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1354477

	registered interest
	date	10/09/2021
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average capital cost per megawatt of capacity is for UK offshore wind farms that (a) were commissioned in the last five years, (b) are due to be commissioned in the next five years and (c) was assumed in his Department's 2020 Cost of Electricity Generation report.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	46975
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2021 answer text <p>The Department’s 2020 Cost of Electricity Generation Report[1] presents forecasts from 2025 to 2040. In response to point (c), the capital costs assumed in the report are £1.95million per megawatt capacity, in 2018 prices, for a UK offshore wind farm commissioning in 2025. The above can also be taken as the Department’s assumption for (b), wind farms that are due to be commissioned in the next five years.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold historic project data on (a), capital costs for UK offshore wind farms commissioned in the past five years.</p><p> </p><p><em>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020</a></em></p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 15/09/2021 16:04:08 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1436955

	registered interest
	date	01/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the levelised cost of offshore wind farms commissioning in 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	132241
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2022 answer text <p>The Department’s Electricity Generation Cost Report[1] published on gov.uk sets out levelised cost of electricity estimates for a range of technologies, including offshore wind.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 07/03/2022 17:58:04 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1437720

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Wind Power: Contracts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the report titled Auctions for allocation of offshore wind contracts for difference in the UK, published in February 2019, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding by Oxford Institute for Energy Studies that auction strike prices are unlikely to be indicative of underlying costs for renewable generators.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	133994
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2022 answer text <p>The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme operates as a competitive auction where the strike price successful participants receive is based on the clearing price, which is a product of bid prices. It is for developers to consider a bid price that is sustainable for their project, based on their own, forward-looking assessment of their likely project costs and revenues, and projects are only paid for the electricity they generate.</p><p> </p><p>The Department publishes its own view of future electricity generation costs by technology – the latest version is from 2020, and is available here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fbeis-electricity-generation-costs-2020&amp;data=04%7C01%7CAkram.Mwanga%40beis.gov.uk%7C36b467c1c69b4f3229f208d9fd125f1a%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C637819077605876139%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=jowjR8Xv1p6kl3AkQ30a%2BOAxnNqL3Dy9%2Fj5apPV1GW8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 08/03/2022 16:42:03 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1437727

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Wind Power and Electricity Generation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effects of increasing wind penetration in the electricity system on market prices.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	133998
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2022 answer text <p>Achieving the UK's ambitious 2050 net zero target will require significant increases in renewable electricity generation. As more renewables, including wind, are added to the system, wholesale prices will be less affected by fluctuations in volatile global gas prices.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 08/03/2022 16:39:53 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1220932

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2020
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Wildlife: Licensing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to implement the conclusions of the paper entitled, Wildlife Licencing in England: Chaos, Crisis and Cure, published by the Countryside Alliance, National Gamekeepers’ Association and the Moorland Association on 29 May 2020; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	69528
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>The paper calls for a feasibility study into Defra taking back control of individual licensing from Natural England (NE).</p><p> </p><p>Last spring, following a legal challenge by Wild Justice which led NE to revoke three general licences for the lethal control of wild birds, the then Secretary of State decided to take responsibility for granting the relevant general licences under s16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. He considered it appropriate to take over this function, recognising the scale of interest and concern that had been generated by the decision to revoke. Defra issued new interim general licences on 14 June 2019, and launched a review to inform longer-term licensing arrangements. At the time, wild bird control on and near European sites and lethal control of gulls had to be excluded from those interim licences, and has been regulated since then via individual licence by NE.</p><p> </p><p>I appreciate the frustrations expressed in the report regarding individual licensing, and the Secretary of State is working closely with NE to ensure that these issues are resolved as quickly as possible. NE has received a very high number of applications for control of the two gull species and for control of other species on protected sites. NE has invested in its capacity to address the anticipated increase in licence applications. However, the information provided in a significant number (approximately 90%) of applications has not been sufficient to make informed decisions. The process of requesting and processing outstanding information from applicants has added considerably to the timescale needed to determine licence applications. We would expect this number to decrease in future years as applicants become better acquainted with the level of information required, and as wild bird control on European sites is brought back within the general licence following the review.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and NE are committed to achieving a licensing regime for wild birds which is both robust and workable for users. Our review is seeking to achieve this based on extensive evidence review and consultation with stakeholders.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 14/07/2020 14:57:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1344086

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Water Supply: Germany
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department (a) is in discussions with the German Federal Environment Agency to obtain further information on that Agency's reports of leakage of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) into German water supplies from heat pumps and air conditioning and (b) has made an assessment of whether those reports of leakage of TFA into German water supplies have implications for the Government’s plans with regards to heat pumps.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	28166
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government has no current plans to commission independent research on this topic. Evidence tells us that the primary source of trifluoroacetic acid in the environment is believed to be through atmospheric oxidation of the CFC-replacement gases, HCFC-123 and HFC-134a, though various fluorochemicals have the potential to degrade to trifluoroacetic acid.</p><p> </p><p>Trifluoroacetic acid is one of a group of thousands of substances collectively called poly- and per-fluorinated substances (PFAS), which are highly persistent in the environment. As a group they are being considered under a risk management options analysis under UK chemical regulation (UK REACH). The Environment Agency also considered Trifluoroacetic acid as part of its priority and early warning system for chemicals.</p><p> </p><p>My Department has had no discussions with the German Federal Environment Agency regarding their reports on trifluoroacetic acid but is aware of its monitoring approach.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 28168 question first answered 12/07/2021 16:18:26 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1344090

