Andrew Bowie MP: written questions 2024
178 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Alcoholic Drinks: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 18 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9926More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to not raise alcohol duty.
Answer: Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pa...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordClimate Change and Nuclear EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5640More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support (a) international climate commitments and (b) other global nuclear energy initiatives.
Answer: The Government is committed to restoring the UK’s global climate leadership, building on its mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will work with countries to deliver on the Global Stocktake agreed at COP28. We intend to announce our own a...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordNuclear Energy: Skilled WorkersDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5639More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK has the (a) skills and (b) workforce to support the expansion of nuclear energy as part of the net-zero transition.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK nuclear industry has the necessary skills needed to deliver our nuclear ambitions. Recognising the need for urgent action, the nuclear sector across civil and defence are responding collaboratively to de...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordNuclear Power: RegulationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to streamline regulatory approval processes for new nuclear projects.
Answer: The UK has an enabling, robust and rigorous energy regulatory regime. The Government is taking steps towards speeding up and streamlining the planning process and will continue to work with the regulators to understand the potential for additional streaml...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSmall Modular Reactors: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of deploying Small Modular Reactors on the Government's net-zero targets.
Answer: The government is clear that new nuclear power stations, such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and small modular reactors (SMRs), will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skille...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of reliance on China-owned companies for the supply of energy infrastructure on national security.
Answer: The Government will carry out an audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the quantity and proportion of energy infrastructure that will be required to meet his (a) onshore and (b) offshore power targets that will be sourced from Chin
Answer: This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we have different interests, and challenge where we must. Alongside efforts to de-risk our s...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5634More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the quantity and proportion of energy infrastructure that will be required to meet his solar power targets that will be sourced from Chinese companies.
Answer: Solar power is a mature technology with well-established and competitive global supply chains, with industrial-scale solar panel manufacturing mainly concentrated in Asia, the US and EU. We have relaunched the Solar Taskforce which will be focusing on ide...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCommunity RelationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs' oral statement of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, if she will make an as
Answer: Government is alert to the damage to community relations caused by the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October last year and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, and that there remains potential for events to cause this to become heightened. For this reason, m...
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAUKUS: CanadaMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) the United States and (b) Australia on the potential merits of expanding Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement to include Canada.
Answer: In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAUKUS: CanadaMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5347More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of inviting Canada to join Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement.
Answer: In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAUKUSMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the requirement to secure critical minerals supply chains for the development of the AUKUS agreement.
Answer: In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Military IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK’s decision to suspend some arms exports licenses with Israel on intelligence-sharing with that country.
Answer: It is a long-standing policy that we do not discuss detailed intelligence matters and so I regret I am unable to provide any additional detail.
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision to suspend arms export licences to Israel on relations between the UK and the US.
Answer: We have been clear that this is our own independent process, specific to the UK and according to our own law. The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria state that the Government will not issue or maintain export licences if there is a clear risk that the it...
Answered 7 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordZinc: Prices and Supply ChainsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5088More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the (a) reliability of supply chains for and (b) resilience to price shocks in the zinc market in the context of his energy policies.
Answer: Taking action to ensure that our clean energy supply chains are resilient is a key priority across our missions - both to make the UK a clean energy superpower and kickstart growth. The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC), sponsored by the Depart...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWind Power: Seas and OceansDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5087More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the quantity of copper that will be required to provide 60 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030.
Answer: Significant infrastructure investment is required to meet the Government’s mission for clean power by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. The equipment, such as cables and transformers, to enable transformation of the grid will be reliant on copper and its a...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordNational Grid: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5086More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the quantity and proportion of the copper that will be required to decarbonise the grid by 2030 that will be sourced from overseas markets.
Answer: Significant infrastructure investment is required to meet the Government’s mission for clean power by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. The equipment, such as cables and transformers, to enable transformation of the grid will be reliant on copper and its a...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordNational Grid: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of kilometres of new energy transmission lines that will be required to decarbonise the grid by 2030.
Answer: The Secretary of State and Head of Mission Control wrote to the Electricity System Operator (ESO) on 23rd August to formally commission advice regarding the key requirements for the Government to meet its clean power commitment by 2030. This includes the ...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordNational Grid: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5084More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of decarbonising the grid by 2030 on demand for copper.
Answer: Significant infrastructure investment is required to meet the Government’s mission for clean power by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. The equipment, such as cables and transformers, to enable transformation of the grid will be reliant on copper and its a...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordNational Grid: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the tonnes of copper that will be required to decarbonise the National Grid by 2030.
Answer: Significant infrastructure investment is required to meet the Government’s mission for clean power by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. The equipment, such as cables and transformers, to enable transformation of the grid will be reliant on copper and its a...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordNuclear FusionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5082More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support the development of fusion technology.
Answer: Fusion supports the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. The commercial process for the STEP powerplant programme is in train, we are investing in cutting-edge research programmes and facilities, a...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Radiation ExposureMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5081More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timeframe is for the eligibility review for the Nuclear Test Medal.
Answer: As directed by the Defence Secretary, the review of the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal is already underway. The Ministry of Defence is prioritising this work and will provide an update in due course.
Answered 20 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel Payment: Rural AreasDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment on pensioners in rural areas.
Answer: Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone...
Answered 16 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5079More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the steps her Department has taken to increase the number of people claiming Pension Credit on the cost to the public purse of expenditure on that
Answer: The Government announced on the 29 July 2024 that eligibility for Winter Fuel payments will be linked to those on Pension Credit or other means tested benefits for pensioners from Winter 2024. We have received around 38,500 Pension Credit claims in the 5 ...
Answered 18 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordEnergy: TaxationTreasuryTabled 9 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4761More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report by Offshore Energies UK entitled Impact of UKCS fiscal policy on UK economic growth, published on 2 September 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) increasi
Answer: In July, the government confirmed changes to the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), including extending the levy’s end date to March 2030, increasing it by three percentage points to 38%, removing the levy’s main 29% investment allowance, and reducing the generos...
Answered 17 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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