Tag: 2022

PRESS RELEASE : End of minimum consumption charge welcome – Carla Lockhart [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 1 November 2022.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has said the decision by Firmus Energy to remove their minimum consumption charge for customers is a welcome step for hard pressed households faced with the pressures associated with energy costs. She had been lobbying Firmus on this issue following a large number of consumers getting in touch concerning this charge.

Carla Lockhart said:

“Everyone is aware of the pressures on household budgets as a consequence of record energy prices.

As we now enter into a colder period of weather, many families will be making the difficult decision of balancing the need for heat with the extortionate cost of heat. I have no doubt that in many homes across Northern Ireland, reduction in the amount of energy consumed will be the norm this winter as people try to make ends meet.

In light of this focus on efficiency it is important that energy companies do not impose unfair charges on the basis of minimum usage. I am delighted that after engagement with Firmus Energy, they have decided to remove their minimum consumption charge. This will save households £71.99 plus VAT.

I commend Firmus Energy for taking this step. It will make a difference to some households and is a welcome and timely boost. We now need to be continuing to work to see the price of gas fall, whilst also ensuring Government energy support packages are fit for purpose and remain for as long as they are necessary.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Leadership needed to tackle sectarian hate crimes – Keith Buchanan [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 31 October 2022.

Democratic Unionist MLA Keith Buchanan has called on all those who represent the Mid Ulster Constituency to take a strong stand against the kind of sectarian hatred which led to the arson attack on Ballynougher Orange Hall.

The Mid Ulster MLA said, “The individual or individuals responsible for this crime are those who forced their way into the hall and deliberately set out to destroy it. It was a sectarian hate-crime perpetrated against their neighbours and they deserve to face the full weight of the law for it.

Such intolerance however can be fed by an atmosphere of hostility and there needs to be strong leadership to counter it. When there is a failure to take a clear stand against sectarian chants that glorify the IRA it fuels a toxic atmosphere. When there are calls to exclude unionism from political decision-making or to impose joint authority on Northern Ireland it only serves to increase the political temperature. When some in positions of leadership claim there was no alternative to violence and intimidation in the past then it is no surprise that others see that as a ‘green light’ to emulate those tactics today.

I would call on all those who represent the Mid Ulster Constituency to take a clear public stand against this attack on Ballynougher Orange Hall and on the kind of sectarianism we have seen all too often in recent months. The weekend’s attack is not the first Orange Hall to be damaged in recent weeks and many will feel that it is not a coincidence that such attacks increase when there has been an absence of leadership within republicanism.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Buchanan condemns Orange Hall blaze [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 30 October 2022.

DUP Mid Ulster MLA Keith Buchanan and DUP Councillor Anne Forde have called for political leadership from all parties in Mid Ulster after Ballynougher Orange Hall, outside Magherafelt, was seriously damaged by fire.

Mr Buchanan said,

“I visited the hall this evening as fire crews were battling to bring the blaze under control. One of the metal window-guards had been removed when the fire was discovered. The fire has seriously damaged the hall with the roof collapsed.

The police are investigating the circumstances. I call on anyone with information to contact the police in Magherafelt.

I also call on all political leaders to condemn those who continue to attack Orange Halls. It speaks volumes that this hall had to have metal sheets across all its windows and doors in the first place. There is no place for such hatred in society. The men and women of that lodge have every right to exist in Mid Ulster and live peaceably.”

Cllr Anne Forde said,

“This lodge is well rooted in the community and has been here for over 100 years. The folks in the lodge just want to be respected and be able to celebrate their Orange culture. Those who are so intolerant as to want the hall destroyed need removed from our streets. This is not an attack on bricks and mortar, it is an attack on the people who use that facility.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Lyons – progress is only made through consensus [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 30 October 2022.

DUP Director of Elections and East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons has said Sinn Fein is more focused on convincing us the IRA had ‘no alternative’ than they are on recognising the damage the Protocol will do to Northern Ireland.

Gordon Lyons said,

“Michelle O’Neill couldn’t care less about the view of unionists. She is playing dog whistle politics, but the facts speak for themselves. Sir Jeffrey made a speech on 1 July 2021 and another one on 9 September 2021 setting out how the Protocol was incompatible with devolution and the actions we were going to take. We then withdrew our First Minister several months before the Assembly election even took place. Our actions have nothing to do with the election result.

