Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department last held discussions with (a) the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and (b) other fishing industry representatives before the UK-EU Summit 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 52791. Most recently, the Secretary of State, the Fisheries Minister, or Defra officials spoke with key industry representatives, including from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, on 19 May.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were not notified before prisoners who perpetrated crimes against them were released early under the SDS40 scheme.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.
The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of specified violent, sexual or terrorism offences and are sentenced to twelve months or more imprisonment. The Victim Notification Scheme provides a similar service for victims of certain stalking and harassment offences. Both Schemes allow for the Probation Service to notify eligible victims of information about an offender’s sentence.
When SDS40 was introduced, for those eligible victims who opted into the Schemes, the Probation Service provided information on the SDS40 changes, including the offender’s new release date and how to access support services. Eligible victims continue to receive key information about the offender in their case, including when the offender is recalled to custody.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much were constraint payments to wind farm operators in Great Britain (a) in total and (b) for each month between 1 April 2024 and 30 April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for operating Great Britain’s electricity system, which includes managing constraints. The NESO publishes daily constraint costs here: Constraint Breakdown Costs and Volume | National Energy System Operator. Data is not available on the split of costs between different types of generators.
Constraints are a natural part of operating an efficient electricity system and electricity systems around the world use the constraint payment model. Government is working to reduce constraints and enable a more secure energy system by accelerating the build of electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many days was more than 10 per cent of UK electricity demand imported between 1 November 2024 and 30 April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not record daily electricity demand or import data. Half-hourly figures for electricity demand and import for Great Britain’s public distribution system are available from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) data portal. Quarter-hourly figures for Northern Ireland’s electricity demand from the public distribution system are available from EirGrid.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on how many days were wholesale electricity prices in excess of £150 per megawatt hour during winter 2024-25.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) publishes this data. It is available here:
https://dp.lowcarboncontracts.uk/dataset/imrp-actuals
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in receipt of a Winter Fuel Payment in 2023-24 were no longer eligible in 2024-25.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is estimated that 9.2 million pensioners who received a WFP in 2023/24 were not eligible for a WFP in 2024/25. This estimate was published in the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland will become liable for inheritance tax based on current agricultural land values from April 2026.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced UIN 32333 published on 3rd March 2025 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-02-21/32333.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish a response to the oil and gas price mechanism consultation, published on 5 March 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The consultation was open for 12 weeks and closed on 28 May.
The government is now analysing stakeholder responses and will publish a summary of those responses in due course.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many redundancy notifications his Department received between 1 November 2024 and the latest date for which information is available.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In the period 1 November 2024 to 1 June 2025, 2,574 HR1 Advance Notification of Redundancies have been received.
The Insolvency Service has released this Management Information (MI) to meet stakeholder needs for this data in a timely way. This MI is not classified as Official Statistics: it has not been rigorously quality assured and may be subject to revision.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the (a) onshore and (b) offshore workforce in the North Sea oil and gas sector in (i) July 2024 and (ii) March 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not hold its own estimates for the offshore or onshore North Sea oil and gas sector workforce. According to ONS data[1], direct jobs in oil and gas extraction fell by around a third between 2014 and 2023, despite ongoing domestic licensing and production.
As Britain becomes a clean energy superpower, the Government is determined to create new high-quality jobs to ensure a phased and responsible transition in the North Sea.
This is vital for delivering the best outcomes for workers and communities, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.
[1] ONS Business Register and Employment Survey