customers (a) western link (Hunterston to Flintshire Bridge), (b) eastern link (Peterhead to Drax) and (c) Sealink 1 (Sizewell to Kent).
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All electricity network costs approved by the independent regulator Ofgem are funded through the network charges paid by electricity suppliers and generators. Ultimately, all such costs will be met by electricity consumers through their electricity bills.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the provisions of the Health and Care Act in respect of the Health Services Safety Investigation Body will be brought into force, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
We intend to commence provisions to enable the Health Services Safety Investigation Body to be established and fully operational by April 2023.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with CGN on plans for the construction of a Chinese designed nuclear reactor at Bradwell in Essex; whether it is the Government’s policy to facilitate this project; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government regularly speak to a range of developers, including CGN. The Government is not making any decisions on Bradwell at the present time. The proposed project is at an early stage of development, and we are focused on delivering at least one gigawatt scale power plant this Parliament.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
What steps he is taking in response to the Dunlop Review on relations between the UK Government and the Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chloe Smith
This government is a government for the whole of the United Kingdom.
Yesterday, my Right Honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster updated the House on the significant progress we’ve made in implementing Lord Dunlop's recommendations, alongside a progress update on the intergovernmental relations review and our first IGR transparency report.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether pooled sample testing for covid-19 is being used in (a) the UK and (b) areas of the UK where covid-19 infections are deemed to be recorded as low; and what assessment he has made of the contribution of experiences of pooled sample testing in (i) Uruguay, (ii) Rwanda, (iii) the US, (iv) Germany, (v) South Korea and (vi) India to (A) increasing the understanding of the covid-19 pandemic spread and (B) reducing the number of covid-19 required to help reduce that pandemic spread.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A clinical validation study has commenced at a small number of testing sites, which aims to clinically validate pooling for use on the National Testing Programme. There is also a programme about to begin at Cambridge University that we plan to monitor closely. All individuals are asked in advance if they would like to take part in this clinical validation study with the context and reasoning for the study provided. The test result for the individual is unaffected by the clinical validation study being performed.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what machinery of government is responsible for identifying what constitutes the UK's critical national infrastructure; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Government defines the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure as the critical elements of infrastructure (facilities, systems, sites, property, information, people, networks and processes), the loss or compromise of which would result in major detrimental impact on the availability, delivery or integrity of essential services, leading to severe economic or social consequences or loss of life.
The Government has designated 13 sectors as critical to the daily functioning of the UK. Each sector has a lead government department responsible for the resilience and security of their sectors and for designating the critical elements of infrastructure. The elements of the national infrastructure designated as critical are reviewed periodically. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) in the Cabinet Office has a coordination and assurance role across all sectors and oversees the Government's infrastructure security and resilience objectives.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which covid-19 Government support schemes are (a) subject to the European Commission’s Temporary Framework for State Aid; (b) subject to the De Minimis Framework for State Aid; and (b) not subject to State Aid rules.
Answered by Paul Scully
Although the UK has left the EU, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the EU State Aid rules continue to apply in the UK during the Transition Period. The European Commission has introduced some flexibilities into the rules to deal address the impacts of the Coronavirus, in the form of a Temporary Framework, which the UK has taken advantage of.
The UK has two schemes that have been approved by the European Commission under its Temporary Framework: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), and the COVID-19 Temporary Framework for UK authorities. Information about these schemes is available on DG Competition’s Coronavirus pages. The COVID-19 Temporary Framework for UK authorities allows public authorities to introduce their own aid measures without the necessity of obtaining an individual Commission approval. This provides cover for measures such as the Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme (RHLGF) and CBILS for large business.
The UK is not required under State Aid rules to maintain a database of De Minimis aid, or of non-aid measures, but has used introduced measures on these bases to support affected business. For example, the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF), operates on a De Minimis basis, while the Job Retention schemes and business rate reliefs, which are key elements of the Government’s support package, do not involve State Aid at all.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the mean salary is of the permanent staff of IPSA.
Answered by Charles Walker
In 2018-19, the mean salary of the permanent staff at IPSA was £38,930.92.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assurances have been given to the Government of Gibraltar on the (a) withdrawal agreement that the UK is negotiating with the EU and (b) framework for the UK's future relationship with the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As the Prime Minister said on Monday 22 October, following discussions with Spain and in close cooperation with the Government of Gibraltar, we have developed a protocol and set of underlying memoranda relating to Gibraltar. As set out in our White Paper, we will be seeking a future relationship for Gibraltar which appropriately reflects the particular characteristics and needs of the area, taking account of Gibraltar’s deep existing relationship with the EU.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many personnel from each financial sector regulator for which he is responsible have been seconded and for what purpose to a financial regulator elsewhere in the EU.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK’s financial services regulators operate secondment programmes to financial services firms, regulatory bodies and institutions – including those in the EU and rest of the world - and do so for various reasons.
The number of personnel seconded and the purpose for doing so is a matter for the independent regulators.