We all know Sinn Fein don’t want Northern Ireland to work but for those of us who do want Northern Ireland to prosper the Government should focus its energy on ensuring the Protocol is dealt with and Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market is restored.

Progress is only made in Northern Ireland with the support of unionists and nationalists. Not a single unionist MLA supports the Protocol. Sinn Fein doesn’t care about the view of unionists and still want the Protocol “rigorously implemented”. Indeed, Michelle O’Neill seems to care more about justifying the IRA than the fact our main hauliers say the Protocol would empty our shelves within 48hrs.

Sinn Fein should start listening to unionists because until the Protocol is replaced there will not be a sound and solid basis to see a return of devolved government.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Government should focus on dealing with the Protocol – Sir Jeffrey Donaldson [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 28 October 2022.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP has called on the Government to focus on resolving the problem rather than dithering over an election.

Sir Jeffrey said:

“The Government and the NIO talked up an election and now no one knows what is happening. Parliament is sovereign and can of course legislate to keep Ministers if it so wishes.

It is now clear the Secretary of State’s boss, the Prime Minister, has not yet decided how to proceed.

The Government should focus its time and energy on ensuring the Protocol problem is dealt with and Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market is restored.

We are ready to fight an immediate election if one is called. An election will not solve the problem which is that until the Protocol is replaced there will not be a sound and solid basis to see a return of devolved government.

So our message to the Government continues to be that they need to get the Protocol replaced and then we will have the basis for establishing a devolved government that Unionists and Nationalists can support.

The Government has undermined its own credibility in recent weeks, instead of focusing on the underlying problem.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Violence and/or the threat of it is never acceptable [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 28 October 2022.

A DUP statement has emphasised that violence should have no place or influence in a democracy.

A DUP spokesman said,

“Progress is only made in Northern Ireland when unionists and nationalists are agreed. Northern Ireland always succeeds when we build on foundations and arrangements that are supported by both Unionists and Nationalists.

Politics and democratic processes are the only way that we will succeed in overcoming the challenges of the Protocol.

Violence and/or the threat of it is never acceptable and the DUP always advocates the democratic route as opposed to arguing that there was “no alternative” to violence as some have recently said. We have consistently condemned violence.”

November 1, 2022
Jacob Rees-Mogg – 2022 Comments on Johnson Campaign Running Out of Steam

The comments made by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Conservative MP for North East Somerset in the Spectator on 31 October 2022.

On the way back from Coventry, the news that Liz Truss was resigning came through. Liz is an admirable person and I supported what she wanted to do. Unfortunately, it did not work. The moment she went, the telephone started buzzing with potential candidates and slates. I wanted Boris back, as he had the mandate and his removal was a mistake. His campaign started well but then ran out of steam. This was clear by Sunday morning, when my slumbers were disturbed by the great man himself prior to the Laura Kuenssberg programme. Unlike the famous farmer, the lark is not my morning alarmer, so I was not entirely gruntled by so early a call.

November 1, 2022
Grant Shapps – 2022 Statement on the Bulb Energy Administration and Energy Bill Relief Scheme

The statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the House of Commons on 31 October 2022.

I am today updating the House on the mergers and acquisition process for Bulb Energy Ltd (‘Bulb’) in special administration.

Bulb Energy Ltd (‘Bulb’) was taken into special administration by an order of the court on 24 November 2021. Ofgem applied to court, with the consent of my predecessor but one, my right hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng), based on their determination that the special administration regime (SAR) was the most appropriate route for protecting Bulb’s circa l.5 million customers in the circumstances prevailing at that time—a recommendation which had subsequent BEIS accounting officer and ministerial concurrence.

The court appointed three individuals from Teneo Financial Advisory Ltd (‘Teneo’) as joint energy administrators and, following an application by Teneo, directed they enter into the circa £l.7 billion funding agreement with BEIS to support the achievement of their statutory objective of ensuring continuity of supply to Bulb’s customers at the lowest practicable cost until such time as the company may be rescued, or the business transferred to another company or companies. Bulb’s parent company, Simple Energy, was taken into “normal”—not special—administration on the same date by their secured creditors.

The energy administrators and their MSA advisers have delivered a competitive and extensive sales process over recent months, culminating in their recommendation to transact Octopus Energy’s bid as the optimal way to achieve their statutory objectives. Their recommendation has been reached after an extensive negotiation process to secure the best terms in the circumstances and detailed analysis of the counterfactual options, all of which show less favourable anticipated outcomes and carry significant operational and execution risks.

