Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of gas demand was met by imports of liquefied natural gas in each of the last 20 years.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
UK gas demand and imports of gas into the UK as liquified natural gas (LNG) in each of the last 20 years are published in Energy Trends Table 4.1.
LNG imports as a proportion of gas demand for each of the last 20 years can be derived from these data. Caution should be taken when inferring that imported LNG met demand due to the interconnected nature of gas pipeline infrastructure (e.g. LNG would be mixed with other gas in the network some of which is then exported).
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on meeting its Greening Government Commitment targets.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP’s 2023/24 GGC performance is currently being collated and will be submitted to DEFRA at the end of May 2024. Therefore, 2022/23 is the latest full year of GGC data that is available and a summary of DWP’s performance (including our ALBs) against each of the headline GGC targets from 2022/23 is provided below. Further details of DWP’s performance (excluding ALBs) is available in DWP’s 2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts.
Target A: Mitigating climate change: working towards net zero by 2050
DWP reduced our total greenhouse gas emissions by 32% compared to the 17/18 baseline, which is on track to meet the target to reduce by 45% by 2024/25.
DWP reduced our direct greenhouse gas emissions by 1% compared to the 17/18 baseline. During the pandemic DWP took on c.200 additional properties to respond to national requirements. These buildings were still part of the estate in 2022/23 which impacted the direct greenhouse gas emissions performance; however, significant estate rationalisation has occurred during 2023/24 and we forecast we will meet the 2024/25 target to reduce by 17%.
Target B: Minimising waste and promoting resource efficiency
DWP reduced our total waste generated by 31% compared to the 2017/18 baseline, exceeding the target to reduce by 15% by 2024/25.
Target C: Minimising waste and promoting resource efficiency
DWP reduced our water consumption by 19% compared to the 2017/18 baseline, exceeding the target to reduce by 8% by 2024/25.
Target D: Procuring sustainable products and services
DWP has a sustainable procurement policy and ensures all procurement activities comply with the Government Buying Standards, meeting the target requirements.
Target E: Nature Recovery – making space for thriving plants and wildlife
DWP has developed a draft nature recovery plan and intend to finalise this before 2024/25 to meet the target requirements.
Target F: Adapting to climate change
DWP has developed a climate change adaptation strategy which includes a climate change risk assessment and climate change adaptation plan for its estates and operations, meeting the target requirements.
Target G: Reducing environmental impacts from information communication technology (ICT) and digital
DWP provide annual reporting data against the ICT & digital services strategy and provide membership to the sustainable technology advice and reporting team, meeting the target requirements.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of a decline in venture capital investment in UK start-ups in the first quarter of 2024; and what steps they are taking to support the growth of the UK's innovation ecosystem.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government notes that while there have been reports of a decline in venture capital (VC) investment in UK start-ups, this has been broad based and global in nature. We also note that because of the nature of private markets, there is a lag in data reporting for VC deals, meaning that final data on investments made in Q1 2024 will not be available until later in the year.
The BBB’s Small Business Finance Monitor 2024, which covers data up to the end of Q3 2023, found that there has been a “slowdown in activity that has occurred in the market since Q2 2022” and that the market decline over the past 18 months is not unique to the UK and can be seen across other global regions.
However, we also note that VC funding in the UK has reduced from record levels in 2021/2022, and that despite this slowdown, early stage/seed funding has remained robust, indicating that there is a pipeline of future investment opportunities still being created.
The government recognises that VC funding is an important source of finance for innovative companies and is proud of the fact that the UK has the third largest VC market in the world, behind only the US and China. The government is backing British business by tackling barriers to investment, cutting taxes and rewarding work, and by supporting the priority growth sectors, including digital technology, which are helping to turn the UK into the world’s next Silicon Valley.
This includes making over £3.5 billion of public investment in the AI ecosystem since 2014, extending the sunset clause for the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust scheme to 6 April 2035, making changes to simplify and improve R&D tax reliefs, extending the British Business Bank’s Future Fund: Breakthrough investment programme, and implementing the measures the Chancellor announced at last year’s Mansion House speech to reform the pensions market to unlock investment into high growth sectors and generate increased returns for savers.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Defence Equipment and Support's article entitled £122m contract sees UK’s fleet of Airbus H145s expanded with six procured for overseas duties, published on 18 April 2024, whether that contract includes through-life support costs.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The £122 million contract with Airbus Helicopters UK for six Airbus H145 helicopters to provide aviation support to Defence outputs in Brunei and Cyprus encompasses the procurement of the aircraft, an initial three-year support plan, and includes the expenses required to establish the capability in each overseas location.
Support beyond the first three years is subject to a separate project which will include determining the nature of the procurement strategy for the future support solution.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of plantations on ancient woodland sites have had licences granted for clearfell and replanting with non-native trees in the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Forestry Commission is the regulator for the legal felling of trees in England under the provisions in the Forestry Act. Most felling licences issued require felled trees or areas of woodland to be replaced by replanting or allowed to regenerate. The exception to this is a thinning licence, where sufficient woodland cover is retained so as not to require restocking.
