Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what was the cost was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by (i) his Department, (ii) the Competition and Markets Authority, (iii) HM Land Registry, (iv) OFGEM, (v) Companies House and (vi) the Insolvency Service in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The attached table shows the cost of electricity and natural gas for the named organisations for the last three complete financial years for which figures are available.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the quantity was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by (i) his Department, (ii) the Competition and Markets Authority,, (iii) HM Land Registry, (iv) OFGEM, (v) Companies House and (vi) the Insolvency Service, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The attached table shows the quantity of electricity and natural gas used by the named organisations for the last three complete financial years for which figures are available.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 (a) availability and (b) reliability of financial backers for Moorside nuclear reactor in Cumbria.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The availability and reliability of financial backers for the Moorside nuclear project is a commercial matter for Toshiba, who own NuGen, the developer of the Moorside site.
We continue to engage closely with NuGen, as we do for other new build developers on a range of issues relevant to delivering new nuclear projects.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 made of Hitachi’s nuclear power safety record in advance of considering private sector involvement in the Wylfa nuclear project.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Nuclear power is proven technology with modern reactors capable of producing safe and secure low carbon electricity over many decades. Reactors deployed in the UK must meet the robust independent regulatory requirements which include early assessment of the safety, security and environmental impacts of reactor designs through the Generic Design Assessment (GDA), prior to any application for a site-specific statutory Nuclear Site Licence. This is a robust process, taking several years which ensures that all aspects of new station design are thoroughly assessed prior to construction and operation.
Hitachi’s UK ABWR reactor design completed GDA in December 2017 and full details of that assessment are available at www.onr.org.uk/new-reactors/uk-abwr/index.htm .
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department had with representatives of EDF Energy on funding options for Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government regularly engages with a number of new build developers on a range of issues relevant to delivering new nuclear projects including financing. These discussions are commercially sensitive and it is therefore not appropriate to provide details.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 environmental effect of Bradwell B nuclear plant in Essex.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
As part of the process to designate a National Policy Statement (NPS) for nuclear power generation in 2011, the Government undertook a strategic siting assessment of potentially suitable sites, including an Appraisal of Sustainability. The conclusions of these assessments were included in an annex to the final NPS. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47860/1943-nps-nuclear-power-annex-volII.pdf.
The Government is working towards a new NPS for nuclear power stations deploying after 2025 and intends to consult on a draft NPS in 2019. Siting assessments and Appraisals of Sustainability will be undertaken for those sites listed in the draft NPS.
CGN’s UK HPR1000 reactor, which is proposed for deployment at Bradwell, commenced the GDA process in January 2017. More information can be found at www.ukhpr1000.co.uk/. The GDA is a robust process conducted jointly by the Office of Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency over many years, ensuring that all aspects of new station design, including safety, security and environmental impacts, are properly assessed prior to construction and operation.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had it's counterpart in South Korea on (a) new nuclear power stations in the UK and (b) funding options for Moorside project in Cumbria.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government regularly engages with a number of new build developers on a range of issues relevant to delivering new nuclear projects including financing. These discussions are commercially sensitive and it is therefore not appropriate to provide details.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with (a) it's Chinese counterpart and (b) representatives of State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation on the Moorside nuclear reactor project in Cumbria.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Department has engaged with a number of parties with respect to the proposed sale of NuGen, developers of the proposed Moorside project in Cumbria. These discussions are commercially sensitive so we are unable to provide details.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 skilled EU professionals have their professional qualifications recognised after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The UK Government has agreed to protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement. This includes the continued recognition of EU qualifications, where recognition decisions were received or where recognition procedures were ongoing before the withdrawal date and where an EU citizen is resident in the UK on the date of withdrawal (and vice versa). The government has stated that it will seek to agree a continued system for the recognition of professional qualifications as part of the future economic partnership, and we hope to begin this phase of negotiations shortly.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 received any representations on the Post Office's planned operation of Transcash in 2017-18.
Answered by Margot James
The Department has not received any representation on the Post Office’s operation of Santander’s Transcash service in 2017-18.