Mark Garnier MP: written questions
112 published records · newest first.
Written questions
National Energy System Operator: Facsimile TransmissionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many fax machines are in use by the National Energy System Operator; and whether his Department plans to provide funding to digitalise the energy grid.
Answer: The Government does not hold any information on the number of fax machines in use at the National Energy System Operator (NESO). Government, Ofgem and NESO are working to digitalise the energy system. In August the government published a response to the d...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNuclear Fusion: FinanceDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to paragraph 3.71 of Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, how much funding will be available for fusion energy research in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: Confirmation of the amount of funding will be shared in due course.
Answered 6 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordOffshore Industry: North SeaTreasuryTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11877More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the investment allowance on the amount of (a) oil and (b) gas extracted from the North Sea in the next five years.
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024 the government confirmed that from 1 November 2024, the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) rate would increase by 3 percentage points to 38%, the EPL investment allowance would be abolished and the EPL decarbonisation allowance rate would be ...
Answered 6 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGreat British Energy: StaffDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of GB Energy staff will be based at its headquarters in Aberdeen.
Answer: GBE’s workforce planning is ongoing, and we are committed to ensuring we have the right skills, across the right locations, so that GBE can deliver maximum impact. A significant proportion of GBE’s staff will be employed in Aberdeen, including the permane...
Answered 6 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRadioactive WasteDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11592More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the use of deep boreholes as an alternative to the Geological Disposal Facility for nuclear waste.
Answer: Deep borehole technology is at a developmental stage of technical maturity and has not yet been implemented anywhere in the world. It is possible the technology could play a complementary role in managing some radioactive hazardous waste in the future. Ho...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNuclear PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11275More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that plans to achieve a net zero power grid by 2030 include the development of technologies such as nuclear power requiring (a) longer lead times and (b) sig
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that new nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C and small modular reactors (SMRs), play an important role in helping achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. On 23 ...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCarbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential supply chain barriers to achieving net zero by 2030.
Answer: Through our Clean Energy Mission the Government will decarbonise the power system by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. Taking action to ensure that our clean energy supply chains are resilient is a priority, both in terms of delivery against our targets an...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the full system costs of (a) investments in renewable energy, (b) grid infrastructure upgrades, (c) energy storage solutions and (d) other costs associated with a
Answer: On 23 August, the Government commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to provide practical advice on achieving a clean power system by 2030. The Government expects to receive NESO’s advice in early November, which will inform the 2030 Clean...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWetlands: WorcesterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11263More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to restore the condition of groundwater-dependent wetlands to achieve Local Nature Recovery Targets in Worcester.
Answer: Recovering nature is a key priority for this Government and wetland habitats are an important component of that. Under the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme, the impact of Public Water Supply groundwater abstraction on river flows and wetlands h...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWater AbstractionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11262More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Severn Water on reviewing the condition of the aquifers it abstracts water from.
Answer: The Environment Agency works closely with Severn Trent Water on the current condition of aquifers and the action needed to achieve a sustainable level of abstraction. Some aquifers in the Severn Trent Water supply area are over-abstracted and it is a chal...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: InvestmentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the National Energy System Operator’s reforms to the grid connections process on investment in the UK renewables sector.
Answer: The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for preparing and submitting proposals for reform of the electricity network connections process to Ofgem, the independent energy regulator. NESO is engaging with stakeholders, including the renewa...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: InvestmentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11260More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the National Energy System Operator’s proposals to prioritise energy projects that are ready and aligned with Clean Power 20
Answer: The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for preparing and submitting proposals for reform of the electricity network connections process to Ofgem, the independent energy regulator. NESO is engaging with stakeholders, including the renewa...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Sustainable DevelopmentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11259More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the risk of legal challenge associated with the National Energy System Operator’s proposals to prioritise energy projects in the queue that ar
Answer: The National Electricity System Operator is developing proposals for reform of electricity networks in consultation with stakeholders, before final proposals are submitted to Ofgem for decision. As part of its decision-making process, Ofgem will assess le...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSt Lucia: PassportsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8132More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the alleged misappropriation of funds through the sale of passports to foreign investors by members of the St Lucian government; a
Answer: We are aware of the risks associated with Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes as described in this question. They are a source of much needed development finance for several countries, but they can also pose challenges for both the host and third-p...
Answered 21 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy Company Obligation: Social Rented HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6191More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to retain the social housing obligation in future iterations of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
Answer: The current iteration of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), ECO4, began in April 2022 and is scheduled to run until March 2026. ECO supports eligible social housing properties in energy efficiency bands D - F.We are considering the role of supplier obli...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPermitted Development Rights: Public ConsultationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to publish a response to the consultation launched under the previous government on changes to various permitted development rights.
Answer: The Government will keep changes to permitted development rights under review.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordHeat PumpsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6189More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to simplify the process of installing heat pumps.
Answer: The Government is committed to simplifying the installation process at every stage of the customer journey and is investing up to £42m in the Heat Pump Ready programme to overcome barriers to heat pump deployment and support innovation in product design. ...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordFuel PovertyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6188More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to publish an updated Fuel Poverty Strategy.
Answer: Government is committed to slashing fuel poverty and is currently reviewing the Fuel Poverty Strategy, published in 2021. The review will be published in due course and will determine whether an updated strategy is required.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy: ConservationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6187More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national energy efficiency advice service.
Answer: The Government recognises that access to trusted and impartial information is an important enabler to consumers, when making choices about how to retrofit their homes. This is why the government delivers a number of digital services on GOV.UK to support c...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: AuditDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to change the threshold of full audit requirements for smaller businesses.
Answer: The qualifying criteria that determine company size for the purposes of accounting and audit have not changed in over a decade. It is right that these thresholds are reviewed periodically so they are set at appropriate levels.Company size thresholds are b...
Answered 9 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSustainable Farming Incentive: CiderDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the incentives in the Sustainable Farming Incentive for cider apple orchards.
Answer: The expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer published in May 2024 includes capital grants to plant cider apple trees as part of an Agro-forestry system, and ongoing payments for actions which could be used in or around cider orchards such as fl...
Answered 9 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordHousing Occupancy: Single PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many single occupancy households there are in (a) England and (b) Wyre Forest constituency.
Answer: Data on the number of households receiving the single person council tax discount is collected by the Department as part of the annual Council Taxbase snapshot. The 2023 snapshot can be found here. Data is only available for local authority areas not parl...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: Single PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4202More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on the single-person discounts on council tax for single (a) pension and (b) working households; and what the forecast discount is for the next five financial
Answer: For both pension-age and working-age households, where there is only one liable adult resident in a property, the council tax bill is reduced by 25%. The Government will carefully consider the impact on councils and taxpayers, before making any future dec...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordRiot Control WeaponsHome OfficeTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 2883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the Government's guidance on police use of water cannons.
Answer: The Home Office does not issue guidance on police use of water cannons.
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordSolar TaskforceDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Aug 2024AnsweredUIN 2882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish an updated (a) membership list and (b) terms of reference for the Solar Taskforce.
Answer: The Secretary of State announced the relaunch of the Solar Taskforce, which will consider further actions commensurate with the Government’s new clean energy mission. The core membership of the Taskforce will remain unchanged. Updated terms of reference, ...
Answered 6 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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