Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Greenpeace UK and WWF-UK report The Big Smoke, published on 26 May, what assessment they have made of the recommendation that legislation should be introduced before COP26 to require all UK-regulated financial institutions to adopt and implement a transition plan that is in keeping with the goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees C.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The UK was the first major economy to commit to Net Zero by 2050, and to achieve that ambition, we want to ensure that every financial decision takes climate change into account. This will require a drastic increase in the quantity, quality and comparability of climate-related disclosures, to provide the information necessary for everyone to make informed decisions.
That is why, in November 2020, the Chancellor announced the UK’s intention to make disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures – including that firms must disclose how they identify, assess and manage climate-related risks – fully mandatory in the UK across the economy by 2025. This includes the financial services sector. This commitment is world-leading and significant progress towards achieving our ambition, including new requirements for premium-listed firms, has already been made.
We have also committed to implementing a green taxonomy that will establish a common definition for ’sustainable economic activities’ and improve understanding around the impact of firms’ activities and investments on the environment.
Together, these measures will ensure that firms across the whole economy are disclosing robust and comparable climate and sustainability-related information that is decision-useful for investors. This will help close the sustainability data gap, as well as preventing greenwashing and supporting the greening of the UK economy.
In addition to this work, ahead of COP26, the UK launched the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a global net zero alliance for the whole financial sector to ensure credibility and generate momentum behind private sector commitments to reach net zero emissions by 2050. GFANZ will mobilise and elevate net zero ambition by motivating financial institutions to make credible net zero commitments by the time of Glasgow and beyond and establishing defined and agreed ways for all financial institutions to meaningfully commit to net zero by 2050.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the recent increase in antisemitic attacks.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
There is no place in our society for antisemitism and we condemn it whole-heartedly. The Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government have published a joint letter in the Jewish Chronicle reassuring the Jewish Community of the Governments steadfast commitment to combatting antisemitism. This was accompanied by a visit to Golders Green and Finchley Road, with police and community representatives and we remain in dialogue with leaders of the Jewish community.
We are providing £14 million this year to the protective security grant to protect Jewish schools and community buildings. We were also the first country to take the important step of adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism in 2016; and, following our encouragement, over three quarters of local councils have adopted the definition.
Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU’s sustainable finance action plan; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that the financial services sector in the UK is competitive in sustainable finance.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK supported the development of the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan whilst a member state and has committed to match its ambition in the UK. The Green Finance Strategy, published in 2019, set out a comprehensive approach to greening the financial system, mobilising finance for clean and resilient growth, and capturing the resulting opportunities for UK firms.
We have so far delivered on and exceeded the ambition set out in that Strategy: We havee set up the Green Finance Institute; become the first major country to mandate TCFD disclosures; committed to implement a green taxonomy; and signalled our intention to issue a Green Gilt at a total of £15bn and will also offer an innovative retail savings product alongside it.
We’ve augmented the Government’s Economic Objectives and the remit of the principal financial regulators to support environmental sustainability and the transition to net zero, and established the UK Infrastructure Bank with a mandate to tackle climate change.
On the international stage, taking advantage of our role as President, we recently secured commitment of the G7 to support moving towards mandatory climate-related financial disclosures, to bring others up to our level of commitment. As we work towards COP26 we have established the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, to foster ambition and action for Net Zero in the finance sector and are supporting the convergence and development of international standards in sustainable finance through working with the IFRS and the International Platform on Sustainable Finance.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Clean Maritime Council has met since October 2018 to date; and if he will list its membership.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The department regularly engages with the Clean Maritime Council on all matters that concern them, including reducing the sector’s emissions. The Council has met eight times since October 2018, including four times in the past six months since December 2020. Meetings were temporarily paused in 2020 due to Covid-19 but were resumed virtually at the end of the year.
The organisations represented on the Clean Maritime Council include the British Ports Association, Clean Cargo Working Group, Engie, IMarEST, ING, Innovate UK, Maritime Enterprise Working Group, Maritime London, ORE Catapult, Red Funnel, Smart Green Shipping Alliance, Strathclyde University/MarRI-UK, University College London, UK Chamber of Shipping, UK Major Ports Group as well as the Department for Transport, the Maritime Coastguard Agency, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will increase investment in new forms of finance to fund ocean recovery.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are at a pivotal moment for ocean recovery, and the Government is supporting ocean protection through appropriate funding, both domestically and internationally. We are extending our Blue Belt initiative with £7 million of funding, which is now on course to provide world-leading marine protection for over 4 million km2 before the end of this year. Additionally, the Government's £80 million Green Recovery Challenge fund is helping environmental organisations start work on projects across England, including marine and coastal projects, to restore nature and tackle climate change. The Government has also launched the £6.1 million Fisheries and Seafood Scheme which will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the English seafood sector and support a thriving marine environment.
