Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
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 volume of wood pellets that will be burnt to produce electricity in each of the next five years.
Answered by Greg Hands
Projections of generation from renewable sources, which includes wood pellets, are available in Annex L of BEIS Energy and Emissions projections at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2019
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will bring forward plans to extend the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and Bounce Back Business Loan Scheme repayment holiday.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have always been clear that businesses are responsible for repaying any finance they take out. However, we recognise that some borrowers will benefit from additional flexibility with regards to their repayments. That is why we announced the Pay As You Grow measures last year.
Pay As You Grow is designed to provide Bounce Back Loan borrowers more time and flexibility over their repayments by giving them the option to:
Businesses will be able to use these options either individually or in combination with each other.
While the Government covers the interest due on Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities for the first twelve months, repayments of capital are required during this period unless the lender chooses to grant additional forbearance measures.
CBILS lenders are able to extend the repayment period for CBILS facilities where this is needed, to a maximum of 10 years. CBILS term extensions are offered at the discretion of lenders, and for forbearance purposes only.
The British Business Bank has a range of guidance and resources available to all businesses, including content on managing cashflow and a list of independent advice services. Details can be found at: www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-hub/dealing-with-debt/.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2021 to Question 164585 on Chemicals: Exports, if he will convene a similar meeting with environmental and public health NGOs to discuss the proposals put forward by industry stakeholders at the meeting of 15 February 2021 on reducing requirements for chemical safety data in UK REACH.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Chemicals EU Exit & Trade Group (CEEG) is a sector panel for discussion on EU Exit and future trade issues. Discussions on industry’s UK REACH proposal were therefore part of this broader agenda.
UK REACH policy is led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). As such, Defra has been engaging with all interested parties, including NGOs on the issues which industry has raised about the impacts of the new regulatory requirements associated with the implementation of UK REACH.
As previously stated, in discussing the issues which industry has raised, the Government will take account of the benefits and risks of making any changes to the arrangements that are in place now, including the impact it would have on the Government’s commitment to maintaining high standards of protection for public health and the environment, as well as any impact on our international obligations.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
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 publish the (a) minutes and (b) list of attendees of the Chemicals EU Exit Trade Group on 15 February 2021; and what steps his Department is taking in response to the issues raised by stakeholders at that meeting.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Minutes from the Chemicals EU Exit (and Trade) Group (CEEG) are not routinely published.
The attendees at the last CEEG held on the 15th February 2021 were:
Ministerial
Industry
Officials
BEIS continues to work closely with industry to understand how it is adapting to the terms of the UK/EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement, and to understand its priorities for new trade deals. Government is also engaging closely with all interested parties on the issues which industry has raised about the impacts of the new regulatory requirements associated with the implementation of UK REACH. In doing so we will take account of the benefits and risks of making any changes to the arrangements that are in place now, including the impact it would have in our commitment to maintaining high standards of protection for public health and the environment. We will also consider the impact on our international obligations.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the cost to the public purse has been in loans via the (a) British Business Bank and (b) other lenders to (i) developers and (ii) contractors in the renewable energy industry in response to the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on (A) revenue streams, (B) capital investment and (C) employment costs.
Answered by Paul Scully
The three Coronavirus Business Interruption loan schemes are administered by the British Business Bank and delivered by accredited lenders.
The cost to Government of the schemes will not be known until the end of the life of the loan schemes. The total cost will also depend on a range of economic factors over the life of the schemes.
The British Business Bank publishes lending figures under the BBBLs and CBILS schemes, including by sector[1] as follows.
