Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding from the Automotive Transformation Fund (a) has been spent and (b) has been allocated for the spending review period to March 2025.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
In 2020, £500m of Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) funding was announced in the Ten Point Plan. The 2021 Net Zero Strategy announced a further £350m funding for the ATF between 2022/23-2024/25. £136m of this budget, for financial year 2022-23, was later reprioritised by BEIS (predecessor department) for investment in Sizewell C
As of September 2023, the total value of offers made under the ATF is over £550 million. In addition, we are in active discussions with investors on a wide range of exciting new projects for the UK's electric vehicle supply chain.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding from the Automotive Transformation Fund she plans to allocate to (a) existing legacy car and van manufacturers and (b) new entrants to the market.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Automotive Transformation Fund offers funding for capital and associated industrial research projects that support the industrialisation of a high value, electrified automotive supply at scale in the UK. We continue to work with industry to unlock private investment in our EV supply chain via the ATF. This includes unlocking strategic investments in gigafactories, motors and drives, power electronics, and fuel cell systems.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's expected timeline is to publish its response to the consultation entitled Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Governance and reporting of climate change risks.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government wrote to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Advisory Board on 15 June confirming the proposed requirements will not be implemented relating to the governance or disclosure of climate-related financial risks for the financial year 2023/24. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
As set out in The Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 2016, the term “proper advice” means the advice of a person whom the authority reasonably considers to be qualified by their ability in and practical experience of financial matters.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what is meant by proper advice in the Local Government Pension Scheme’s proposed responsibilities on climate risk.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government wrote to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Advisory Board on 15 June confirming the proposed requirements will not be implemented relating to the governance or disclosure of climate-related financial risks for the financial year 2023/24. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
As set out in The Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 2016, the term “proper advice” means the advice of a person whom the authority reasonably considers to be qualified by their ability in and practical experience of financial matters.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative estimate he has made of the quantity of carbon dioxide that will be emitted in the event that the zero emission vehicle mandate is introduced in January (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department recently consulted on the proposed ZEV mandate and published a cost benefit analysis of the proposals alongside this. The Department will take the responses of this consultation into consideration and will bring forward the response shortly, which will include a comprehensive cost benefit analysis and potential carbon savings of the regulatory framework.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the final regulations for the zero emission car and van vehicle mandates.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department has recently consulted on the proposed ZEV mandate to gather stakeholder views on how the targets, trading schemes, and enforcement for this new policy framework should work. The Department will take these views into consideration as it is finalised and will bring forward the Government’s response to the consultation shortly.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the local electric vehicle infrastructure funding allocation for local and city-region authorities on regional differences in the availability charging provision.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, including both capital and resource funding, will support local authorities to provide tens of thousands of local chargepoints and transform the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking.
The LEVI Fund is allocated to Tier 1 local authorities (unitary, county council or combined authorities) in England on behalf of all their constituent authorities.
Allocation of the capital funding is based on an assessment of need for EV charging. The assessment looked at the levels of residential off-street parking, progress of local authorities in developing their charging network to date, the rurality of a local authority and its level of deprivation. Together these aspects look to ensure that charging provision is developed across the country.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which motorway service areas have six or more rapid electric vehicle chargers; and what progress his Department has made on the target for all motorway service areas to have at least six rapid chargers by the end of 2023.
Answered by Jesse Norman
96% of Motorway Service Areas (MSAs) have at least one rapid chargepoint. When the aim was announced, there were only 4 ultra-rapid chargepoints across MSAs in England. There are now over 260 ultra-rapid (150kw+) chargepoints, and more than 480 open-access (can be used with any electric vehicle) rapid (50kW) and ultra-rapid chargepoints at MSAs altogether.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the public charging infrastructure for battery electric HGVs.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government understands that HGV recharging and refuelling infrastructure is key to a successful transition.
The Department is working with industry stakeholders to develop a zero emission HGV infrastructure strategy for publication in early 2024. The strategy will set direction and outline the respective roles and responsibilities of both government and industry to ensure the delivery of the refuelling and recharging infrastructure required to meet the 2035 and 2040 end of sale dates for new non-zero emission HGVs. The strategy development includes an assessment of current and future public charging infrastructure requirements, currently underway.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of funding arrangements for local authorities to develop local area energy plans; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of amending the funding arrangements on (a) planning and (b) levels of participation in the process.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Local government has significant discretion about how best to use its funding, including economic growth funding, and will need to consider how best to add value to its planning and strategic work.
Numerous local authorities have adopted or are developing Local Area Energy Plans to explore routes to decarbonisation in their area.