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  • Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what amount her Department expects to pay in penalties and disallowances required by the EU Commission in relation to air pollution in 2016-17; and what contingency has been made for that purpose in her Department’s budget.

    Rory Stewart

    The Department does not expect to pay any penalties and disallowances imposed by the EU Commission in relation to air pollution in 2016-2017.

    The Commission has started infraction proceedings against the UK for not achieving European limit values for NO2. We want to work in partnership with Local Authorities and the Commission to improve air quality and avoid any prospect of fines levied from infraction. In December 2015, the Government published air quality plans setting out a comprehensive approach for meeting EU legal limits in the shortest possible time through a new programme of Clean Air Zones, alongside national action and continued investment in clean technologies. The UK has never had to pay an infraction fine.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many payments under the Basic Payments Scheme 2015 had not been made to farmers in Stafford constituency by the Rural Payments Agency by 31 March 2016.

    George Eustice

    As of 31 March 2016, the Rural Payments Agency had paid 168 (80%) of the 211 eligible Basic Payment Scheme 2015 claims received in Stafford constituency. To date 191 had been paid and the agency has announced that those customers who do not receive a claim payment in April will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be around half of their claim value.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers in Stafford constituency who are eligible for payments under the Basic Payments Scheme 2015 had not been paid by 31 March 2016.

    George Eustice

    As of 31 March 2016, the Rural Payments Agency had paid 168 (80%) of the 211 eligible Basic Payment Scheme 2015 claims received in Stafford constituency. To date 191 had been paid and the agency has announced that those customers who do not receive a claim payment in April will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be around half of their claim value.

  • David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Jones on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of microbeads on marine ecosystems.

    George Eustice

    Defra has funded a project, undertaken by the University of Plymouth, to study the effects of microplastics in the marine environment. The project studied whether chemical pollutants stick to plastic particles, whether marine organisms ingest plastic particles and pass them along the food chain, and whether the plastics themselves, or associated chemical pollutants, could cause harm to those organisms. The final report for this project is expected to be published shortly.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether a deed of variation has been agreed for Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189.

    Andrea Leadsom

    A deed of variation has not been agreed for this licence.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the firm work commitments relating to Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189 which expire on 30 June 2016 have been satisfied.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189 carries an Initial Term Work Programme to obtain and reprocess seismic data and to drill a well. The seismic data has been acquired and reprocessed. The operator has requested from the Oil and Gas Authority an amendment of the licence to allow additional time for the drilling of the well.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the number of people from the North East of England working offshore in each year since 2010.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Oil and Gas UK in the UK Continental Shelf Offshore Workforce Demographics Report 2015 estimate that of the total number of offshore workers resident in the UK, 13.8 per cent (7,711) live in the North East of England.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her Department’s definition is of abated coal-fired electricity generation; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Any new coal plant must demonstrate carbon capture and storage on at least 300 MW of its proposed generating capacity and comply with the Emissions Performance Standard. The Department will be launching a consultation on closing unabated coal-fired power stations and will ask for views on what measures might be suitable for existing coal.

  • Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when her Department will publish its most recent assessment of the effect of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government is committed to making energy more affordable, supporting a more competitive, innovative, and smarter energy system that drives down bills. At the last Autumn Statement, the government also set out action to reduce the projected impact of policies on average household energy bills by around £30 a year from 2017.

    The Department intends to publish, in due course, an update on the projected costs of policies funded through supplier levies and obligations that impact consumer energy bills. In addition, the department continues to assess the impact of individual policy proposals on the energy bills of various consumers (including households and businesses), which it sets out in relevant policy impact assessments, available online at www.gov.uk.

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  • Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the level of support offered through the Contract for Difference for Hinkley Point C as a result of low wholesale energy prices.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Contract for Difference mechanism provides increased price certainty to generators regardless of wholesale electricity sale prices, thereby incentivising investment in low carbon generation. It does this by paying the generator the difference between the strike price and the market reference price (a composite of wholesale price indices) for electricity sold into the market for the duration of the contract. The generator will make difference payments back to the Low Carbon Contracts Company should the market reference price rise above the strike price.

    The strike price for the Hinkley Point C project was agreed in October 2013 and is £92.50/MWh. If EDF take a Final Investment Decision in relation to Sizewell C, the strike price for Hinkley Point C will be reduced to £89.50/MWh.