Tag: Angus Brendan MacNeil

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of cancelling the carbon capture and storage on oil recovery from the North Sea oil field over the next 20 years.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government’s view remains that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has a potential role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors. There are also potential opportunities for the oil and gas and CCS industries to work together.

The Wood Review identified a range of key issues faced by the maturing UK continental shelf, which the Government and industry must jointly address to deliver maximum economic recovery (MER) of UK petroleum. In response, the Government has established the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) as a body focused on delivering MER. This has attracted strong industry support.

The OGA is considering the role of CCS in the technology and decommissioning strategies it is developing and will engage with the CCS industry to ensure that opportunities between the industries are identified and explored wherever possible.

DECC will continue to engage with industry and academia, to understand the potential for any future schemes to enhance oil recovery from the North Sea.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the planned business rate increase for organisations that seek to own or supply their energy with roof top solar panels in the light of carbon emissions targets agreed at the Paris Climate Change Conference.

Mr Marcus Jones

Business rates policy in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. In England, business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We have proposed a £3.4 billion transitional relief scheme for England to ensure that no ratepayer is unfairly penalised by the 2017 revaluation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many legal challenges have been made against her Department related to renewable energy policy in the last year.

Andrea Leadsom

There have been no such legal challenges in the last year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2016-10-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase funding for BBC ALBA.

Mr David Gauke

The Government recognises MG Alba’s valuable contribution to Gaelic language broadcasting. Although MG ALBA are funded by the Scottish Government, the previous government provided them with two one-off grants that ended in March 2016, for additional support for minority language services. MG ALBA continues to receive public funding from the Scottish Executive. There are no plans for the UK Government to provide further direct funding.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has for the effective and efficient oversight of strategic fuel stocks.

Andrea Leadsom

The UK is required to hold stocks of oil for use in response to substantial disruptions to oil supply through its membership of the European Union and the International Energy Agency. In the UK we manage our obligation by directing companies who are substantial suppliers of oil to the UK to hold stocks which can then be released if required in an emergency. The Department of Energy and Climate Change collects detailed data on a monthly basis from these companies on the stocks. This is then checked and verified before the Department then reports to the European Commission and International Energy Agency. Our processes ensure we have clear oversight of our emergency oil stocks. We also regularly review these processes to ensure they are as efficient as possible and do not place unnecessary burden on industry.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the feed-in tariff scheme will be paused in January 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

We will be publishing the Government response to the review of the feed-in tariff as soon as possible detailing the changes we will make to the scheme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-04.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the viability and competitiveness of UK oil refineries of the imposition of VAT and duty on products shipped by such refineries to another UK customs bonded oil storage location at the point of departure from the refinery.

Damian Hinds

Hydrocarbon oil becomes liable to duty and VAT when it is released for consumption in the UK. This is either: when it is imported; or when it is produced in the UK and delivered for home use from a refinery. Where hydrocarbon oil is imported to an excise warehouse, the duty and VAT is due when the oil is released for home use from the warehouse.

This administratively simple fuel duty system reduces the number of taxpayers and ensures that there is minimal fraud by reducing opportunities for criminals to infiltrate the supply chain. As a result, fuel duty is a large and stable source of revenue for the Exchequer, raising £27.2 billion in financial year 2014/15, with a very low tax gap of less than £100m. Allowing the movement of fuel on which duty and VAT has not yet been paid within the UK would add complexity to the administration of the tax and increase the opportunities for tax evasion. For these reasons the government has no plans to change the fuel duty or VAT point.

One of this government’s key priorities, as we transition to a low carbon economy, is to ensure a secure and resilient oil supply at affordable prices, whilst supporting investment and jobs. Following a review of the refining and import sectors by the previous government in 2014, a package of actions was developed, designed to help improve the operating environment for the refining and import sectors. These actions focus on three areas: a partnership approach with industry; removing market distortions; and tackling regulatory burden.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the change in the number of jobs in the UK solar industry has been since the Summer Budget 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) as part of the FIT review, on which we consulted widely between 27^th August and 23^rd October. Part of the purpose of that consultation was to gather views on the broader economic impact of the proposals. The actual impact on the sector will, of course, depend on the options taken forward after all responses to the consultation have been considered. We intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

The ONS has published first estimates of the UK’s ‘Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy’1 based on 2014; further information from this survey on sub-sectors including solar PV jobs will be published in 2016.

[1] http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_426448.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-04.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to equalise the treatment of UK refinery manufactured finished petroleum products compared to imported fuels when products leave the UK customs bonded oil storage location in respect of imposition of VAT and duty.

Damian Hinds

Hydrocarbon oil becomes liable to duty and VAT when it is released for consumption in the UK. This is either: when it is imported; or when it is produced in the UK and delivered for home use from a refinery. Where hydrocarbon oil is imported to an excise warehouse, the duty and VAT is due when the oil is released for home use from the warehouse.

This administratively simple fuel duty system reduces the number of taxpayers and ensures that there is minimal fraud by reducing opportunities for criminals to infiltrate the supply chain. As a result, fuel duty is a large and stable source of revenue for the Exchequer, raising £27.2 billion in financial year 2014/15, with a very low tax gap of less than £100m. Allowing the movement of fuel on which duty and VAT has not yet been paid within the UK would add complexity to the administration of the tax and increase the opportunities for tax evasion. For these reasons the government has no plans to change the fuel duty or VAT point.

One of this government’s key priorities, as we transition to a low carbon economy, is to ensure a secure and resilient oil supply at affordable prices, whilst supporting investment and jobs. Following a review of the refining and import sectors by the previous government in 2014, a package of actions was developed, designed to help improve the operating environment for the refining and import sectors. These actions focus on three areas: a partnership approach with industry; removing market distortions; and tackling regulatory burden.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution of 2 December 2015, Official Report, column 333, on ISIL in Syria, how many of the 70,000 fighters have presented themselves to work with UK forces.

Michael Fallon

I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Julian Lewis) on 1 December 2015 to Question 18014.