Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what energy contingencies the UK will rely on after the recent closure of the Rough gas storage facility.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The proposed closure of Rough does not significantly affect security of gas supply which remains strong. Great Britain continues to benefit from highly diverse and flexible sources of gas supply, including indigenous production, six international gas pipelines with Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands, and three LNG terminals. Analysis shows GB supplies can meet gas demand even under severe weather conditions for an extended period of time, and this has always happened.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 effect on gas security of supply in the event that Interconnector UK closes after the end of its contract in October 2018.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK benefits from a strong, liquid market which has delivered a system built on supply diversity. This, coupled with spare capacity, means the UK gas system is resilient to multiple infrastructure losses – including any closure of the IUK interconnector.
Current and forecast levels of GB supply and storage infrastructure are sufficient to meet all customer demand in all but the most extreme and unlikely scenarios.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 effect on the UK's merchant gas interconnectors of the EU network codes governing gas transmission operators.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Regulation of Great Britain’s gas market, including merchant gas interconnection, is a matter for Ofgem, and it is for them to assess the impact of regulatory changes to the market as a whole. However, the Department works closely with Ofgem to keep the whole gas market under review.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what alternative regulatory frameworks his Department has considered following the cessation of storage at the Rough gas storage facility to ensure that Interconnector UK is able to continue to operate.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent regulator and it is for them to decide the regulatory framework that is in the best interests of consumers present and future.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 effect of the closure of Interconnector UK on the security of UK gas supplies, market volatility and consumer household gas prices.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK benefits from a strong, liquid market which has delivered a system built on supply diversity. It would not be appropriate to comment on a specific company which remains open and operational. However, we have assessed the system’s resilience if we were to lose one or more major pieces of infrastructure. We will publish our detailed analysis shortly. In summary, our assessment is that UK gas supply would be resilient to multiple infrastructure losses. We enjoy diverse and competitive supplies of gas which have always historically responded very effectively to the loss of major infrastructure minimising any consumer price effects.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which EU legislation within his Department's responsibilities will (a) be incorporated into UK law through the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill and (b) require to be amended under powers in that Bill.
Answered by Margot James
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will convert European Union law into UK law as it applies in the UK at the moment of exit. This will ensure that, wherever possible, the same rules and laws will apply the day after exit as they did before.
The Government’s current estimate is that we will need to make between 800 and 1,000 statutory instruments to make exit a reality in UK law.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many prosecutions have been carried out of company directors continuing to trade when insolvent in each of the last five years.
Answered by Margot James
While “continuing to trade whilst insolvent” is not a criminal offence in itself, under s993 Companies Act 2006 (and previously under s458 Companies Act 1985)
“If any business of a company is carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person, or for any fraudulent purpose, every person who is knowingly a party to the carrying on of the business in that manner commits an offence.”
The table below provides the number of persons prosecuted for an offence of fraudulent trading in respect of an individual company for the last five financial years, irrespective of verdict.
Date |
|
April 12 – March 13 | 17 |
April 13 – March 14 | 13 |
April 14 - March 15 | 35 |
April 15 – March 16 | 6 |
April 16 to March 17 | 5 |
TOTAL | 76 |
The offence may be committed by a person other than a director and separate records of the number of directors prosecuted are not centrally collated.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 effect on UK jobs of the UK leaving the Single Market in the five years (a) before and (b) after that action is taken.
Answered by Margot James
Departments are currently doing some analysis with the Department for Exiting the European Union to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the EU will have on businesses, consumers and other economic actors. Due to the decisions this Government has taken, the British economy is fundamentally strong and we are well-positioned to negotiate our departure from the EU. Employment is at a record high. There are over two million more people in employment compared with 2010 and around 900,000 fewer unemployed.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what incentives the Government provides to support biomedical research into the most deadly global diseases.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Government is committed to maintain and enhance the strength of our research base. This is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament, as well as committing to invest in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale – £6.9 billion over the period 2015- 21.
We are introducing a new Global Challenges Research Fund of £1.5 billion over the Spending Review period to support research on global issues affecting developing countries. The Newton Fund will also be doubled to £150 million a year by 2021.
At Autumn Statement 2016 we announced that we will make Britain the global go-to nation for scientists, innovators and tech investors, by investing an extra £2 billion a year in R&D by 2020/21. We are committed to ensure that the UK continues to be a world leader in international science, including biomedical research.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 on small businesses of the potential closure of independent pharmacies; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on that effect.
Answered by Margot James
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discusses a range of issues with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Funding for the contractors providing NHS pharmaceutical services is determined by the Department of Health.