Blog

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy that costs associated with the regulation and monitoring of exploration and extraction of unconventional gas are levied on industry.

    Dan Rogerson

    The issue of environmental licences and permits at individual shale gas sites is financed through the Environment Agency’s charges. The shale gas industry remains at an early exploration stage and the Agency will keep its charges under review in light of developments. In the meantime, the Environment Agency will ensure that it allocates sufficient resources within its overall budget to regulate a safe and sustainable shale gas industry.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the costs of the regulation and monitoring of exploration and extraction of unconventional gas (a) at each drilling site and (b) the exploration in England and Wales.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency raises charges for environmental permits and licences at the individual sites it regulates in England. The costs can vary depending on the nature of the site and the permits required. The shale gas industry remains at an early exploration stage and the Agency will keep its charges under review in light of developments. The annual budget the Environment Agency receives is adequate to ensure that sufficient money is allocated to costs associated with regulating the industry and for monitoring of sites during the exploration phase. As the industry develops over the next few decades appropriate funds will continue to be available to ensure the safe and sustainable exploitation of shale gas.

  • Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona O’Donnell on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on fuel poverty and the use of prepayment meters by the fuel poor.

    Gregory Barker

    Officials in the Department liaise regularly with the Scottish Government on a range of fuel poverty related issues.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to ensure that the new Fuel Poverty Target will address the specific needs of people affected by conditions such as muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular conditions.

    Gregory Barker

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough on 26 February 2014, Official Report, Column 416W.

  • Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what involvement his Department had in overseeing the activities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in awarding the Magnox/RSRL contract; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for running the competition to secure a new Parent Body Organisation for Magnox Ltd and Research Sites Restoration Ltd in line with its statutory duties and responsibilities under the Energy Act 2004. The competition is run in strict accordance with UK and EU procurement regulations. Oversight and governance is provided by the NDA’s Competition Programme Board, on which the Government is represented by the Shareholder Executive (on behalf of DECC), HM Treasury and Infrastructure UK. Formal Government approval will be required before the contract can be awarded in September.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Oliver Colvile – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of 27 March 2014, Official Report, columns 345-6W, on the Green Deal scheme, if he will take steps to enable Green Deal providers to access all the supporting data for Green Deal reports held by Landmark Information Group.

    Gregory Barker

    The supporting data for Green Deal Advice Reports held by Landmark Information Group contains sensitive personal data, such as how householders use energy. We do not think it appropriate for Providers to have access to this data, given Data Protection considerations.

    We understand that Providers would find the raw data useful to tailor Green Deal Advice Reports around the measures customers want installed. However, they have access to the Green Deal Improvement Package Tool – which would allow them to tailor the Reports as necessary. This tool can be found at:

    https://www.gdsap.org.uk

    “

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, how much onshore wind capacity was recovered in each month in 2013.

    Kris Hopkins

    The main consideration in the recovery of wind turbine appeals is the potential impact of the development on the surrounding area, in the particular circumstances of each appeal and its location. The generation capacity of the appeal is not a driver in the decision on whether or not the appeal should be recovered.

    As I said in my earlier answer my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the quantity of biomass consumed by the one per cent of biomass plant that was below 1MW in capacity.

    Michael Fallon

    We have not made a recent estimate of the quantity of biomass consumed by biomass plant below 1MW in capacity.

    However, based on modelling published in the Impact Assessment to the Renewables Obligation Banding Review 2012, we can estimate the theoretical quantity of biomass that would be consumed by 1% of total generating capacity. Assuming all the planned plants were built, this would give a theoretical maximum equivalent to around 150,000 oven dried tonnes per annum in 2016/17. This figure excludes potential capacity changes to plants below 1 MW as a result of the introduction of the 400MW cap for new build dedicated biomass.

  • Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons eight of the 13 governors from Park View Academy resigned within five months of its transfer to academy status.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Governors may resign at any time for their own reasons; they do not need to tell the Department for Education or their fellow governors why.

    The Department’s preference is for small and manageable, skill-based strategic governing bodies as these are more effective, and it will normally recommend this when an academy trust is first formed. The governance arrangements for an academy trust are set out in its articles of association.

    Park View Educational Trust has told the Department that there was a need to rationalise the governing body to ensure it could operate more effectively, and in order to comply with the Department’s preferred model when other academies joined the trust to form a multi-academy trust.

    We are aware of the serious allegations made in relation to some local authority schools and academies in Birmingham. Park View Academy has recently been inspected by Ofsted, and officials from the Department have also visited the school. We will not hesitate to take firm action if the high standards and requirements expected of schools are not being met – in particular, where we become aware of issues of concern in an academy we will move quickly to resolve these. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what responsibilities local authorities have to ensure that asylum seekers who are leaving care they entered as a child receive alternative support once they reach adulthood.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Unaccompanied asylum seeking children must be provided with the same support as for any care leaver, as set out in Volume 3 of ‘The Children Act Guidance and Regulations: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers’.[1]

    Financial support for looked after unaccompanied asylum seeking children should reflect their needs as eligible care leavers and their immigration needs. As for any relevant child, once an unaccompanied asylum seeking child leaves care or reaches the age of 18, a personal advisor must be appointed to support them.

    [1]http://resources.leavingcare.org/uploads/c4f7aeaf941cdefb8f4a18f478aa1f19.pdf

    “