Tag: Barry Gardiner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how the reforms to the Capacity Market announced on 6 May 2016 will provide investment incentives for new gas plants to be built in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

The purpose of the Capacity Market is to ensure security of electricity supply by providing all forms of capacity the right incentives to be on the system to be prepared to deliver energy when needed. On 6 May we announced that we would buy more capacity and buy it earlier, enhancing the opportunities for new plant such as gas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations in the first report of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, published in April 2016.

Anna Soubry

The Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) requires implementing countries to form a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) consisting of industry, civil society and government, who work in partnership to implement EITI. The MSG meets every 2 months with the next meeting on 12 July.

The UK MSG is currently reviewing the first year’s report and these recommendations form part of that review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many officials of the Department for Energy and Climate Change have not transferred to work at his Department; and what the cost has been to date of redundancy payments to such staff resulting from the changes to the machinery of government.

Joseph Johnson

Following the appointment of my rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 14 July 2016 all employees of the Department of Energy and Climate Change became part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on that date.

There have been no redundancies made since the 14 July as a result of the machinery of government change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2015-12-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he will take to ensure that the UK contribution to the $100 billion of climate finance referred to in the UNFCCC Paris Agreement conforms with Article 9, Paragraph 3 of the Agreement and is additional to the 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product that constitutes the Department for International Development budget.

Greg Hands

On 27 September 2015, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will provide at least £5.8bn of climate finance in the period 2016-17 to 2020-21, a 50% increase from the £3.87bn provided in the period 2011-12 to 2015-16. In line with Article 9, Paragraph 3 of the Paris Agreement, this therefore represents “a progression beyond previous efforts”. The UK will also take into account “the needs and priorities of developing countries” in the delivery of climate finance.

The UK’s climate finance is within our commitment to provide 0.7% of Gross National Income as Official Development Assistance, recognising the strong inter-linkages between sustainable development and action to address and adapt to the effects of climate change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-03-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations she made on raising the EU’s 2030 greenhouse gas target at the Environment Council on 4 March 2016.

Andrea Leadsom

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State represented the UK for the climate change discussion at the Environment Council on 4^th March and spoke in support of the Presidency’s assessment of the Paris Agreement. In his intervention, my noble Friend noted that the Paris Agreement is a historic step forward but that the current level of commitments does not put us on a pathway to meet the well below 2°C global goal. He said it was vital we push for another moment in 2020 to raise collective mitigation ambition and that the EU continue its climate leadership role and maintain the momentum created in Paris. He therefore called for the EU and its Member States to be prepared for the first ambition cycle in 2018-2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she plans to open her Department’s consultation on the timetable for closing all coal-fired power stations in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in her speech on 18 November that the Department will be launching a consultation to close all coal fired power stations. A consultation will be launched shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how the reforms to the Capacity Market announced on 6 May 2016 will ensure a secure electricity supply that is consistent with the decarbonisation objectives set out in her Department’s single departmental plan.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department has set out a number of policies which will decarbonise the economy. For example, we will consult shortly on proposals to close all unabated coal-fired power stations by 2025 to reduce our emissions and continue to invest in new low carbon generation.

The changes to the Capacity Market announced on 6 May will ensure security of electricity supply as we decarbonise: this is non-negotiable. However, all bidders into the Capacity Market are all affected by decarbonisation policies. For example, the EU ETS and the Carbon Price Floor will reduce the competitiveness of coal generation in the Capacity Market relative to cleaner technologies like gas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to appoint a new Charity Commissioner to replace Peter Clarke.

Mr Rob Wilson

We are currently recruiting three new board members for the Charity Commission in England and Wales, including a replacement for Peter Clarke. We are specifically seeking skills and experience in the charity sector, in law enforcement and in IT. The posts were opened for applications in early June and we intend to appoint as soon as this process is successfully concluded. The recruitment process follows the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies and its core principles of merit, openness and fairness.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the security of the intellectual property of the European Pressurised Reactor technology to be used at Hinkley Point C.

Jesse Norman

On 15 September, following the comprehensive review of the Hinkley Point C project, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State announced new safeguards for future foreign investment in critical infrastructure.

The protection of intellectual property at Hinkley Point C is a commercial matter for the developer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether all fines issued in June 2015 by the Environment Agency to aircraft operators for failure to surrender allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System were paid by the deadline.

Andrea Leadsom

The Environment Agency did not issue any fines in June 2015 to aircraft operators for failure to surrender allowances under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. However, the Environment Agency did publish in June 2015 the details of five civil penalties that had previously been issued to operators for failure to surrender sufficient allowances to cover reportable emissions in the 2012 scheme year. None of these civil penalties have yet been paid. The Environment Agency is taking action to recover the penalties as a civil debt, in line with UK law.