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  • Anne Marie Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne Marie Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Marie Morris on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Department has paid in fines to the EU since 2010.

    George Eustice

    As from financial year 2010/11 Defra has accrued £336m for disallowance following the conclusion of EU audits, broken down by financial year as shown in the table below. This relates to a number of different Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Schemes over a number of historical scheme years as disallowance is paid in arrears. These are the only fines that have been imposed on Defra by the EU since 2010.

    Disallowance (*) £m

    10/11

    11/12

    12/13

    13/14

    14/15

    181

    42

    2

    30

    81

    (*) Reflects the sums the European Commission have ruled cannot be reimbursed (i.e. the amounts they have “disallowed”).

    “

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information her Department holds on the number of ultra-super critical coal-fired power stations in other countries that are (a) generating electricity and (b) under construction.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department does not hold this information.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of which fuel source is the most efficient for national electricity grid re-starts following power cuts; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC officials routinely work with National Grid to assess the resilience of response processes, including the failure of the National Electricity Transmission System.

    This work includes assessment of how different fuel sources can deliver this ‘Black Start’ capability.

  • Geraint Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Geraint Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geraint Davies on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to assist the RWE Group and the Health and Safety Executive in developing plans for the next stage of recovery at Didcot Power Station.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As the Minister with responsibility for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), I have met with representatives of Thames Valley Police (TVP) and HSE to discuss progress with recovery. I have received assurance that the responsible organisation, RWE Group, has presented a plan to HSE and TVP to commence work safely on the debris pile of the collapsed structure in order to recover the missing men.

    The Strategic Coordinating Group (‘Gold’ command) is coordinating the multi-agency responders to resume the recovery operation. Progress with the plan over the coming days will be monitored by HSE and TVP as part of the ongoing response to the incident.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) support and (b) subsidy her Department makes available for new nuclear power production.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Our electricity market reforms have set the right conditions for necessary investment in our energy market, and support low-carbon generation in nuclear as well as in other generating sectors through Contracts for Difference.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on hydro pump storage in Scotland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Mr. Fergus Ewing, in October last year where energy storage was discussed. This resulted in a dialogue between the two ministers discussing next steps. The dialogue has been taken forward at official-level through existing working groups such as the Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group (LCICG).

    We are investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions. We are focussing in the first instance on removing policy and regulatory barriers. DECC plans to issue a call for evidence on a smart system routemap shortly.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the viability of hydro pump storage energy solutions; and what support her Department makes available to that industry.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Energy storage is one way to provide flexibility to the energy system, alongside demand side response, interconnection and smarter networks. We continue to assess the potential for all forms of energy storage, including pumped hydro, to benefit the UK energy system.

    More than £80m public sector controlled support has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012. This innovation funding has included DECC grant support for a UK pumped hydro storage developer to assess the potential location of new pumped hydro sites around Great Britain. The developer concluded that up to 15GW of novel pumped storage could be possible, using various criteria such as the presence of existing or potential reservoirs, grid connection distance and whether the site is in an environmentally sensitive area. Other pumped storage developers have independently identified over 1 GW of additional potential pumped storage.

    We are also investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions. We are focussing in the first instance on removing policy and regulatory barriers. DECC plans to issue a call for evidence on a smart systems route map in due course.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the final version of the report on pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage will be published.

    Nick Boles

    The final reports on pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination in the workplace were published on 22 March 2016, together with the Government response to recommendations made by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. We had intended to publish the final reports in December 2015, but this did not prove possible as the research reports were extensive and took longer than expected to finalise.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons sex and relationships education is statutory in maintained secondary schools and not in other secondary schools.

    Edward Timpson

    Academies do not have to follow the national curriculum but are required to provide a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum. This allows them to have the maximum possible freedom to personalise learning for all their pupils, including the most able pupils and those needing additional support.

    The Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver relationship education as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.

    Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000) which makes clear that all sex and relationship education should be age-appropriate and that schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgements and behaviour.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reason is for the time taken to publish the final version of the report on pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage.

    Nick Boles

    The final reports on pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination in the workplace were published on 22 March 2016, together with the Government response to recommendations made by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. We had intended to publish the final reports in December 2015, but this did not prove possible as the research reports were extensive and took longer than expected to finalise.