BBLS by Sector | Number of BBLS facilities | Volume of Finance under BBLS (£) | % of BBLS facilities | % of business population |
Mining and Quarrying; Electricity, Gas and Air Conditioning Supply; Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities | 7,866 | 251,165,017 | 1% | 0.6% |
|
|
|
|
|
CBILS by Sector | Number of CBILS facilities | Volume of Finance under CBILS (£) | % of CBILS facilities | % of business population |
Mining and Quarrying; Electricity, Gas and Air Conditioning Supply; Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities | 476 | 139,820,670 | 1% | 0.6% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[1] https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/coronavirus-loan-schemes-benefiting-businesses-in-all-corners-of-uk-reveals-new-analysis-from-british-business-bank/
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that domestic energy consumption does not contribute to global deforestation.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The UK only supports biomass for electricity generation which complies with strict sustainability criteria, and generating stations utilising biomass only receive subsidies in respect of compliant biomass. These criteria take into account of social, economic and environmental issues including protecting biodiversity, land use rights, sustainable harvesting and regeneration rates. They ensure that the carbon stock of the forest from which the pellets are derived is not decreased by requiring that biomass fuels are derived from forest waste wood and residues and that the forest owner adheres to relevant legal requirements to protect biodiversity and the environment.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will list the offshore wind farm constraint payments made by the National Grid Electricity Systems Operator in each month since April 2019.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) publishes details of constraint payments by generation type in its ‘Monthly Balancing Services Summary’, which is available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/balancing-data/system-balancing-reports The addition published on 30 September 2019 contains the latest data on constraint payments made since NGESO was created on 1st April 2019, and the sections on ‘Constraint actions by fuel type’ and ‘Wind generation’ are most relevant. Detailed information on constraint payments to individual generation projects is published by Elexon, and is available at: https://www.bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=balancing/
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average value of constraint payments made by National Grid Electricity Systems Operator (NGESO) was to (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy companies in each month since NGESO was created.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) publishes details of constraint payments by generation type in its ‘Monthly Balancing Services Summary’, which is available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/balancing-data/system-balancing-reports The addition published on 30 September 2019 contains the latest data on constraint payments made since NGESO was created on 1st April 2019, and the sections on ‘Constraint actions by fuel type’ and ‘Wind generation’ are most relevant. Detailed information on constraint payments to individual generation projects is published by Elexon, and is available at: https://www.bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=balancing/
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average subsidy payment per megawatt hour of energy produced was to (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind companies in each month since January 2017.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The average subsidy payment (1)(2)(3) to onshore and offshore wind companies per megawatt hour of electricity produced each month was:
| Onshore wind (£/MWh) | Offshore wind (£/MWh) |
Jan 2017 | 52.04 | 84.87 |
Feb 2017 | 51.76 | 84.93 |
Mar 2017 | 51.31 | 84.67 |
Apr 2017 | 52.26 | 87.71 |
May 2017 | 52.30 | 88.28 |
Jun 2017 | 52.26 | 88.63 |
Jul 2017 | 51.81 | 88.75 |
Aug 2017 | 52.07 | 89.72 |
Sep 2017 | 52.21 | 89.16 |
Oct 2017 | 51.92 | 89.93 |
Nov 2017 | 52.21 | 89.67 |
Dec 2017 | 51.64 | 88.87 |
Jan 2018 | 51.50 | 89.84 |
Feb 2018 | 51.47 | 89.43 |
Mar 2018 | 51.59 | 88.45 |
Apr 2018 | 52.79 | 93.45 |
May 2018 | 52.64 | 93.35 |
Jun 2018 | 53.79 | 93.37 |
Jul 2018 | 53.27 | 93.36 |
Aug 2018 | 52.51 | 92.97 |
Sep 2018 | 52.98 | 91.85 |
Oct 2018 | 52.56 | 92.10 |
Nov 2018 | 52.38 | 92.41 |
Dec 2018 | 52.38 | 92.11 |
Jan 2019 | 52.06 | 92.68 |
Feb 2019 | 51.93 | 95.10 |
Mar 2019 | 52.83 | 95.88 |
(1) Subsidies are the Renewables Obligation, Contracts for Difference (CfD), and Feed-in Tariff (FIT). The bulk of the above support is from the Renewables Obligation. Going forward, we expect the average subsidy payment figures to fall as more projects are supported under the competitive Contracts for Difference scheme*.
(2) Includes payments to domestic and community FIT schemes for onshore wind.
(3) Spend is in real terms.
For the Renewables Obligation, the full value of support is made up of a main payment and a much smaller subsidiary payment. As the value of the subsidiary payment is not yet known for any of the years, the above figures include only the main payment.
Data for April 2019 onwards are not yet available.
*The results of the third Contracts for Difference auction were announced on 20 September 2019. 12 new renewable electricity projects were awarded CfDs (6 offshore wind, 4 Remote Island Wind and two Advanced Conversion Technology projects), adding around 6GW of new clean electricity to the grid from 2023. The costs of offshore wind have come down by around two thirds since the first allocation round in 2015, with projects now being delivered for as little as £39.65/MWh. This is the first time that renewables are expected to come online below market prices.