Tag: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 25 November (HL3609), whether they plan to require nuclear power plants to collect and publish hourly or half-hourly radioactive emissions statistics, and if not, why not.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Current UK legislation requires nuclear power plants in England to limit their radioactive gaseous emissions to within safe levels. Similar legislation is in place in Wales and Scotland. The UK and territorial environmental agencies are responsible for implementing this legislation, which includes setting specific emissions limits and monitoring and reporting requirements for individual plants.

The regulators have powers to vary these requirements, including the scope and frequency of emissions monitoring and reporting, as they deem necessary for the purpose of verifying each plant’s compliance with its permitted emissions limits. The regulators also have powers to take robust enforcement action in respect of any breach in compliance.

The Government is satisfied that current legislation provides for effective control and monitoring of radioactive gaseous emissions and is content that the regulatory bodies should continue to mandate emissions monitoring and reporting requirements on a plant by plant basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to enact primary legislation ensuring that UK World Heritage Sites receive statutory protection from inappropriate planning consents.

Lord Ashton of Hyde

Where appropriate UK World Heritage sites are afforded statutory protection through designation of specific assets through existing legislation. Other aspects of World Heritage Sites are key material considerations in the determination of planning applications.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the grant from Viridor Credits to All Saints Church in Kingston was audited by ENTRUST, and what assessment they have made of environmental objectives that grant fulfils.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Landfill Communities Fund is a tax credit scheme. It allows landfill operators to gain a tax credit against 90% of the voluntary donations they make to environmental bodies for spending on certain prescribed objectives.

The prescribed objectives include:

• the restoration of a building of historic interest or place of religious worship; and
• the maintenance or improvement of a public amenity;

within the vicinity of a landfill site.

ENTRUST, the independent regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund assesses and approves applications for project funding to ensure they meet the objectives of the scheme. ENTRUST also carries out a programme of assurance under which a cross-section of projects are selected for audit to ensure they meet the prescribed objectives, and that funds are spent compliantly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the grant from Viridor Credits to Holy Trinity Church in Wallington was audited by ENTRUST and what assessment they have made of environmental objectives that grant fulfils.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Landfill Communities Fund is a tax credit scheme. It allows landfill operators to gain a tax credit against 90% of the voluntary donations they make to environmental bodies for spending on certain prescribed objectives.

The prescribed objectives include:

• the restoration of a building of historic interest or place of religious worship; and
• the maintenance or improvement of a public amenity;

within the vicinity of a landfill site.

ENTRUST, the independent regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund assesses and approves applications for project funding to ensure they meet the objectives of the scheme. ENTRUST also carries out a programme of assurance under which a cross-section of projects are selected for audit to ensure they meet the prescribed objectives, and that funds are spent compliantly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the grant from Viridor Credits to Twickenham Rowing Club was audited by ENTRUST, and what assessment they have made of the environmental objectives that grant fulfils.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Landfill Communities Fund is a tax credit scheme. It allows landfill operators to gain a tax credit against 90% of the voluntary donations they make to environmental bodies for spending on certain prescribed objectives.

The prescribed objectives include:

• the restoration of a building of historic interest or place of religious worship; and
• the maintenance or improvement of a public amenity;

within the vicinity of a landfill site.

ENTRUST, the independent regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund assesses and approves applications for project funding to ensure they meet the objectives of the scheme. ENTRUST also carries out a programme of assurance under which a cross-section of projects are selected for audit to ensure they meet the prescribed objectives, and that funds are spent compliantly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how much revenue would be raised if aviation fuel were subject to the same rate of tax as fuel for motor vehicles.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

In accordance with its bilateral Air Service Agreements, the 1944 Chicago Convention and EU law, the UK does not tax aviation fuel. Consequently, no such assessments have been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how much revenue would be raised if all air fares for aircraft departing from UK airports were subject to a tax at 20 per cent.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Such a form of taxation would be in breach of the UK’s obligations under its bilateral Air Service Agreements, the 1944 Chicago Convention and EU law. Consequently, no such assessment has been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to help Syrian refugees in the Jungle” camp at Calais who are in need of advice about applying to the UK for asylum.”

Lord Bates

A joint communications campaign, involving British officials speaking to migrants in Calais, has been taking place to inform migrants of the reality of life in the UK and of their rights to claim asylum in France. The frequency of these campaigns has been increased in line with the commitment in the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how much revenue will be raised from Air Passenger Duty this financial year, and how much would need to be raised to compensate for the loss of fuel tax and VAT on air fares.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The government expects APD to raise £3.1 billion over the financial year 2015-16.

In accordance with the long standing 1944 Chicago Convention, its bilateral Air Service Agreements and EU law, the UK does not tax aviation fuel or charge VAT on air fares. Consequently, the government does not consider this lost revenue and no such estimates have been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of research on the links between the risk of cancer and radiation spikes during the refuelling of nuclear power plants, whether nuclear power plants are currently required to report hourly or half-hourly radioactive emissions, and if not, whether they plan to require nuclear power plants to collect and publish hourly or half-hourly radioactive emissions statistics.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants are subject to permitting by the UK and devolved environmental agencies. Permitted discharge and notification levels are set out in individual site permits. These limits are set well within the levels required to comply with the public radiation dose constraints that have been set out in UK and devolved legislation in line with international standards.

The environmental and food standards agencies jointly monitor actual levels of radioactivity in the environment and report annually in Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE). The results of this programme indicate that discharge levels from nuclear plants are well within the permitted limits.