The Government has pledged £500 million to create a new Blue Planet Fund to help developing countries reduce poverty, protect and sustainably manage their marine resources and address human-generated threats across four key themes: biodiversity, climate change, marine pollution, and sustainable seafood. Financed from the UK Official Development Assistance Budget, the Fund will be managed by Defra and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and will be launched later this year.
Beyond public investment, this Government also recognises the importance of mobilising private finance for the development of sustainable ocean-based economies, which are particularly dependent on a healthy ocean. Building on experience and growth in climate and green finance over the last ten years, new ocean-specific private finance initiatives (Blue Finance) are beginning to gain global traction across the world, covering topics such as marine biodiversity, blue carbon and marine plastic pollution. We are collaborating with international partnerships to scale up innovative finance solutions and considering how the Blue Planet Fund could support mobilising Blue Finance. This has recently been highlighted in the G7 Climate and Environment Ministers’ Communique, published on 21 May 2021, where the G7 committed to strengthening support to the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, whose purpose is to build resilience in communities most vulnerable to ocean risk, by pioneering finance and insurance products.
Departmental budgets for future years beyond 2021-22 will be set through the Spending Review later this year. Further details, including the envelopes for the Spending Review, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2021 to Question 179538 on Seals, what (a) funding and (b) other Government resources have been allocated to the Give Seals Space campaign.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Seal Alliance received a grant of £75,700 from Defra’s £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund which has been used to support the ‘Give Seals Space’ campaign.
Government officials have also been working with the Seal Alliance to help increase the reach of this government-backed campaign to ensure the impact of human disturbance on these vulnerable marine mammals is minimised.
Further information on the campaign can be found on the Seal Alliance website.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question
To ask the President of COP26, what engagements he has had with former coal mining communities in the run up to COP26.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Through the UK Mayors and Regions Advisory Council, which met most recently on 15 March, I have met with mayors and local leaders from across the UK, including those from former coal mining communities such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
As Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy I set up the Green Jobs Taskforce, which is working in partnership with business, skills providers, and unions, to help us develop plans for long-term, good quality green jobs, and support transitioning industries, such as coal.
Internationally, the UK is bringing together the leading global actors in the power sector through the COP26 Energy Transition Council and the Powering Past Coal Alliance, to support countries to more equitably transition away from coal.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect oceans as part of work to tackle the climate emergency.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The work carried out by Surfers Against Sewage on their Ocean & Climate Report provides a timely reminder of the urgent need to reduce emissions and the importance of nature-based solutions in our response to climate change and biodiversity loss.
The most effective thing we can do to reduce the impacts of climate change on the ocean is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UK government has therefore set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Internationally, 2021 is a critical year for the ocean, climate and nature. We are committed to working closely with our partners to drive a recognition of the linkages between the ocean, climate and biodiversity. We will use our COP26 Presidency to secure ambitious emission reductions and drive action on the Leaders' Pledge for Nature commitments, recognising the role of nature-based solutions in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change, as well as supporting mitigation.
At the recent One Planet Summit, the UK accepted the position as Ocean Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and between this and the UK-led Global Ocean Alliance we now have over 60 countries supporting a target to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 as part of our aim for an ambitious and transformational post-2020 global biodiversity framework for adoption at the 15th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15).
Together with Vanuatu, the UK Government is driving forward ambitious action to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean through the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance (CCOA), a growing group of 34 Commonwealth member states. To support the ambitions of CCOA, the UK Government has committed up to £70 million to boost global research and support developing countries to stop plastic waste from entering the ocean in the first place. Through one of our UK Aid programmes, the Global Plastic Action Partnership, the UK is working in partnership with Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam and Nigeria to stem the tide of plastics entering in the ocean.
The UK has also committed to launch a £500m Blue Planet Fund, financed from official development assistance (ODA), to protect the ocean and reduce poverty in developing countries.
In November 2020 the UK announced its support to start negotiations on a new global agreement at the United Nations Environment Assembly that will create the system change required to tackle increasing levels of marine plastic litter and microplastics.
The UK is also taking action domestically to avoid further irreversible impacts to the ocean from climate change and biodiversity loss.
The protection, restoration and management of the marine environment are central to objectives in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the UK Marine Strategy on clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse seas that are managed sustainably. We already have 38% of UK waters in Marine Protected Areas and our focus is ensuring these are effectively protected.
We have stated our intention to pilot Highly Protected Marine Areas in Secretary of State waters and we look forward to publishing the Government's response to Richard Benyon's review in due course.
The Fisheries Act 2020 protects our marine environment and develops plans to restore our fish stocks back to more sustainable levels.
