Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

523110

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2016
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Development Aid
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether other government departments are required to provide evidence to her Department that official development assistance disbursed by that department tackling global challenges is in the national interest.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	39301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2016 answer text <p>The UK Aid Strategy set out how the government’s aid budget will be restructured to ensure that it is spent on tackling the great global challenges from the root cause of migration and disease to the threat of terrorism and climate change, all of which impact the world’s poor and directly threaten Britain’s interests. The UK Aid Strategy sets out spending and reporting requirements.</p><p>All departments spending ODA will be required to put in place a clear plan to ensure that their programme design, quality assurance, approval, contracting and procurement, monitoring, reporting and evaluation processes represent international best practice. All UK ODA is administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective, in line with the internationally agreed rules on ODA.</p><p>ODA-spending departments and funds must provide accurate and timely information on their ODA spending to DFID to meet OECD reporting requirements.</p> answering member constituency New Forest West answering member printed Sir Desmond Swayne question first answered 13/06/2016 16:27:23 answering member 55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

539673

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2016
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Department for International Development: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department employs staff with responsibility for developing best practice on withdrawing bilateral programmes from countries that transition to middle-income status.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	43167
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2016 answer text <p>Transition planning and development of best practice is led by the relevant country office, with support from officials in the UK and across regions. Each transition process has been different depending on circumstance. ICAI is currently undertaking a review of DFID’s approach to transition and their report is due to be published towards the end of 2016.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 25/07/2016 11:29:01 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

676073

	registered interest
	date	20/01/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Electricity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the provision of reliable base-load electricity in delivering Sustainable Development Goals other than goal seven.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	61006
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2017 answer text <p>Energy poverty puts a brake on economic and social development and undermines the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Our policy is to support a range of generation technologies and distribution approaches (grid, off-grid, mini-grid), including base-load electricity when we can clearly add value. Reliable power from base-load electricity and other sources contributes to a number of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is crucial, for example, to controlling costs for businesses that might otherwise need to run expensive generators to maintain production (SDG 9). There is a knock on effect to employment, incomes and a range of associated social indicators. Reliable power is also crucial for running public services – such as water and sanitation systems or health clinics – effectively (SDGs 3 and 6) and can help increase school enrolment and attendance rates (SDG 4).</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 27/01/2017 13:24:38 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

676074

	registered interest
	date	20/01/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Electricity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the relative costs of (a) coal, (b) gas, (c) oil, (d) nuclear, (e) offshore wind, (f) onshore wind, (g) large-scale hydro and (h) solar PV in the delivery of utility scale electrification in developing countries.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	61007
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2017 answer text <p>DFID is committed to supporting low-income countries to adopt climate-smart approaches to addressing their acute energy deficits. The relative costs of different technologies will depend on individual country contexts. Full life-cycle and environmental costs should be considered. In November 2015, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, with DFID support, published a study of costs of different technologies in 14 developing countries (‘Levelised Costs of Electricity’). Since this study was completed, there has been a rapid reduction in the costs of renewable technologies, especially solar.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 27/01/2017 13:23:19 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

690417

	registered interest
	date	17/02/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Electricity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2017 to Question 61007 on developing countries: electricity, what action she has taken in light of the conclusion of the report by Blomberg New Energy Finance that new utility-scale wind and solar power are, in most cases, more expensive than coal and gas-fired power in her Department's 28 priority countries.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	64236
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2017 answer text <p>DFID’s approach is to look carefully at a range of evidence on energy costs when deciding how to support partner countries with their energy strategies. The Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report referred to is one such source of evidence. Other sources include a more recent publication from BNEF as well as World Bank research. This more recent evidence indicates that utility-scale renewables – in particular solar – is increasingly cost-competitive with gas-fired power even in DFID focus countries.</p><p>DFID will always help countries to deliver a mixed energy portfolio suited to their needs. DFID’s recently launched Economic Development Strategy sets out our approach to energy as part of our overall approach to inclusive economic development.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 24/02/2017 15:09:13 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

