Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 24 April 2017 to Question 70328, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the final report of the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
The Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety submitted its final report in April 2017. I had intended to publish the report then, but the announcement of the General Election prevented me from doing so.
Following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, I asked the Working Group to urgently review their findings and their report has been published today.
I have also asked the Working Group to look at further potential areas of product safety and recalls where action might be required, in light of the tragic events at Grenfell Tower.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether a review has been carried out of the environmental impact assessment of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In taking the decision to grant development consent for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon in June 2015, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change considered and reviewed the environmental impact assessment for the project. The Secretary of State's consideration was informed by the Planning Inspectorate`s Report on the application for development consent and other relevant information, including environmental information provided by the developer and other parties.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he expects the final report of the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety to be published; and if he will place a copy of that report in the Library.
Answered by Margot James
We have now received the report produced by the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety which was set up by the Department to develop options to improve the safety of white goods and the recall system. We are considering the recommendations made by the Group, and are continuing to engage with them on their progress on activity aimed at improving the recall process. We expect to publish the report on the Product Safety page of gov.uk in due course and will place a copy in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) a lease has been granted from the Crown Estates for the development of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and (b) contracts for four different strike prices have been received; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In respect of (a) the responsibility for deciding whether to grant a lease rests with the Crown Estate and not the Department. We understand that discussions are ongoing but as yet a lease has not been granted. In respect of (b) the Contract for Difference negotiations are commercially sensitive and it is not appropriate for us to comment on the proposals that have been received.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether a marine licence has been granted for the proposed development of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
Answered by Jesse Norman
We understand that Natural Resource Wales are currently examining the developer’s marine licence application.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
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 provide research funding for an assessment of the potential effect of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon on 10 year fishing spawning cycles; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department considers funding for a range of research activities and is carefully considering the recommendations contained in Charles Hendry’s recent report on tidal lagoons.
Any decisions arising from the Review, including whether to proceed with the Swansea Bay project, will need to balance the priorities of security of supply, affordability and meeting our climate change obligations.
We understand that Natural Resources Wales are currently examining the developer’s marine licence application.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of alternative forms of tidal energy generation; what the result of the modelling of those alternatives was; what assessment was made of the effect of each such alternative on (a) coastal erosion and (b) sediment build-up; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In 2010, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published its feasibility assessment of a scheme to generate electricity from the tides of the Severn estuary. It found that, since the Severn estuary is highly dynamic, and without detailed information on specific projects, it was impossible to predict the impacts of the tidal power schemes surveyed with absolute certainty.
Environmental impacts, along with other relevant matters, would be considered as part of the relevant statutory planning processes when consent applications for tidal energy generation projects are submitted.