When considering a felling licence application the Forestry Commission will judge the proposals against the UK Forestry Standard, the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. This is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-forestry-standard. This standard encompasses the impacts on biodiversity and recognises the importance of priority habitats and species. This is why a felling licence also includes advice and guidance on additional issues a landowner needs to take into account.
The restocking conditions in a felling licence are put in place to help meet the aims of the management of the site through good silvicultural practice. While the Forestry Commission does advise on a suitable species mix there are no provisions in the Forestry Act to mandate the source of trees and whether they are native or non-native.
The guide to Managing England’s woodlands in a climate emergency, advises to manage ancient woodlands in a manner which conserves important biodiversity and heritage features. Greater diversification of species and origin of stands is advised, with a focus on southerly provenances of native species. Due to the unknown nature of acceleration of climate change, management intervention may need to be more frequent in order to preserve these rare habitats effectively. This is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-englands-woodlands-in-a-climate-emergency.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Bristol (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report Car Wash Code of Practice Project Report: Home Office Modern Slavery Prevention Fund, published by Nottingham Trent University and submitted to the Home Office in October 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office funded the evaluation report conducted by the Responsible Car Wash Scheme and Nottingham Trent University, as part of its grant funding under the Modern Slavery Prevention Fund, a one-off pot of funding to build the evidence base on what interventions work to prevent modern slavery.
The Home Office has shared the evaluation of this project with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority so the lessons from this project can be incorporated into operational activity to improve standards within the hand car wash sector. The Government has no plans to respond directly to the report.
In addition, the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (DLME) sets out the scale and nature of labour exploitation in their annual strategy to ensure the three labour market enforcement bodies are targeting the highest-risk industries. The most recent 23-24 DLME strategy highlights hand car washes as a sector at risk of labour exploitation.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Bristol (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will respond to the report Car Wash Code of Practice Project Report: Home Office Modern Slavery Prevention Fund, published by Nottingham Trent University and submitted to the Home Office in October 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office funded the evaluation report conducted by the Responsible Car Wash Scheme and Nottingham Trent University, as part of its grant funding under the Modern Slavery Prevention Fund, a one-off pot of funding to build the evidence base on what interventions work to prevent modern slavery.
The Home Office has shared the evaluation of this project with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority so the lessons from this project can be incorporated into operational activity to improve standards within the hand car wash sector. The Government has no plans to respond directly to the report.
In addition, the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (DLME) sets out the scale and nature of labour exploitation in their annual strategy to ensure the three labour market enforcement bodies are targeting the highest-risk industries. The most recent 23-24 DLME strategy highlights hand car washes as a sector at risk of labour exploitation.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times NHS trusts have been victims of ransomware attacks in the last 12 months; and whether (a) data has been (i) lost and (ii) made public and (b) a ransom has been paid in each case.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A small number of cyber-attacks against National Health Service hospitals have been made public, but the specific details on the number, nature, and subsectors of NHS organisations that have been victims of a ransomware attack in the last twelve months cannot be released, as it may prejudice the prevention or detection of cyber-attacks against the NHS.
Our around-the-clock cyber monitoring across over 1.5 million NHS computers allows us to identify that ransomware is the most significant cyber security threat currently facing the health and social care sector. Automated cyber defences and monitoring by NHS England’s Cyber Operations teams continuously deter, prevent, and disrupt attempts to break into the NHS’ IT systems. The NHS implements the Government’s policy of not condoning ransom payment.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 27 February (HL2409), when the Government-funded feasibility study on estimating the prevalence of female genital mutilation and forced marriage in England and Wales will be published.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As part of our commitment in the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2021, the Home Office commissioned the University of Birmingham in April 2023 to conduct a feasibility study to examine whether it is possible to develop prevalence estimates for both Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage.
Given the hidden nature of these crimes and lack of robust estimates, knowing more about the individuals that experience it disproportionately will allow us to make more effective, evidence-based interventions.
We have now received the final report and are reviewing the findings to determine next steps.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to reduce the cost of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recognises that the nature of the fraud threat it faces is constantly evolving and that our response must be equally as agile. The MoJ has been developing its Counter Fraud Centre of Expertise (CoEx) since 2019 and this team has a central governance and oversight role across the Department, including its Executive Agencies, Arm’s Length Bodies and core Functions.
The MoJ maintains a collaborative working relationship with the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) regarding Counter Fraud Functional Standards and performance, and contributes to PSFA thematic working groups, for example internal fraud risks.
The MoJ conducts regular internal reviews against Functional Standards across the Department and collaborates with teams to improve performance and raise awareness in terms of fraud risk assessment, fraud controls and fraud reporting.
The MoJ took part in the 2022 National Fraud Initiative that looked to identify duplicated payroll data held across other public and private sector bodies to prevent and detect fraud.
The MoJ provides management information and updates to the Department Audit and Risk Committee.
The MoJ has always had a current Counter Fraud Strategy, Policy and Response Plan in place, all of which are readily accessible on the respective Intranet sites.