Tag: Lord Hunt of Chesterton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-12-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider distributing hand-held devices to households in flood-prone areas to allow them to transmit information, and to receive real-time news, about local water levels.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

There are currently no plans to consider such devices. However, we do already urge households to take care and be prepared by checking their flood risk, signing up to free flood warnings and keeping an eye on the latest flood updates, which are available on the Environment Agency website and Twitter. These are readily accessible from personal mobile phones with internet access. People can also call our 24-hour Floodline for updates.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-05-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking (1) to reduce air pollution from shipping in and around UK ports, and the use of local electrical power by ships moored in those ports, and (2) to promote the use of clean fuel by ships as they approach UK ports, as is the practice in other countries including the US and China

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Through the National Policy Statement for Ports, the Government has encouraged ports and shipping companies to examine the opportunities available for shore-side electricity connection, particularly in areas identified as having poor air quality.

The Government has implemented the international requirements which control emissions from ships. These require that ships in an emission control area (the North Sea, including the Channel) must either use fuel with a sulphur content which does not exceed 0.1% or use an equally effective alternative compliance method.

Moreover, ships that are berthed for at least two hours are not allowed to use fuel with a sulphur content which exceeds 0.1%.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether their policy for reducing carbon emissions in the UK over the next five years is consistent with their policy for reducing the average concentration of air pollution, and whether they will publish data relevant to that assessment.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Improving the quality of our air and reducing carbon emissions are important priorities for Her Majesty’s Government. Later this year we will be publishing detailed plans on how we will deliver against Carbon Budgets, including information about how these measures can also support air quality objectives. Further information on the synergies across these policy objectives was outlined in DEFRA’s air quality plan, Improving Air Quality in the UK – tackling nitrogen dioxide in our towns and cities, December 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for local authorities to introduce and extend congestion charging for the purposes of traffic management and reduction of air pollution.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Local authorities already have powers to introduce road user charging schemes under the Transport Act 2000, and in general it is for them to determine whether or not they use these powers.

The national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, published in December last year, set out a range of measures that we are implementing to improve air quality. The plan combines targeted local and national measures, forming part of a wider approach that exploits new and clean technologies, such as electric and ultra-low emission vehicles. As part of the national plan we are requiring five cities (Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton) to implement Clean Air Zones. Other local authorities can introduce Clean Air Zones should they wish to do so using their powers under the Transport Act 2000.

We will consult on a framework for Clean Air Zones later this year which will set out the important principles that need to be consistent from city to city. Setting out the principles in this way will support both those authorities required by Government to implement a Clean Air Zone and those who, after analysing their own situation, consider a Clean Air Zone to be an appropriate measure to bring in.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will use their membership of UN agencies to establish relevant targets for reducing carbon emissions in (1) civil aviation, (2) shipping, and (3) agriculture and forestry, by 2020 as agreed at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

This Government is committed to tackling emissions from international aviation, international shipping and agriculture and forestry.

As inherently transnational in nature, international aviation and maritime emissions are regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and are outside of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement. The UK is working through the ICAO and IMO to develop mechanisms which deliver emissions reductions, in line with the long term goal agreed in Paris of keeping average global temperature rise well below 2 degrees. In 2016, the ICAO is set to agree a global market based measure, to offset emissions post-2020. The UK government is engaged in this process.

The Government is also committed to tackling emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and supporting the enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). The UK played a key role in the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests, which set ambitious targets for halving (by 2020) and halting (by 2030) the loss of natural forests and eliminating deforestation from the production of key agricultural commodities by 2020. The new UN Sustainable Development Goals, agreed in September 2015, also include targets to halt deforestation, sustainably manage and restore natural forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally by 2020. At COP21 the UK endorsed a Leaders’ Statement on Forests which recognised the importance of these goals, as well as the progress on REDD+ under the UNFCCC.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to ensure that electric cars emit a warning noise so that those cars are audible.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

EU Regulations require vehicle manufacturers to fit artificial sound generators on new types of electric and hybrid electric vehicles from 2019. The requirements for these sound generators will be based on an existing UN-ECE regulation. By 2021 all new electric and hybrid electric vehicles on sale will require sound generators. Vehicle manufacturers may optionally choose to fit sound generators before the 2019 date.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to establish targets in the UK to reduce carbon emissions produced by road and rail transport by 2020.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government has already set stretching legally binding carbon budgets, which will see a 50% economy wide reduction in emissions in 2025 compared to 1990 levels, on a path towards an 80% reduction by 2050, and is committed to ensuring the transport sector plays a full part in delivering the emissions reductions needed.

In December 2011, the Government published Carbon Plan: Delivering our low carbon future, setting out in a series of five-year carbon budget periods how we will meet the UK’s legally binding carbon reduction targets.

The Government will set the level of the fifth carbon budget in June this year (for the period 2028 to 2032) and will publish the next Carbon Plan shortly afterwards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will work with universities in the UK and EU to ensure that exchange programmes similar to the Erasmus programme will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The referendum result has no immediate effect on students abroad under the Erasmus scheme or applying for 2016/17. Payments will be made in the usual way. Access to the programme after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming negotiations. Consideration of other options will depend on the outcome of these negotiations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to establish targets to reduce energy use across the government estate to reduce carbon emissions over the next five years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government has already reduced the greenhouse gas emissions from its estate and operations by 22% from 2009/10 to 2014/15 under the Greening Government Commitments. We are in the process of developing a new set of Greening Government Commitments for this Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to provide regular reports to Parliament on the withdrawal by local authorities of public services, including welfare, educational and cultural services, including explanations of how local authorities are meeting statutory obligations for the provision of those services.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Local authorities are independent bodies accountable to their electorate and have a legal obligation to fulfil a range of statutory duties to provide key services. Within the framework of statutory duties, councillors are free to set their own priorities and determine outcomes.

Local authorities have an important role in making their decisions on resourcing transparent. All local authorities produce public accounts, have open meetings and are required to consult the public, and all are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The public are also entitled to have access to documents relating to council meetings and documents relating to executive decisions made by executive members or officers.

The Secretary of State can request an inspection under section 10 and intervene under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999 where there is clear evidence that an authority is failing either to discharge its functions adequately or meet its statutory obligations.