Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any study of the tidal power stations at (1) Shashan in China, and (2) Rance in France, including a comparison of the life span and cost of decommissioning nuclear power stations; whether they are aware of any tidal barrage scheme being decommissioned; and how they assess the longevity of tidal power by comparison to other energy sources.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has not undertaken any specific studies of the Shashan and Rance tidal power stations nor has it commissioned an assessment to compare the life span and costs of decommissioning for tidal and nuclear power stations.
Any proposed tidal range schemes would need to demonstrate strong evidence of value for money in the context of other low-carbon technologies inclusive of life span and costs of decommissioning, as well as details of their associated energy system benefits and environmental impact mitigation strategies before the Government could take a view on their potential or on the funding models appropriate for exploration.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to improve (a) the Help to Save scheme and (b) how bonuses are calculated for that scheme.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government launched a consultation on reforming the Help to Save scheme on 27 April 2023. The consultation seeks views from stakeholders on how the scheme could be reformed and simplified to ensure it: has longevity as a key savings product for working people on low incomes; encourages take-up in the target group; and provides the best value for taxpayers. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/help-to-save-reform.
At present, Help to Save account holders can save a maximum of £50 a month and earn two tax-free bonuses over four years. After the first two years, the saver receives a bonus of 50% of the highest balance in their Help to Save account at any point in years one and two. After four years, they will get a further bonus of 50% of the difference between the highest balance saved in the first two years and the highest balance saved in the last two years.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of maintenance by highway authorities of (a) drainage gullies and (b) other (i) channels, (ii) culverts and (iii) drains to facilitate water drainage from road carriageways; whether there are any (A) incentives for and (B) requirements on such authorities to ensure adequate maintenance; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In respect of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), National Highways specifies the requirements for drainage design and maintenance in its Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB). This suggests that those responsible for the network should:
o remove surface water from the carriageway as quickly as possible to provide safety and minimum nuisance to the road users;
o maximise longevity of the pavement and its associated earthworks;
o minimise the impact of the runoff on the receiving environment in terms of flood risk and water quality; and,
o manage water flows from earthworks and structures associated with the roads.
On the strategic road network, drainage work is carried out via planned renewal and improvement work funded by the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS), with performance monitored and reported to the Office for Rail and Road.
On other roads, drainage gullies are the responsibility of the respective local highway authority. Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, to maintain the local highway network. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to assist people managing small music venues to acquire the freehold ownership of those venues in order to create protected leaseholds.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.
The Music Venues Trust created Music Venue Properties and launched the ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign in June 2022. The campaign is currently raising funds to take control of the freeholds of music venue premises and bring them under a protected status of benevolent ownership. The Government is supportive of this industry-led initiative and welcomes the sector seeking solutions to ensure the longevity of the UK’s beloved music venues. Minister Lopez is meeting Music Venues Trust shortly to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to police and forensic nurses regarding the use of Alternative Light Sources to detect bruising on dark skin; and what steps they are taking to support the use of this process.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office has not issued any official guidance.
The identification and interpretation of bruising is medical opinion and well established (see for example Assessment of bruise age on dark-skinned individuals using tristimulus colorimetry - PubMed (nih.gov)) in terms of amount of force, type of impact and longevity. Darker skin makes it more difficult but not impossible to examine. Various light sources and other means can be used to reveal or enhance the information which is a branch of forensic photography.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will publish its time frame on the longevity of the Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Nabarro Claims Solutions (NCS) administer the Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme (CIPCS) on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Scheme remains open to those who meet the criteria, and the Department has no plans to make any changes to the CIPCS
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of sequins on the level of plastic pollution in England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the environmental impact of the textiles industry, which is why we identified the sector as a priority for action in the Government’s 2018 Resources & Waste Strategy for England. A key part of this strategy is working with industry to reduce their environmental impact. In 2021 we funded Textiles 2030, our new voluntary programme delivered by our partner WRAP, with signatories representing more than 62% of all clothing placed on the UK market. Through Textiles 2030, WRAP is working with members to drive circular design. A toolkit has been produced for members to support design and production teams to make decisions that reduce waste, increase longevity and support recyclability.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the International Longevity Centre UK The Mayhew Review – Future-proofing retirement living: Easing the care and housing crises, published on 1 November; and in particular the recommendation that His Majesty’s Government should aim to build 50,000 new homes for older people each year to address issues in the (1) housing, and (2) social care, sectors.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Ensuring older people have access to the right homes that suit their needs can help them to live independently for longer and feel more connected to their communities.
We announced in the Levelling Up White Paper an older people’s housing taskforce, to explore how we can improve the choice of and access to housing options for older people.
We are continually increasing our understanding of this market, and note the recommendations in Professor Mayhew's recent review alongside contributions from other stakeholders.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in the Republic of Kenya.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Kenya is a regional and continental leader as well as a strategic and historic partner to the UK. On 5 September, following Kenya's Supreme Court ruling to uphold the results of the 9 August Presidential election, Minister Ford, my predecessor as Minister for Africa, congratulated President-elect Rt. Hon. William Ruto.
The UK welcomes the commitment President-elect Ruto has made to governing in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation and welcome the crucial role played by his opponent, Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, over the years, in contributing to the evolution of democracy in Kenya. We also applaud the rising role of women in Kenyan politics and the improvements in this made since 2013 and 2017, in part due to the work of civil society organisations and other non-state actors to equitable participation.
We look forward to continuing our work with the next Kenyan Government and all the country's elected leaders and ensuring the longevity of the UK-Kenya partnership.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the political situation in Kenya.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Kenya is a regional and continental leader as well as a strategic and historic partner to the UK. On 5 September, following Kenya's Supreme Court ruling to uphold the results of the 9 August Presidential election, Minister Ford, my predecessor as Minister for Africa, congratulated President-elect Rt. Hon. William Ruto.
The UK welcomes the commitment President-elect Ruto has made to governing in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation and welcome the crucial role played by his opponent, Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, over the years, in contributing to the evolution of democracy in Kenya. We also applaud the rising role of women in Kenyan politics and the improvements in this made since 2013 and 2017, in part due to the work of civil society organisations and other non-state actors to equitable participation.
We look forward to continuing our work with the next Kenyan Government and all the country's elected leaders and ensuring the longevity of the UK-Kenya partnership.