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2021
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Vaccination: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) create catch-up non-covid vaccination programs for children vulnerable to serious childhood diseases and (b) protect children's vaccination services against the risk of disruption by unseen events in the future.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	28167
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2021 answer text <p>The majority of National Health Service immunisation services were maintained throughout the COVID-19 response and time-critical routine immunisations administered in primary care continued to be delivered. However, the delivery of schools-based immunisation programmes have been rescheduled when schools reopened and we have raised awareness of the ongoing availability of NHS immunisations and the importance of keeping up to date with routine childhood immunisations.</p><p>Children’s vaccination services will continue to be maintained. The NHS ensures accurate information on the immunisation status of children and young people is available and reminders/recalls are sent to those who fail to attend. This information is available to clinicians to provide catch-up vaccinations at every appropriate opportunity, if needed.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 13/07/2021 10:24:26 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1451743

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Remote Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) offer redress to university students whose face-to-face teaching has been replaced by online and pre-recorded lectures since the lifting of covid-19 restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	141188
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>Higher education (HE) providers have delivered new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and some providers continue to use some of these approaches alongside in-person provision. However, online learning should only be offered to enhance the student experience, not to detract from it, and it should not be used as a cost-cutting measure.</p><p>The department has written to all English HE providers to make clear that we expect them to be offering a high-quality face-to-face student experience and, on 17 January 2022, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote an open letter to students about face-to-face teaching, setting out what they can do if they feel they are not getting the teaching they signed up for. In addition, I have been speaking with a number of university Vice Chancellors to ensure they are offering students the amount of in-person teaching they should expect, including speaking with seven universities regarding concerns about their face to face teaching provision to ensure they are offering students the amount of in-person teaching they expect.</p><p>In line with all other settings, HE providers should continue to conduct risk assessments for their particular circumstances. Risk assessments should take account of the approach to managing the virus in wider society, particularly now that all restrictions have been removed and the vaccine programme continues to be rolled out. Risk assessments should never be used to prevent providers delivering a full programme of face-to-face teaching and learning.</p><p>HE providers are independent and autonomous bodies which are responsible for the management of their own affairs. If students have concerns about the delivery of their university courses, they should first raise them with their provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for HE to consider their complaint. Recommendations can include practical remedies as well as financial compensation where that is deemed appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 24/03/2022 18:00:22 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1451742

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Industrial Disputes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help support students who have been disrupted by industrial action called by unions representing university staff.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	141187
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2022 answer text <p>Students have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and any further disruption caused to their learning is wholly unfair and completely unnecessary.</p><p>Young people have already sacrificed enough during this pandemic and students should be able to enjoy the full university experience. Students deserve good quality, face-to-face teaching from their universities, and we need a resolution that delivers this for them as soon as possible. It is what the vast majority of teaching staff want, and what students rightly expect.</p><p>The Office for Students (OfS) have wide-ranging powers to ensure students’ interests are protected, and they expect providers to do all they can to avoid disruption to students. The OfS has written to universities to make their expectations clear: universities must abide by the conditions of registration and ensure they meet obligations under consumer protection law in relation to the impact of industrial action.</p><p>Higher education providers are autonomous and responsible for the pay and pension provision of their staff. While government has no direct role in the disputes, we have been clear that we want this disagreement resolved in a way that avoids further disrupting students’ learning. We strongly encourage a resolution that delivers good value for students, staff, and providers.</p><p>Students who have complaints about their higher education experience should contact their provider in the first instance. Where a student remains unsatisfied once they have been to their provider, they can approach the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) who can consider their complaint. The OIA has published a guide to handling complaints arising from significant disruption: <a href="https://www.oiahe.org.uk/providers/handling-complaints-arising-from-significant-disruption" target="_blank">https://www.oiahe.org.uk/providers/handling-complaints-arising-from-significant-disruption</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 25/03/2022 14:32:04 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1231631

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy under his Department's restructuring regime to enable (a) Buckinghamshire New University and (b) other financially strong higher education institutions to assist nearby institutions in financial difficulty; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	85039
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises the value of the higher education sector and that a high level of uncertainty remains around the scale of problems that higher education providers, as a whole and individually, may face in the coming academic year. We have been working closely with the higher education sector, in the Higher Education Taskforce, as well as with the Office for Students (OfS) and across the government to understand the financial risks that providers are facing and to help providers to access the support on offer. Providers with concerns about their financial viability or sustainability have been encouraged to contact the OfS at the earliest opportunity. They can now also directly contact the department’s Restructuring Unit at:<br><a href="mailto:HE.RestructuringRegime@education.gov.uk" target="_blank">HE.RestructuringRegime@education.gov.uk</a>.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced further information about the Higher Education Restructuring Regime on 16 July and more details are available here:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime</a>.</p><p>This may be deployed as a last resort, if a decision has been made to support a provider in England, when other steps to preserve a provider’s viability and to mitigate the risks of financial failure have not proved sufficient. The overarching objectives that will guide the department’s assessment of cases will be to protect the welfare of current students, to preserve the sector’s internationally outstanding science base and to support the role that higher education providers play in regional and local economies through the provision of high-quality courses aligned with economic and societal needs.</p><p>We will consider providers’ circumstances on a case-by-case basis, supported by expert advice, to ensure there is a robust value-for-money case for intervention. In cases where an Independent Business Review is carried out, the resulting restructuring plan may include options for a merger as well as for consolidation and services sharing between providers. The department’s Restructuring Unit will work with the provider and other stakeholders to ensure that the best option forward is chosen to ensure that the overarching objectives, as mentioned previously, are met.</p><p>Regarding the circumstances of Buckinghamshire New University, the government does not comment on individual higher education providers.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 14/09/2020 15:50:12 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker