Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department or the Environment Agency have issued to EDF regarding the removal of radioactively contaminated mud from the vicinity of Hinkley Point C to the other side of the Bristol Channel at Cardiff Grounds.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Environment Agency has advised me that it is not aware of any guidance being issued to EDF on dredging of mud from the vicinity of Hinkley Point C. Permission to dispose of that mud at the Cardiff Grounds is a matter for Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales, who act for Welsh Ministers.
Licensing for marine disposal of sediments around the South Wales coastline is a devolved matter for Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. Nuclear safety and environmental protection are of paramount importance to the UK Government. The UK has a strong regulatory system and companies involved in the civil nuclear industry are required to meet robust standards overseen by independent regulators.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding his Department has set aside for contingencies relating to the UK leaving the EU in the (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19 financial years.
Answered by Margot James
Like all departments, BEIS is planning for a number of EU Exit scenarios to make sure we are ready on Day 1.
Over £250m of additional funding has been approved across a number of departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit.
BEIS has received additional funding this year to meet new pressures arising from Brexit preparations.
Additional funding received from the reserve for 2017/8 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates.
The costs of EU Exit in 2018-19 will be affected by negotiations over the coming months.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions Ministers or officials of his Department have had with National Resources Wales and Welsh Government Ministers on the proposal for the removal of radioactively contaminated mud from the Hinkley Point C site to be disposed of at Cardiff Grounds.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Licensing for marine disposal of sediments around the South Wales coastline is a devolved matter for Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. Nuclear safety and environmental protection are of paramount importance to the UK Government. The UK has a strong regulatory system and companies involved in the civil nuclear industry are required to meet robust standards overseen by independent regulators.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department has issued to EDF Energy on removal of radioactively contaminated mud from around Hinkley associated with the Hinkley Point C project.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Nuclear safety and environmental protection are of paramount importance to the UK Government. The UK has a strong regulatory system and companies involved in the civil nuclear industry are required to meet robust standards overseen by independent regulators. The Environment Agency in England and Natural Resources Wales are responsible for licensing, as appropriate, and for enforcing compliance with environmental standards for the operations referred to in relation to Hinkley Point C.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, How many Civil Nuclear Constabulary personnel have been deployed on Operation Temperer in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Operation Temperer was invoked for the first time following the terrorist incident at Manchester Arena in May this year, and then again in September following the terrorist incident at Parsons Green.
Civil Nuclear Constabulary personnel were deployed on Operation Temperer on both occasions.
The total number of CNC personnel deployed on Operation Temperer this year, including liaison officers, was 826. 432 officers were deployed in May, and 394 officers were deployed in September.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 proportion of electricity to be produced from renewable sources in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2035 for (i) the UK and (ii) Wales.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Department has published projections of electricity generation by source for the UK; regarding renewables1 the following projections have been made (TWh = terawatt-hours).
Year | 2020 | 2030 | 2035 |
TWh | 121 | 137 | 176 |
Percentage | 38 | 43 | 46 |
The Department does not break down these figures into regions.
The figures are based on central estimates of economic growth and fossil fuel prices and contains all agreed policies where decisions on policy design are sufficiently advanced to allow robust estimates of impact (i.e. including "planned" policies). The detailed description of the methodology used to calculate the electricity projections can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2016
1 Includes a small amount of generation from non-renewable wastes.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with counterparts in the US on the effect of President Trump's decision to remove the US from the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Answered by Claire Perry
My Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to the US President following his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement, expressing her disappointment with the decision and stressing that the UK remained committed to the Paris Agreement, as she set out at the G7 Leaders’ Summit.
The Department is in frequent contact with the US Administration, including on issues related to climate change.
We will continue to work with the US to encourage them to show the leadership they have in the past on reducing carbon emissions.
The Paris Agreement is irreversible and its integrity is key for the security and prosperity of our planet, societies and economies.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 make a further statement on tidal power and tidal lagoons.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government is currently assessing the recommendations of the Hendry Review and will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the viability of proposals for tidal lagoons in the Bristol Channel, including off Cardiff.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Hendry Review has submitted its report on the strategic case for tidal lagoons to Government. We will now consider the recommendations and determine what is in the best interests of the UK energy consumer and taxpayers in the long term.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 the economic effect of the UK leaving the EU on the steel industry in South Wales.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK economy is fundamentally strong, highly competitive, and open for business. As we work towards negotiating Brexit, we will aim to limit uncertainty surrounding businesses and industries, including the steel industry in South Wales, whilst also seeking to forge new relationships and seize new opportunities.