Tag: Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the deficit in trade with the EU in 2014 in (1) goods, and (2) overall in goods and services; and how that deficit is financed.

Lord Maude of Horsham

The UK’s trade in goods deficit with the EU was £78.9bn in 2014. The overall trade in goods and services deficit with the EU was £61.7bn.

The UK’s total trade deficit is financed by a net inflow of investment in the financial account, for which data is not available on a geographical basis. The UK’s financial account surplus was £89.4bn in 2014.

Source: ONS Pink Book 2015

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of coal-fired power stations under construction worldwide, the number that are planned for the future, and what effect those new stations will have on the total tonnage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The IEA estimate that global coal electricity capacity will be around 8-17% higher in 2020 than 2013, with some growth even under the IEA’s estimate of a 2°C scenario.

We know that limiting the global growth in unabated coal use is necessary to tackle climate change. The UK Government announced at COP19, in Warsaw in 2013, its plans to end support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants overseas, except in rare circumstances. In order to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees, globally we need to rapidly move away from unabated coal power generation.

We have negotiated a new policy in November 2015 on how OECD export credit agencies can contribute to our goal to address climate change. The new policy places significant restrictions on the financing of coal-fired power plants by OECD export credit agencies. Support for the larger less-efficient coal-fired power plants is removed, and will encourage a move away from low-efficient towards high-efficient coal-fired power plants. Over two-thirds of the coal-fired power projects receiving official export credit support from Participants between 2003 and 2013 would not have been eligible for such support under the new rules. The new rules will take effect from 1 January 2017, and are subject to a mandatory review starting in 2019, with the goal of strengthening them.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced that we will consult next year on an end date for coal of 2025 and limiting its use by 2023.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal powers the EU has to intervene in the taxation arrangements agreed between HM Treasury and foreign-based firms, including Google, and what assessment they have made of whether HMRC could legally co-operate in any such EU action.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

While corporate taxation is a matter for Member States, under the EU Treaties the European Commission has competence to conduct State aid investigations in order to prevent unlawful distortion of competition and to safeguard the internal market. Member State authorities are required to cooperate with any such investigations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 23 February (HL6060), whether, in the light of clause 10 of the Trade Union Bill and the laws regarding pre-entry trade union membership, they will take appropriate action to ensure that student unions are bound by the same rules as other unions.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Student unions are not trade unions, as specified by Section 1 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Therefore, none of the reforms being provided by the Trade Union Bill will impact students’ unions.

The Education Act 1994 already requires publicly-funded universities to take reasonable steps to ensure that their students’ union observes the right for students to opt out of membership.

The Green Paper “Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice” sought public views on the role of students’ unions and what further steps could be taken to increase transparency and accountability to individual members. The Government plans to publish a White Paper in response in the spring.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-07-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to invoke Article 50 of the TEU immediately; and whether they will negotiate to withdraw from the EU within months, and not later than March 2017.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government has no such plans.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting the fishing industry concerning its position following Brexit.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government has met with representatives from the fishing industry concerning its position following EU exit and will continue to do so. This includes a round table discussion on 15 September 2016 which included representatives from the finfish and shellfish catching sectors, recreational fishermen and environmental NGOs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of (1) the recent report by former UK ambassadors to the EU that, if the UK left the EU, access to free-trade deals would be lost with 51 states; (2) whether those states would, as a consequence, lose free access to the UK market; and (3) the overall effect on the UK’s trading balance of those assessments.

Lord Maude of Horsham

The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Leader of the House whether she now considers the advisory time limit on speeches in debates should be compulsory, and if so, what recommendations she will bring forward for enforcement of the limit.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

It is already open to the House to time-limit debates in the Chamber or Grand Committee to a specific number of hours, with attendant compulsory time limits for speakers (Companion to the Standing Orders, Paras. 6.65-6.66). As this facility is already available, I do not plan to bring forward additional proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Court of Auditors’ report stating that EU farm projects to improve the environmental sustainability of EU farms are unreasonably costly; and what action they are taking to hold to account those who administer the Common Agricultural Policy.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Of the 28 projects reviewed in the four Member States by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), the only ones viewed as cost effective overall were in England. The ECA found that payment rates in England took account of the wider economic benefits to the farmer which might result from making these investments. They also commented favourably about the high level of integration between these capital payments and multiannual land management activities which leads to better outcomes.

However, some projects reviewed in England were found not to be cost effective. We accept that in some cases the standard payment rates to farmers to help improve environmental sustainability may have been too high. We have reviewed our payment rates for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme. These have been independently verified. We will review standard payment rates again in 2017 to ensure that these types of payments are cost effective overall.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 24 February (HL6131) concerning a proposal by the EU to requisition member states’ gas supplies under certain circumstances, whether such a policy would require (1) parliamentary consent, and (2) a referendum.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

There is no suggestion in the proposals that the EU will requisition Member States’ gas supplies. The proposals are at a very early stage and we are engaging with the Commission to ensure that the final version is practical and proportionate. The proposals do not involve any agreement by the UK to transfer power or competence to the EU. These proposals are subject to the usual scrutiny process of both Houses.