Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has plans to ban the issue new oil and gas exploration licences; and what impact assessment he has carried out on the potential merits of a ban on the issuance of new licences.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department has conducted a review into the future of offshore oil and gas licensing, which has concluded that a new climate compatibility checkpoint will be introduced into the regime. This will help ensure that any future licenses are only awarded on the basis that they are aligned with the government’s broad climate change ambitions, including the UK’s target of reaching net zero by 2050. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 24th March 2021 (Official Report, HCWS879), announcing the implementation of a new checkpoint into the licensing round process.
As we move towards net-zero, oil and gas will play a smaller role in meeting UK energy demand. However, it will continue to play an important one. The independent Climate Change Committee has recognised the ongoing demand for oil and natural gas, including it in all scenarios it proposed for how the UK meets its target for achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
A climate compatibility checkpoint will allow for an orderly transition, underpinned by oil and gas, while the sector continues to bear down on its production emissions, and pivots to support the energy transition.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals requiring unexploded munitions on the seafloor to be disposed of by the process of deflagration as used by the Royal Navy and recommended by a BEIS funded study on the Characterisation of acoustic fields generated by UXO removal, published June 2020.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government recognise the potential for significant impact of underwater noise from unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance on vulnerable marine species and is taking active steps to manage and reduce the risk. Two phases of a Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) funded project to characterise and contrast the acoustic fields generated by UXO clearance using high order detonation and using low-order deflagration have been completed and reported on.
A third phase has now been initiated to further improve the information base, allowing further assessment of the clearance options. A potential 4th phase of the work involving offshore field work is also being actively explored in which comparative noise measurements would be made during actual UXO clearance campaigns using both deflagration and high order detonations. This would require cooperation and active support from industry (windfarm developers) and the regulatory authorities.
The outcomes from the 3rd and 4th phases would allow an informed discussion and consideration of the adequacy of evidence by regulatory authorities and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. It will be for the regulatory authorities and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies to consider the best available scientific evidence when providing advice on these matters.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
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 support the Northern Ireland hydrogen economy.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government is committed to developing hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier across the UK. Low carbon hydrogen presents an opportunity for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole to deliver against our clean growth goals – meeting our decarbonisation needs while capturing commercial opportunities. This is especially important as we support our economy to recover from Covid-19.
In order to realise the opportunities from hydrogen, we are undertaking a range of activities:
We will be setting out further plans in the UK Hydrogen Strategy, which we intend to publish in early 2021.
In order to aid this work, we established the Hydrogen Advisory Council to formalise regular engagement with Industry. The Council met for the first time on 20 July and membership includes officials from Northern Ireland government as well as Ryse/Wrightbus. We look forward to the Council’s ongoing input as we build a new low carbon hydrogen economy for the UK.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to initiate an inquiry into Post Office Ltd's handling of the problems with the Horizon IT system.
Answered by Paul Scully
Postmasters are the backbone of the Post Office, and their branches are vital to communities across the country. That is why Government takes POL's relationship with its postmasters very seriously.
Government is committed to establishing an independent review to consider whether the Post Office has learned the necessary lessons from the Horizon dispute and court case and to provide an independent and external assessment of its work to rebuild its relationship with its postmasters.
We are continuing to make progress on the scoping of the Independent Review and on the identification of a suitable Chair. We will announce further details on this shortly.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps have been taken to support the aluminium industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government is in regular contact with the aluminium industry; I recently spoke to representatives of the Aluminium Federation alongside other industry leaders to discuss the impact of COVID-19.
The Government recognises that it is crucial for the aluminium sector to continue providing essential materials to support the economy, and I am grateful to those working in the industry for their contributions to the national effort during this time of extraordinary disruption.
We have put in place an unprecedented package of Government support to help with business continuity and to give manufacturers - including businesses in the aluminium sector - the support they need.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps have been taken to enable the aluminium industry to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is open to eligible businesses with annual turnover of under £45m operating in most sectors, including the aluminium industry.
To be eligible for the CBILS, businesses must:
For more information on the scheme, businesses should visit the British Business Bank website: www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/clbils/
The Government has responded to feedback to ensure that companies feel the full benefits of available support through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) by:
The Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facilitates access to finance for medium-sized and larger businesses with annual turnover of above £45 million, affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. This is also open to eligible businesses operating in most sectors, including the aluminium industry.
The Government will continue to monitor the schemes.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on how many occasions the Government guidelines on earth tremors have been breached by fracking operations in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Traffic Light System for monitoring induced seismicity was introduced after consideration of advice from three scientists, following operations at Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall site in 2011. The level of magnitude 0.5 at which operators must pause operations, was set in consultation with industry as an appropriate precautionary measure. These regulations have been working as intended and there are no plans to review the traffic light system.
Three seismic events, equal or greater than magnitude 0.5, were recorded during pumping operations at Preston New Road between October and December 2018. Following these red traffic light events the operator temporarily paused operations, reduced pressure and monitored for any further seismic events.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to review the guidelines on earth tremors caused by fracking operations.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
I refer the hon. Member the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewisham East on 1 May 2019 to Question 247160.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations his Department has received from (a) fracking companies, (b) environmental groups and (c) the shale gas commissioner on the appropriateness of current guidelines on tremors caused by fracking.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department routinely receives correspondence from a wide range of stakeholders in relation to the regulatory regime for shale gas extraction, including the traffic light system.
The Traffic Light System for monitoring induced seismicity was introduced after consideration of advice from scientists, following operations at Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall site in 2011. The level of magnitude 0.5 at which operators must pause operations, was set in consultation with industry as an appropriate precautionary measure. These regulations have been working as intended and there are no plans to review the traffic light system.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what sums have been paid in subsidy in each of the last five years to Drax power station for burning wood pellets.
Answered by Claire Perry
Over the last five years, Drax’s renewable electricity generation from the co-firing of biomass and the conversion of coal-fired units to 100% biomass has been supported under the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme. From 21 December 2016, Drax’s 3rd Conversion Unit (Unit 1) has received support under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. Units 2, 3 and 4 remain under the RO.
Information is not available on support under the RO specifically for burning wood pellets. Therefore, the figures in the table below give the value of support for all of Drax’s renewable electricity generation under the scheme, to the nearest million pounds.
| 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
Renewables Obligation[1] | £181m | £399m | £548m | £548m | £399m |
Payments to individual projects are not reported separately under the CfD scheme. The total value of payments to all the CfD supported projects is available in the annual reports from the Low Carbon Contracts Company, the CfD scheme administrator, at: https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/publications?f%5B0%5D=field_publications_category%3A29
[1] The Renewables Obligation figures are the notional value of support, based on Ofgem’s certificate report as at 01/05/2019 from their Renewables and CHP Register.