As part of our commitment to ocean recovery we are supporting coastal and estuarine restoration projects, including blue carbon habitats. The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund will help environmental organisations start work now on restoration projects across England, including the inshore marine environment.
Our new Storm Overflows Taskforce is bringing together government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs to work urgently on options to tackle sewage pollution issues.
As announced on 22 January, and welcomed by Surfers Against Sewage, this Taskforce has agreed a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows.
Water companies have also agreed to make real-time data on sewage discharges available at bathing sites all year round. This data will be made available to help surfers, swimmers and other recreational water users to check the latest information and make informed choices on where to swim.
We recognise there is more that needs to be done beyond providing more and better information, and so we will continue to work with the industry to reduce frequency and harm of discharges from storm overflows.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the January 2021 Surfers Against Sewage, Ocean & Climate Report; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The work carried out by Surfers Against Sewage on their Ocean & Climate Report provides a timely reminder of the urgent need to reduce emissions and the importance of nature-based solutions in our response to climate change and biodiversity loss.
The most effective thing we can do to reduce the impacts of climate change on the ocean is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UK government has therefore set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Internationally, 2021 is a critical year for the ocean, climate and nature. We are committed to working closely with our partners to drive a recognition of the linkages between the ocean, climate and biodiversity. We will use our COP26 Presidency to secure ambitious emission reductions and drive action on the Leaders' Pledge for Nature commitments, recognising the role of nature-based solutions in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change, as well as supporting mitigation.
At the recent One Planet Summit, the UK accepted the position as Ocean Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and between this and the UK-led Global Ocean Alliance we now have over 60 countries supporting a target to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 as part of our aim for an ambitious and transformational post-2020 global biodiversity framework for adoption at the 15th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15).
Together with Vanuatu, the UK Government is driving forward ambitious action to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean through the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance (CCOA), a growing group of 34 Commonwealth member states. To support the ambitions of CCOA, the UK Government has committed up to £70 million to boost global research and support developing countries to stop plastic waste from entering the ocean in the first place. Through one of our UK Aid programmes, the Global Plastic Action Partnership, the UK is working in partnership with Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam and Nigeria to stem the tide of plastics entering in the ocean.
The UK has also committed to launch a £500m Blue Planet Fund, financed from official development assistance (ODA), to protect the ocean and reduce poverty in developing countries.
In November 2020 the UK announced its support to start negotiations on a new global agreement at the United Nations Environment Assembly that will create the system change required to tackle increasing levels of marine plastic litter and microplastics.
The UK is also taking action domestically to avoid further irreversible impacts to the ocean from climate change and biodiversity loss.
The protection, restoration and management of the marine environment are central to objectives in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the UK Marine Strategy on clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse seas that are managed sustainably. We already have 38% of UK waters in Marine Protected Areas and our focus is ensuring these are effectively protected.
We have stated our intention to pilot Highly Protected Marine Areas in Secretary of State waters and we look forward to publishing the Government's response to Richard Benyon's review in due course.
The Fisheries Act 2020 protects our marine environment and develops plans to restore our fish stocks back to more sustainable levels.
As part of our commitment to ocean recovery we are supporting coastal and estuarine restoration projects, including blue carbon habitats. The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund will help environmental organisations start work now on restoration projects across England, including the inshore marine environment.
Our new Storm Overflows Taskforce is bringing together government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs to work urgently on options to tackle sewage pollution issues.
As announced on 22 January, and welcomed by Surfers Against Sewage, this Taskforce has agreed a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows.
Water companies have also agreed to make real-time data on sewage discharges available at bathing sites all year round. This data will be made available to help surfers, swimmers and other recreational water users to check the latest information and make informed choices on where to swim.
We recognise there is more that needs to be done beyond providing more and better information, and so we will continue to work with the industry to reduce frequency and harm of discharges from storm overflows.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish (a) a list of all organisations that have been awarded funding under the Kickstart scheme and (b) details of the number of placements each organisation has created since the start of that scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 20/11/2020, the DWP’s Kickstart scheme has received 4’783 total applications. So far, applications covering 23’934 vacancies have been approved. Once approved, employers and organisations are sent a grant agreement of terms and conditions for Kickstart funding.
Below is a list of organisations who have been approved for funding from the DWP’s Kickstart scheme and that have returned their grant funding agreements as of 23/11/2020.