690419

	registered interest
	date	17/02/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Electricity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2017 to Question 61007, what the evidential basis is for the conclusion that there has been a rapid reduction in the costs of renewable technologies, especially solar, since 2015; and what the current presumed levelised costs of electricity generation from (a) gas, (b) coal, (c) solar, (d) onshore wind and (e) offshore wind on which her Department's decisions on support for energy projects are currently based are in each of the countries in which such energy projects have been approved.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	64334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2017 answer text <p>There is clear evidence that the price of renewables, especially solar, generation is falling rapidly. A Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) study from June 2016 shows that solar generation prices have fallen by 47% over five years. A World Bank-led auction for utility-scale solar generation in Zambia in mid-2016 received winning prices of US$6c-8c/kWh. This is in many cases comparable with gas-fired power generation.</p><p>The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from different sources varies significantly by country and over time. When deciding how to support partner governments’ energy strategies we look at publicly available estimates of LCOEs for different technologies but also consider environmental costs.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 24/02/2017 15:05:56 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

714636

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	India: Overseas Investment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people have benefited from improved energy access as a result of the 540MW Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Limited power project in Jharkhand which was funded from the Commonwealth Development Corporation.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	69480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2017 answer text <p>CDC does not have a $100m investment in Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Limited. In 2008, CDC committed $100m to an investment fund (the India Infrastructure Fund) aimed at promoting development and economic prosperity by improving infrastructure in India. That fund has made multiple investments including the investment in Adhunik Power.</p><p>At optimal capacity utilisation, the Adhunik plant provides sufficient power to cater to the needs of 3.44 million people.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 31/03/2017 14:01:11 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

714637

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	India: Overseas Investment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment has been made of the economic benefits delivered as a result of the 540MW Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Ltd power project in Jharkhand which was funded from the Commonwealth Development Corporation.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	69479
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2017 answer text <p>CDC does not have a $100m investment in Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Limited. In 2008, CDC committed $100m to an investment fund (the India Infrastructure Fund) aimed at promoting development and economic prosperity by improving infrastructure in India. That fund has made multiple investments including the investment in Adhunik Power.</p><p>Adhunik Power has increased access to energy and economic growth by providing power to state electricity boards in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu where significant power shortages persist. At optimal capacity utilisation, the Adhunik plant produces sufficient power to cater to the needs of some 3.44 million people.</p><p>In addition to providing full time employment to 364 people, the project is also providing a range of social benefits to local communities, including the provision of safe water, school transport for children, an ambulance facility and support to computer literacy and self-help initiatives.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 31/03/2017 14:00:40 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

723039

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Coal
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2017 to Question 69479, what assessment her Department has made of the role that coal can play in lifting people in developing countries out of energy poverty.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	71475
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>The optimal energy mix of a country depends on a number of contextual factors. DFID assesses these on a case by case basis when deciding how best to support partner governments’ energy strategies, including potential health and environmental impacts.</p><p>International Energy Agency (IEA) analysis suggests that many rural areas can be served at a lower cost by off-grid or mini-grid solutions – such as solar PV, small scale hydropower, and even diesel generators – than by extension of a centralised electricity grid. Coal may offer a cost-effective solution to energy access in some areas that are either connected to a national grid or located close to a grid.</p><p>The UK has a clear policy position to end public funding for both new plants and new investments in existing coal-fired power plants, which has been agreed with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and other government departments. The UK Government will only consider proposals by multilateral development banks for financing coal-fired power plants in the world’s poorest countries where it is clearly demonstrated that no other economically feasible alternative exists, where it fits with the country’s pledged Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and where there is a clear poverty reduction case.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 26/04/2017 15:33:50 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

723040

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2017
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	India: Electricity Generation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2017 to Question 69479, what assessment she has made of the cost per megawatt of power generating capacity installed of the investment in Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Ltd power project in Jharkhand compared with other CDC investments in (a) solar PV and (b) wind.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
	tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
	uin	71476
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>Assessment of Adhunik Power and Natural Resources power project in Jharkland shows it has a lower cost per megawatt of power generating capacity compared to output of the average solar PV and wind projects in India.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 26/04/2017 15:35:46 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma