Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of gas demand was met by imports of liquefied natural gas in each of the last 20 years.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
UK gas demand and imports of gas into the UK as liquified natural gas (LNG) in each of the last 20 years are published in Energy Trends Table 4.1.
LNG imports as a proportion of gas demand for each of the last 20 years can be derived from these data. Caution should be taken when inferring that imported LNG met demand due to the interconnected nature of gas pipeline infrastructure (e.g. LNG would be mixed with other gas in the network some of which is then exported).
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the number of kilometres of transmission network that will be added to the electricity grid in the (a) 2020s, (b) 2030s and (c) 2040s.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not estimate the future size of the transmission network. The Electricity System Operator, along with Transmission Operators and Ofgem, is responsible for the development of the network. The ESO is required to publish annual recommendations for which transmission network reinforcement projects should receive investment, but this does not include data on the length of projects. The latest recommendations, published in the 'Beyond 2030' report, cover network needs up to the mid-2030s. The report is available on the ESO's website.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people paid class 4 National Insurance contributions in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The number of people who paid Class 4 National Insurance Contributions is approximately 2.69 million in 2021 to 2022. The estimate accounts for the whole of the UK and is based on the 2021 to 2022 Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI), which is the latest outturn year available.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the total value of receipts from Class 4 National Insurance contributions in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The breakdown of National Insurance contributions (NICs) by class for Great Britain and Northern Ireland is provided by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in “National Insurance Fund (NIF) Accounts”, available here (in the Notes to the Account):
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-fund-accounts
The figures for tax year 2023 to 2024 will be published later this year. Note that the breakdown in the NIF accounts does not include the NHS allocation, paid over by HMRC to the NHS, though information on this allocation is included in the NIF Accounts.
Information on NICs can also be found in the “HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK” statistical bulletin, available here:
HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
These include figures for NICs received through Self Assessment (including both Class 2 and Class 4). Receipts for 2023-24 are now available, but are provisional and will be updated later this year.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of extending the Contract for Difference scheme to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Department for the Economy. The Department for the Economy (DfE) held a consultation on Design Considerations for its own bespoke Renewables Support Scheme in February 2023 which included seeking views on having a Contracts for Difference scheme in Northern Ireland. Consultation responses were recently published on 9 April 2024. DfE states that having considered the consultation responses, it will design a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme for Northern Ireland which builds upon the support schemes across Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. Northern Ireland has a vital role to play in helping the UK reach net zero by 2050.