Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to help ensure the Communication Workers Union and Royal Mail reach an agreement in their industrial dispute.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government is monitoring the situation closely however the industrial dispute is a matter for Royal Mail, as a private company, and the Communication Workers Union to resolve.
The Government strongly urges Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union to continue their negotiations to reach a resolution as soon as possible and minimise the disruption to consumers and businesses.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has held with Royal Mail about their capacity to fulfil their Universal Service Obligation.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Department has regular discussions with Royal Mail on a wide range of issues.
The Postal Services Act 2011 gives Ofcom responsibility to secure the provision of the UK’s universal postal service.
Ofcom has the powers and tools to protect the universal service and it has in place an effective monitoring regime that is able to identify any threats to it.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to assist (a) vulnerable, (b) disabled and (c) elderly people in the event of energy blackouts in winter 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. The Government is confident in its plans to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios this winter.
Electricity network operators are obliged to maintain a Priority Services Register to ensure support is given to the most vulnerable customers during power disruptions, including those who are disabled or elderly
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish his Department's most recent assessment on impact of the use of biomass fuels on the UK’s carbon emissions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In accordance with international guidelines, carbon dioxide emissions from biomass use are reported in Greenhouse Gas Inventories as a change in carbon stocks in the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector of the country where the biomass is harvested. They are also reported as a memorandum item in the country where the biomass is used, but are not counted in that country’s total emissions to avoid double counting.
In the latest year for which emissions estimates are available (2020), carbon dioxide emissions from UK biomass use, reported as a memorandum item in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, were 47.2 million tonnes.