The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-01-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money they have spent in this Parliamentary Session on support for fracking activities.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change gave to the hon. Member for Huddersfield on 21 January 2016 to House of Commons Parliamentary Question 22696.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect work to commence on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
On 10 February the Government announced that it will commission an independent review to assess the strategic case for tidal lagoons and whether they could represent good value for consumers. We anticipate that the review will be completed in the autumn.
The Government is currently in the first phase of a Contract for Difference negotiation with the developer of the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project. At present there is no timeframe for how long the negotiation process may take. The timeframe depends on a number of factors, many of which would be outside the control of the Department.
The work programme and the construction timetable for the proposed lagoon are matters for the developer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-02-29.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they have forecast they will spend on staff costs related to regulating fracking in each year to 2020.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Staff costs related to shale gas will be determined as part of the Department’s current business planning process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-04-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the 10 year rule that is given as the reason that Lord Owen’s and Lord Jenkin of Roding’s ministerial papers in regard to contaminated blood were destroyed.
Lord Prior of Brampton
We do not recognise that a ten year rule has been established for the destruction of records created by ministers. The Department works to the guidance published by The National Archives on the appraisal and selection of official records which are retained and transferred for permanent preservation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-04-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there exists a 10-year rule under which departmental papers and records may be destroyed, and if so, where that rule is set out.
Lord Bridges of Headley
There is no ten year rule for the destruction of records created by ministers. Departments work to the guidance published by The National Archives on the appraisal and selection of official records which are retained and transferred for permanent preservation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding is available for research and development into sustainable aviation fuels.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government believes sustainable aviation fuels are of strategic importance, both in reducing carbon emissions and to drive the development of an advanced biofuels industry in the UK.
Those developing sustainable aviation biofuels were eligible to apply for funding under the Department’s Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition, the winners of which were announced last September.
In early 2015 a Transport Energy Taskforce including aviation industry experts considered, amongst other things, the potential for sustainable aviation fuels to contribute to our climate change commitments to 2030 and beyond. Further to that work we are planning to consult on potential changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation later this year, including to make renewable fuels used in aviation eligible for reward under the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the carbon savings that could result from increasing the use of biofuels in UK aviation.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government believes sustainable aviation fuels are of strategic importance, both in reducing carbon emissions and to drive the development of an advanced biofuels industry in the UK.
Those developing sustainable aviation biofuels were eligible to apply for funding under the Department’s Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition, the winners of which were announced last September.
In early 2015 a Transport Energy Taskforce including aviation industry experts considered, amongst other things, the potential for sustainable aviation fuels to contribute to our climate change commitments to 2030 and beyond. Further to that work we are planning to consult on potential changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation later this year, including to make renewable fuels used in aviation eligible for reward under the scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-07-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to call in the decision by Northumberland County Council to approve plans for an opencast coal mine at Highthorn in the light of recent government commitments to phase out the use of coal.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Members of the public and MPs have requested that this application is called in, and we are currently considering that request.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-07-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether in negotiating the UK’s exit from the EU they plan to seek for the UK to be included in any EU regulations on the security of gas supply in times of crisis, as set out in the European Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
While the UK remains a member of the EU the existing rules apply and new legislation that applies to the UK will be implemented.
It will be for the new Prime Minister to decide on our future relationship with the EU, including on matters of energy.