The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she discussed soil carbon targets when she met Miguel Arias Cañete, Climate Action and Energy Commissioner, at their meeting on 12 May 2016 on emissions targets not included in the Emissions Trading System.
Amber Rudd
My meeting on 12 May with Commissioner Cañete was one of a number we have had to discuss a wide range of EU Climate and Energy issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost to the public purse was of the Notifications of Inadequate System Margin issued on 9 May 2016 by the National Grid; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
There was no cost to the public purse resulting from the Notice of Inadequate System Margin issued on 9 May.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of coal burnt in UK coal-fired power stations in each of the last three years was mined in the UK.
Andrea Leadsom
This can be estimated by subtracting the amount of steam coal imports (mainly used by coal-fired power stations) by the total amount of coal used in electricity generation. Please see the table below:
|
Imports of steam coal (thousand tonnes) |
Coal used in generation (thousand tonnes) |
UK produced coal used for generation * (thousand tonnes) |
Proportion of UK produced coal used for generation % |
|
|
2013 |
42,995 |
50,041 |
7,046 |
14.0% |
|
2014 |
35,294 |
38,400 |
3,106 |
8.0% |
|
2015 (provisional) |
20,631 |
29,342 |
8,711 |
29.6% |
* This includes stocks from earlier years.
Source:
Energy Trends tables 2.1 and 2.4, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-section-2-energy-trends.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what measures she is putting in place to minimise the number of Notifications of Inadequate System Margin issued by the National Grid; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
A Notice of Inadequate System Margin is one of the tools National Grid use to maintain margins in the system and can happen at any time for a variety of reasons. Issuing a NISM does not mean that demand is about to outstrip supply: it is a notice to the market to bring forward further capacity. National Grid issue NISMs ahead of dispatching capacity from its supplementary balancing reserve, which will include 3.5GW of dispatchable generating capacity next winter. This will give any remaining capacity in the market first opportunity to respond but does not signal any significant risk of shortages. National Grid’s objective is to secure supplies and the NISM is an important tool to achieve that objective with minimum distortion to the market.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Miller on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what process her Department has for deciding whether (a) additional electricity generation is needed in a local area and (b) that generation should be centralised or decentralised
Andrea Leadsom
The Government does not determine where new generation should connect to the network; this is a commercial decision for individual developers. The Department has, however, introduced the Capacity Market, which is designed to incentivise both new generation investment and maximise the use of existing assets to ensure that Great Britain as a whole has a secure, affordable and clean energy supply. On 6 May, Government announced that it would buy more capacity, earlier, and bring forward the start of the Capacity Market delivery period by a year to 2017/18.
The network charging regimes (through the locational price zones at the high-voltage transmission network or connection charging regime at the lower voltage distribution network) provide price signals that encourage developers to connect where it is economically efficient to do so, helping to limit costs passed through to consumers. The charging regimes are designed by the network industry in line with the requirement to be cost-reflective, and are approved by Ofgem.
New generation connecting above 132kv will connect to the transmission network, whereas at that level and below, it will connect to the local distribution network. In Scotland, 132kv also forms part of the transmission network.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many smart (a) electric and (b) gas meters have been installed in (i) Manchester, Withington constituency, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) the UK since the smart meter programme was implemented.
Andrea Leadsom
Data on the number of smart electricity and gas meters installed in Great Britain is set out in the Government’s ‘Smart Meters, Great Britain, Quarterly report to end December 2015’, published on 31 March 2016:
The roll-out is making good progress with more than 3 million meters now operating under the Programme which covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland is undertaking a separate roll-out programme.
Data is not collected from energy suppliers in a way that allows constituency or regional-level data to be produced.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which coal-fired power stations are either currently producing electricity or are on standby to do so if the need arises; and if she will make a statement.
Andrea Leadsom
The following coal fired power stations currently retain Transmission Entry Capacity and are therefore capable of supplying electricity into the wholesale market when it is economic for them to do so: Aberthaw B, Cottam, Drax (units 1,4,5 & 6), Fiddler’s Ferry (units 1,2 & 3) Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Uskmouth, West Burton and Rugeley. The owner of Rugeley has announced its intention to close the station by the end of June 2016.
Eggborough and Fiddler’s Ferry (unit 1) are currently part of National Grid’s Supplementary Balancing Reserve, and are capable of supplying electricity if the need arises.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect on the solar industry of the Valuation Office Agency’s proposals to increase business rates for solar PV FIT and RO installations dating back to 2010.
Andrea Leadsom
Business rates are calculated based on a property’s ‘rateable value’. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for determining the rateable values in line with existing legislation and case law.
The VOA is currently consulting with the solar industry over how those rateable values will apply to solar installations from 1st April 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many free schools projects have been cancelled at any stage in each year since 2011.
Edward Timpson
A list of free school projects that were cancelled or withdrawn between 2011 and 2015, and that have final confirmed expenditure, is published on GOV.UK at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether parity of esteem as established in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to people who live in the Republic of Ireland.
Lord Dunlop
This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland.
As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply.
As I have set out in previous replies to the Noble Lord, this Government is firm in its commitment to the protection of people against any form of discrimination, and the promotion of opportunity for all, across the whole of our United Kingdom.
In respect of the Noble Lord’s question about those who might march wearing army uniforms but who are not members of an army, the concept of parity of esteem clearly does not absolve people from upholding the law. This Government has made clear many times that we will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the security forces and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.