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  • Henry Bellingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Bellingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Bellingham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) police the shell fisheries industry in the Wash area.

    George Eustice

    The shellfisheries in the Wash are managed by the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) through a combination of the Wash Fishery Order 1992 Regulations and local IFCA Byelaws. This includes the introduction of closed seasons, gear restriction and the use of permits to control access to certain fisheries. This is in addition to EU and UK regulations. The IFCA officers also work closely with Marine Management Organisation officers on enforcement operations within the Wash area.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how soon the cage trapping and shooting of badgers was implemented alongside the freeshooting of badgers after the commencement of the pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire in 2013; and what authorisation from the Department was required.

    George Eustice

    Cage trapping was used from the outset in each of the pilot areas. Under the licence issued to each area, cage trapping and shooting and controlled shooting are both permitted control methods. No further authorisation from the Department was required.

    The Guidance issued to Natural England on issuing licenses to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and the Government’s policy document on Bovine TB and badger control in England, both state ‘in order to ensure humaneness, only two culling methods will be permitted (which can be used in combination, or as single control methods): i. cage-trapping followed by shooting; and ii. controlled shooting.’ Both of these documents were published on 14th December 2011.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date cage trapping and shooting of badgers was implemented alongside the free-shooting of badgers in the pilot badger cull in Somerset in 2013; and on what date free shooting had started in that cull.

    George Eustice

    Cage trapping was used from the outset in each of the pilot areas. Under the licence issued to each area, cage trapping and shooting and controlled shooting are both permitted control methods. No further authorisation from the Department was required.

    The Guidance issued to Natural England on issuing licenses to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and the Government’s policy document on Bovine TB and badger control in England, both state ‘in order to ensure humaneness, only two culling methods will be permitted (which can be used in combination, or as single control methods): i. cage-trapping followed by shooting; and ii. controlled shooting.’ Both of these documents were published on 14th December 2011.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Dan Rogerson

    Core Defra does not hold this information because some stocks are held locally and some are ordered centrally.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Gregory Barker

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not keep a central record of stock levels for stationery, treasury tags or any other office consumables. This is because individual teams within the Department are responsible for their own particular needs (with weekly deliveries when required), negating the need for an overall ‘Departmental’ store.

    However, printer cartridges are procured and stored by the Departmental IT team. The stock is regularly checked with an aim to ensure there are always approximately 80 cartridges on site (of varying types and colours) to cover four Central London buildings/offices.

  • Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to ensure that the renewable heat incentive scheme is targeted on households most in need of help with their energy bills.

    Gregory Barker

    The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is targeted at, but not limited to, homes off the gas grid, which are more expensive to heat than those with mains gas. Households without mains gas have the most potential to save on their fuel bills and decrease their carbon emissions. The RHI is funded through general taxation rather than through a ‘green levy’ on energy bills.

    As well as homeowners, the domestic RHI is also open to social landlords and private landlords. Following the very successful Renewable Heat Premium Payment Social Landlords’ Competitions, with over 4,200 installations to date, we expect to see significant take-up in the social housing sector.

  • Damian Hinds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Damian Hinds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Damian Hinds on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on the incidence of power cuts by (a) county and (b) parliamentary constituency.

    Michael Fallon

    Statistics on the number of power cuts are held by Ofgem. Ofgem measure the number and duration of power cuts based on the number of customer interruptions (interruptions per 100 connected customers) and customer minutes lost (minutes of supply lost per connected customer). The statistics, broken down by Distribution Network Operator, can be found in tables A10.1 and A10.2 of Ofgem’s Assessment of the RIIO-ED1 business plans document, pages 86 and 88:

    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84945/assessmentoftheriio-ed1businessplans.pdf

    Ofgem do not collect a more detailed regional breakdown than what is presented in both of these tables.

    “

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to his Answer of 16 January 2014, Official Report, columns 994-5, whether his Department is seeking to promote first or second generation biomass and biofuels; and whether his Department has made a sustainability assessment of both forms.

    Michael Fallon

    First and second generation biofuels are the responsibility of the Department of Transport.

    Biomass, when sourced sustainably, can provide a cost-effective, low carbon and controllable source of renewable energy.

    The sustainability standards referred to by the Secretary of State’s Answer of 16 January 2014, Official Report, columns 994-5, refer to the use of solid and gaseous biomass for the purposes of renewable electricity generation under the Renewables Obligation (RO). To ensure that Government only supports sustainably produced biomass, it recently introduced requirements as part of the Renewables Obligation. Similar measures will be introduced under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) this autumn, and we intend to mirror the RO requirements within the Contracts for Difference.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the costs associated with supporting new nuclear power stations in England and Wales will be levied on energy consumers in Northern Ireland.

    Michael Fallon

    The supplier obligation will raise funds to cover all liabilities under all Contracts for Difference (CfDs), including nuclear ones. All licensed suppliers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be obliged to pay the supplier obligation in due course.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to his Answer of 14 January 2013, Official Report, column 481W, on biofuels, is biomass feedstock origin recorded in the renewable energy planning database; and what his policy is on the use of biomass feedstock sourced from outside the UK.

    Michael Fallon

    Biomass feedstock origin is not recorded in the renewable energy planning database but this information is required to be submitted as part of the reporting requirements for biomass and bioliquids under the Renewables Obligation and is published annually by Ofgem.

    With regards to bioliquids, the Renewable Energy Directive sets out the sustainability requirements which must be complied with in order to receive financial support. The key considerations of land use criteria and greenhouse gas balance are required to be met by both domestic and imported feedstock.

    In the case of solid and gaseous biomass, the UK has established its own criteria which include a minimum of 60% greenhouse gas (GHG) lifecycle saving against the average EU fossil electricity grid intensity. Transport related carbon emissions as well as any direct land use change, whether in the UK or elsewhere, are considered as part of the GHG lifecycle assessment for biomass electricity.