Company Name | Number of Vacancies |
Hales Group Limited | 39 |
MOLINARE TV & FILM LIMITED | 37 |
Park Homes (UK) Ltd | 30 |
Black Sheep Utilities Ltd | 30 |
iSmash UK Trading Ltd | 56 |
Airfi Networks Services Limited | 30 |
Blueline Learning Ltd | 30 |
Intelligent Transformation Limited | 30 |
Lionheart Security Services LTD | 30 |
Modo Creations Limited | 30 |
RGE Engineering Ltd. | 32 |
Purpol Marketing Ltd | 50 |
Specialist Care Team Ltd | 33 |
The Boxing House Ltd. | 30 |
MYBE Awards | 30 |
Aspen Health | 30 |
Boundary Mill Stores Limited | 71 |
Compass Group PLC | 50 |
Cordant Recruitment | 65 |
David Lloyd Leisure | 130 |
DealBerry Limited | 40 |
Enginsoft | 40 |
Event Support Team ltd | 100 |
EXPD8 LIMITED | 305 |
Macc Care | 90 |
O'Neill and Brennan Construction Ltd | 500 |
Rising Stars Property Solutions | 100 |
Robinson Manufacturing Limited | 35 |
Tenstar Personnel Limited | 150 |
The HALO Kilmarnock Ltd | 200 |
TRG LOGISTICS LTD | 75 |
Yorkshire College of Beauty Ltd | 32 |
AA Zentivus Ltd | 30 |
AIR RESOURCES LIMITED | 30 |
Angel Guard Limited | 30 |
Bauer Radio Limited | 30 |
Crouch Logistics Ltd | 30 |
F M CONWAY LIMITED | 30 |
Link Academy Trust | 30 |
Hollowood Chemists Limited | 30 |
MARCUS EVANS LIMITED | 30 |
MPS Care Ltd | 30 |
Nightingale Group Limited | 100 |
Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd | 50 |
The Claxson Group Limited | 30 |
Hometrust Care Ltd | 30 |
Maritime Academy Trust | 30 |
The Trade Centre Group PLC | 30 |
Whistl UK Ltd. | 30 |
Yorkshire Repak Limited | 30 |
CAPITA PLC | 60 |
LADbible Group | 30 |
Q Care Ltd | 40 |
University of Wolverhampton Multi Academy Trust | 40 |
Berneslai Homes Ltd | 30 |
Corona corporate Solutions Ltd | 30 |
NDH CARE LTD | 34 |
Peninsula Care Homes ltd | 30 |
Reynold 123 Limited | 34 |
Search Consultancy Limited | 30 |
The Calico Group | 30 |
Williams & Co | 40 |
Bolloré Logistics UK Ltd | 30 |
Internet Fusion Ltd | 45 |
Learning Curve Group Limited | 30 |
Pilgrim's Pride UK Ltd | 60 |
The Northam Care Trust | 30 |
Heritage Taverns Ltd | 30 |
Oliver Marketing Limited | 30 |
Wincanton Holdings Ltd | 120 |
Places For People Group Limited | 41 |
The Gym Limited | 30 |
Portakabin Limited | 30 |
Unity Schools Partnership | 65 |
Astute Ltd | 31 |
Made To Order Limited | 30 |
E-ACT | 66 |
M&D Green Dispensing Chemist Limited | 30 |
Aspire Defence Services Ltd | 69 |
Suffolk's Libraries IPS Limited | 30 |
Treloar Trust | 30 |
Ronnies Limited | 35 |
Vantec Europe Ltd | 30 |
Tops Day Nursery Limited | 37 |
Coppergreen Developments Ltd | 41 |
Coffee1 Ltd | 30 |
Moorhouse Group | 30 |
Action Centres UK Ltd | 30 |
SPECTRUM HEALTHCARE DOMICILIARY CARE LIMITED | 30 |
Optima Care | 30 |
Clipper Logistics PLC | 105 |
Pre-school Learning Alliance | 50 |
Peter Vardy Ltd | 58 |
Rosebourne Limited | 30 |
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust | 30 |
Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust | 44 |
The Royal Mint | 32 |
Osbourne Co-operative Academy Trust | 30 |
Coate WATER Cre Company Ltd | 80 |
J Murphy & Sons Ltd | 52 |
Persona Care and Support Limited | 30 |
Doncaster Culture & Leisure Trust | 30 |
London North Eastern Railway Limited | 38 |
Harris Federation | 60 |
Aggregate Industries | 39 |
Impact Education Multi Academy Trust | 35 |
The Growth Company | 31 |
Go Train Ltd | 30 |
Furniture Resource Centre Limited | 30 |
Key Care & Support | 30 |
Saint John of God Hospitaller Services | 30 |
MLL Telecom Limited | 36 |
Brunelcare | 42 |
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | 30 |
The Football League (Community) Ltd T/A EFL Trust | 475 |
Muslim Council of Britain Charitable Foundation | 90 |
HIT Training Ltd | 48 |
One for the people limited | 30 |
Casual Speakers Ltd | 38 |