Tag: Nigel Adams

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what incentives her Department (a) is providing and (b) is planning to provide for (i) biomass and (ii) gas generation to create additional capacity.

Andrea Leadsom

Support is provided for biomass under a range of renewable financial incentives: the Renewables Obligation (RO), Feed in Tariff (FIT), Contracts for Difference (CfD) and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The RO closed to co-firing and conversions last year and any future support will be via CfD.

The government announced it will hold three auctions for Contracts for Difference of up to £730 million this Parliament. Details of the future CFD allocation rounds will be published in due course.

The Government confirmed increased funding for the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme in November 2015 as part of the Spending Review, with the annual budget rising from £430m in 2015/16 to £1.15bn in 2020/21.

Getting new gas-fired stations built is a priority for Government and we are confident that the Capacity Market is the right mechanism to bring forward new capacity as older less efficient plants close. We have announced that we are going buy more capacity in December’s auction, tighten delivery incentives and bring forward the first capacity market delivery year to 2017/18. This should improve the chances of new gas (CCGTs, OCGTS and gas engines) capacity clearing in future auctions. Subject to a forthcoming consultation, closing unabated coal by 2025 will further strengthen investment signals for new gas. In addition, DECC is working with the planning inspectorate to arrange a workshop in June to explain how developers can use the pre-application project planning process to ensure applications for new gas plants are progressed as swiftly as possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department has given to Ofgem on whether the new subsidy structure relating to low electrical output combined heat and power solid biomass generators should apply to those generators that are (a) funded, (b) built and (c) in-build and already in receipt of pre-accreditation certificates.

Jesse Norman

The Government has made changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme Regulations 2011. These amendments came into force on 1 August 2016. The regulations require Ofgem to apply the new rules to all new biomass-Combined Heat and Power plant with an accreditation date on or after 1 August 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make an assessment of the feasibility of using biomass conversion and energy generation to mitigate job losses from the closure of coal-fired power stations.

Andrea Leadsom

Reducing our reliance on coal generation is an important part of decarbonising the electricity system. The Capacity Market will ensure continued security of supply while the Contract for Difference scheme will support cost effective low carbon electricity; the new investment brought forward by both schemes will help create new jobs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with CCGs to work with community pharmacies to develop a role in reducing hospital admissions, early identification or intervention services and patient ongoing monitoring services.

David Mowat

NHS England has advised that all clinical commissioning groups are included in a sustainability and transformation plan (STP) footprint within which, local health and care organisations are working together to develop STPs which will help drive genuine and sustainable transformation in patient experience and health outcomes in the longer-term.

NHS England’s guidance to STPs highlights the importance of an integrated approach to primary care, including community pharmacy, in the delivery of transformed health services at the local level.

In addition, we are currently recruiting a further 1,500 qualified pharmacists to work within general practices by 2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-05-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the closure of coal-fired power stations on (a) job losses and employment trends in the energy sector and (b) power generation; and what plans her Department has to mitigate those losses.

Andrea Leadsom

Coal is the most carbon intensive form of electricity generation and is not consistent with our decarbonisation plans, which is why the Secretary of State has announced an intention to consult on ending unabated coal generation by 2025.

The Capacity Market is designed to bring forward the capacity we need as older plant such as coal come of the system. On 6 May 2016 we announced changes to the Capacity Market to buy more capacity and earlier; tighten the sanctions on those who fail to deliver on their obligations; and bolster energy security in the short–term by holding a new auction bringing forward the first Capacity Market delivery year to 2017/18.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential for community pharmacies to (a) deliver early identification of medical complaints and ongoing patient monitoring and (b) help reduce hospital admission rates.

David Mowat

We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven-day health and care services.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams.

NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective National Health Service primary care patient pathway.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2015-11-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on competition between different sectors in the gaming industry of different forms of gambling taxation; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds

The Treasury keeps all aspects of tax policy under review, and routinely looks at the impact of gambling tax policy on the industry.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what reports he has received on the costs, time taken and other difficulties related to the visa process for UK musicians performing in the US; and whether his Department has made representations on those costs and difficulties to the US government.

Mr Edward Vaizey

My Department is working closely with the FCO, BIS, the US Government, UKTI and the UK music industry to maximise opportunities for emerging and established musicians to perform to audiences in the United States and around the world. I recognise the US government’s desire to strike the right balance between cultural exchange, creative exports and security. I hope together we can pursue practical improvements to the visa system which enable British talent to flourish in the US and around the world

​Between 2012 and 2016, the Government invested £460 million in a range of music and cultural education programmes. We introduced tax relief for orchestras and started a successful music export scheme which has helped many musicians to go abroad.​ Discussions are ongoing about a revamp of the Music Export Growth Scheme and we hope to make an announcement shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with commercial banks and other providers of Radio Frequency Identification-enabled cards on (a) incidents of contactless card fraud and (b) prevention of such fraud.

Margot James

Since his appointment, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has had no discussions with commercial banks and other providers of RFID-enabled cards about incidents of contactless card fraud or their prevention.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential overlap between contributors to the construction industry training levy and the proposed employer apprenticeship levy; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the construction industry of that proposed levy in drawing up those proposals.

Nick Boles

All employers with a pay bill greater than £3,000,000 will be in scope of the apprenticeships levy, including those in the construction and engineering construction sectors. We are working with the Industry Training Boards to understand how their existing arrangements will be affected. They will be consulting with their members in advance of the introduction of the apprenticeships levy on whether they should continue to pay the industry levy and if so, how it should be combined with the national apprenticeship levy. We are also working with other sectors, where there are existing collective training arrangements about what the apprenticeships levy means to them.