I have therefore approved the Octopus bid transaction and associated amendments to the existing funding facility and establishment of their new loan facility.

The BEIS-led consultation process on the energy transfer scheme (ETS) has commenced. Subject to Government approval, the energy administrators will arrange for a court hearing date for commencement of the ETS and to enable the completion of the transaction as all agreements take effect by mid-November.

Energy bill relief scheme (EBRS)

Vital businesses, charities, schools and hospitals up and down the country have seen an unprecedented rise in energy prices following Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, and this new Government will take the difficult decisions when necessary to support our essential British businesses and public sector services. Support has already been introduced to help families with their energy bills this winter, and this new measure will help support growth, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and protect jobs.

The energy bill relief scheme (EBRS) will provide a price reduction for all eligible businesses and other non-domestic customers such as charities, schools and hospitals, who have recently experienced unprecedented rises in gas and electricity prices. The EBRS is a significant Government intervention reflecting the seriousness of the situation we face. It aims to support growth, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and protect jobs.

Subject to the will of Parliament, the price reduction will come into force at the beginning of November 2022 in time to cover energy consumed in October and will apply to the non-domestic customer’s actual gas and electricity consumption. It is intended to run for six months from 1 October 2022 until 31 March 2023. The price reduction will be linked to the wholesale element of a non-domestic customer’s gas and electricity bill. The actual price reduction received will vary depending on the contract type that a non-domestic customer is on, as well as the tariff and volume used. Government will reimburse suppliers in accordance with the scheme.

Funding for the EBRS will be sought through the estimates process. Any future costs for the delivery of the EBRS can only be projections and will depend upon energy usage levels and changes to the wholesale price of energy. As a result, the EBRS will give rise to an uncapped contingent liability. A review of the EBRS will be published after three months to assess effectiveness of the scheme and consider how support might be extended, further targeted, or revised beyond the initial six-month period for non-domestic customers most at risk from inflated energy prices. The Treasury-led review will determine support from April 2023—an update will be provided in due course.

I have laid before Parliament a Departmental minute describing contingent liabilities arising from the energy bill relief scheme (EBRS). It is normal practice when a Government Department proposes to undertake a contingent liability of £300,000 and above, for which there is no specific statutory authority, for the Department concerned to present Parliament with a minute giving particulars of the liability created and explaining the circumstances. If the liability is called, provision for any payment will be sought through the normal supply procedure.

I regret that due to the urgency of this scheme, I have not been able to follow the usual timelines for issuing notice at least 14 parliamentary sitting days before the liability begins to be incurred.

The Treasury has approved spending for this proposal in principle. I will continue to update Parliament on this scheme.

November 1, 2022
James Bevan – 2022 Speech on Brexit
The speech made by James Bevan, the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, on 1 November 2022.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. And in my experience everyone dislikes regulation until they need it, and then they want even more of it than we regulators can supply. All the politicians I meet, all the media that scrutinise us, and all the local communities in which we operate want more not less regulatory action from the Environment Agency (EA) to tackle things like waste dumps, smelly factories, dirty rivers and so on.

It’s a good problem to have. And a reminder that the answer you get to any question often depends on how you ask it. Does any of us want red tape and bureaucracy? No. Do we want clean water, air that’s safe to breathe, a green country, jobs and growth? Yes – and those are some of the things you get from regulation when it’s done right.

My pitch to you today is this: good regulation is essential for most of the things we all want. The report we are launching today “Regulating for people, the environment and growth” – the clue is in the title – sets out what the EA does to support those things.

But no regulatory system is perfect, including ours. Brexit is a massive opportunity to rethink how we do regulation in this country. The government has embarked on that process, and we welcome the debate. Today I want to suggest some pointers about where that debate might usefully take us and the key principles that I think should guide it.

Regulation works

Let me start with an important fact: regulation works. Examples:

Water security: the EA regulates the abstraction of water in this country. If you want to take more than 20 cubic meters a day out of a river or the ground, you need an EA licence. The EA has been reviewing, changing and in some cases revoking these licences to bring them into line with what is sustainable. That has removed the risk of the abstraction of some 1.7 trillion litres of water. That’s enough water to supply London for two years. Nature, wildlife and all of us are better off as a result.

Water quality: in 2021, due to the EA’s regulation of water companies, a record 99% of bathing waters around England’s coasts met or exceeded the minimum quality standard. That is the highest level it has been since new tougher standards were introduced in 2015. Thirty years ago most of our bathing waters would have failed to meet even the minimum standards we have now. Regulation did that.

Air quality: since 2010, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the industrial sites we regulate have decreased by 72%, sulphur oxides (SOx) by 90%, and small particulate matter (PM10) by 52%. So our air is cleaner than it was, and cleaner air means people live longer and healthier lives. Regulation did that too.

Waste: I have called waste crime “the new narcotics”: it harms people, places and the economy, including by undercutting the legitimate waste industry. Our regulation of the sector ensures waste is managed safely and our fight against the criminals helps the economy: every £1 we spend on it brings at least £4 of benefit to the economy. The right regulation helps deliver growth.

Climate: in 2021 the climate change emissions trading and energy efficiency schemes that the EA manages delivered a nine million tonne reduction of CO2 compared to 2020. And since 2010, emissions of greenhouse gases from the sites we regulate have decreased by 50%. The planet is better off as a result. Regulation works.

Rethinking regulation

But no regulatory system is perfect. Both the regulations themselves and how regulators behave need to move with the times. They need to reflect changes in technology, in the needs of business, in the risks we are trying to manage, in public demand, in government policy and the law, and in the wider world around us.

Brexit is a massive opportunity to rethink how we do regulation in this country.

The government has embarked on an exercise to remove, revise or retain the body of EU-derived law currently in force, much of which is the basis for most environmental regulation in this country. We welcome that. We think it is a great opportunity to deliver better regulation and better outcomes – for people, for business and for nature.

There is already a big debate as to what pieces of legislation should be retained, what should be reformed and what should be repealed. And there should be a debate, because this really matters and because if we make the right calls we can do what the Environment Agency exists to do: create a better place.

There will be examples of laws we find we don’t really need. There will be examples where changing the law will allow us to achieve better outcomes for the environment and nature and support economic growth. And there will be some laws that it will make eminent sense to keep.

Let me give you a real-life example of each. These are my personal views, not those of the EA or the government, but the point I want to illustrate is that we should not regard the current body of laws as sacrosanct.

I would repeal the Floods Directive. This requires EU member states to carry out flood risk assessments, create maps of flood risk and flood risk management plans. That is all very sensible, which is why the UK was already doing those things before the Directive arrived and why the EA will carry on doing them now, because they are good practice and policy. But the purpose of the Directive was to drive cooperation between continental EU member states that share river basins – clearly we are not in that category.

I would reform the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in order to drive better environmental outcomes. Each time I say this I get flak from everyone, so let me say again for the avoidance of doubt, I’d reform it in order to enhance water quality and restore nature, not degrade them. The WFD rightly sets high standards for water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwater. But the way it requires us to categorise the status of those waters is complex, and can be misleading about the real state of those waters, both for better and for worse. And because the Directive stipulates that waters can only get “good” status if they tick all of several different boxes, it can force regulators to focus time and resources on indicators that may not make much difference to the actual water quality, taking focus away from things that would. I wouldn’t repeal the WFD. But I would reform it, to ensure it drives action that will deliver the clean and plentiful water we all want.

I would keep the Bathing Waters Directive, which protects public health and the environment by keeping coastal waters free from pollution. It has done exactly that, driving the water companies, the regulators, the local authorities and local communities to make huge improvements in water quality at most of our beaches. High quality bathing water benefits health and wellbeing as well as boosting local economies. According to Visit Britain, the 135 million day visits taken to the seaside in England in 2019 were worth £4.4 billion to the economy. A great example of good law and good regulation producing better outcomes for nature, people and the economy.

Principles of good regulation

As we have this debate about what kind of regulation we want for the future, let’s be guided by a few principles. Mine would be:
- Reframe how we think: good regulation is not red tape. It’s what gets you green growth and a blue planet.
- Focus on outcomes. Start and finish with the ones we want: safe and healthy people, nature restored (not just protected or its degradation slowed), sustainable and inclusive growth.
- Believe in better. The test for any regulatory change should be whether it will produce better outcomes.
- Less is more: have fewer regulations, better targeted. Regulate only the things that need regulating.
- Do it right: when you do have to regulate, do it well. Good regulation is proportionate, risk-based, evidence-driven, outcome focused, and (provided businesses do the right things) business-friendly.
- Strong regulation needs strong regulators: if regulators are going to do their jobs they need the right powers, the right resources, the right laws and the right support.
Conclusion

Ronald Reagan said that Government’s traditional view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidise it”. He was, it is pretty safe to say, not a natural fan of regulation or indeed of government. But he also said: “Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”

That’s a good distinction. Regulation doesn’t exist to protect us from ourselves. It exists to protect the things we value – people, nature, our economy – that would otherwise be harmed. So let’s have no more regulation than we need, and let’s have the right kind. But when we need it, let’s make sure we have it.
November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : RPEG – Strong regulation helping to protect environment [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 1 November 2022.

Environmental regulation is helping businesses to protect the environment and tackle the climate crisis, a new report reveals today (1 November), with more work needed to reduce serious water pollution incidents.

Some 97% of industrial sites overseen by the Environment Agency are in the top compliance bands when it comes to protecting the environment, based on a five-year moving average, helping to ensure our air, land, and water is protected from harm.

The data is revealed in the EA’s Regulating for People, Environment and Growth report (RPEG) 2021, which shows improving trends in environmental compliance.

Since 2010, there has been a 72% decrease in NOx emissions, and a 90% decrease in SOx emissions, from sites the EA regulates. There has also been a 50% decrease in emissions of greenhouse gases from sites the EA regulates during the same period.

And last year, the Environment Agency’s regulation led to the closure of 561 illegal waste sites and uncovered 445 new sites. It also ensured a nine million tonne reduction of CO2 compared to 2020 through the climate change emissions trading and energy efficiency schemes it manages.

This is alongside a record 99% of bathing waters in England meeting or exceeding the minimum quality standard last year.

The report comes as Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, delivered a speech on the future of regulation to the Whitehall and Industry Group today.

Sir James said:

Do we want clean water, air that’s safe to breathe, a green country, jobs and growth? Yes – and those are some of the things you get from regulation when it’s done right.

Good regulation is essential for most of the things we all want. The report we are launching today, Regulating for People, the Environment and Growth sets out what the EA does to support those things.

But no regulatory system is perfect, including ours. Brexit is a massive opportunity to rethink how we do regulation in this country. The government has embarked on that process, and we welcome the debate.

As an example of improving the regulatory system in a post-Brexit UK, he said opportunities lie in repealing the Floods Directive and reforming Water Framework Directive.

He said:

There will be examples of laws we find we don’t really need. There will be examples where changing the law will allow us to achieve better outcomes for the environment and nature and support economic growth. And there will be some laws that it will make eminent sense to keep.

The RPEG report, comprising data from regulatory activities in 2021, also reveals:
- Fines totalling £105 million were issued by the courts as a result of over 100 environmental prosecution cases brought by the EA in 2021
- Environmental groups have received £15 million over the past five years as a result of enforcement undertakings accepted by the EA
- Last year, we saw a reduction in CO2 of 9 million tonnes compared to 2020
- Since 2010, emissions of greenhouse gases from the sites we regulate under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) have decreased by 50%. Methane emissions from these sites have decreased by 51%
- Since 2017, through reviewing, changing and revoking abstraction licences, we have removed the risk of the potential abstraction of 1.7 trillion litres of water from the environment
However, the report also showed that in 2021, the environmental performance of England’s water and sewerage companies was the worst seen for years. Serious pollution incidents increased to their highest total since 2013, while monitors on storm overflows – installed at Environment Agency insistence – are highlighting that untreated sewage flows into our rivers too frequently.

Sir James has also welcomed the record £90 million fine imposed on Southern Water for widespread pollution last July; a clear signal that this is not what the EA or the public expect from companies whose job it is to treat sewage and protect the environment.

Sir James added:

Strong regulation needs strong regulators. If regulators are going to do their jobs they need the right powers, the right resources, the right laws and the right support.

Regulation doesn’t exist to protect us from ourselves. It exists to protect things we value – people, nature, our economy – that would not otherwise be protected. Let’s have no more regulation than we need, and let’s have the right kind. But when we need it, let’s make sure we have it.

The Environment Agency’s vision of promoting green growth and a sustainable future is a key strand of the EA’s five-year action plan, entitled ‘EA2025’.
November 1, 2022