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1202419

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Intestacy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether she has made a recent assessment of levels of compliance among local authorities with the guidance issued by the Government Legal Department on the referral to the Bona Vacantia Division of estates of people who have died without (a) known entitled relatives and (b) leaving a will and instead passing the details directly to a single heir hunting firm.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	58045
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>The Bona Vacantia Division (BVD) of the Government Legal Department (GLD) deals with the estates of people domiciled in England &amp; Wales who appear to have died without leaving a valid will or relatives entitled to share in their estates in priority to the Crown. Estates which potentially fall to be dealt with as bona vacantia may be referred to BVD by a variety of routes, for example, banks, other financial institutions, solicitors or members of the public.</p><p> </p><p>There is no statutory obligation to refer estates to BVD but guidance on the referral process and the circumstances in which a referral will be accepted are published on BVD’s website (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia</a>). It is for local authorities to determine whether an estate should be referred to BVD.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-2018, 2768 estates were referred to BVD of which 909 were referred by local authorities. In 2018-2019, 1971 estates were referred to BVD of which 575 were referred by local authorities.</p><p>In 2019-2020, 2336 estates were referred to BVD of which 561 were referred by local authorities</p><p> </p><p>GLD has no responsibility for overseeing local authorities or their compliance with guidance issued by GLD about the handling of estates. Such information – including whether an estate has been referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of GLD, or whether the local authority has instructed an heir hunter – will be held by the particular local authority concerned.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 24/06/2020 16:20:38 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1220624

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Administration of Estates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many estates of people who died without known entitled relatives and left a will were referred to the Bona Vacant Division of the Government Legal Department in (a) March, (b) April and (c) May in (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	68760
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>The Bona Vacantia Division (BVD) of the Government Legal Department (GLD) deals with the solvent estates of people domiciled in England &amp; Wales who appear to have died <strong>without</strong> leaving a valid will or relatives entitled to share in their estates in priority to the Crown. It therefore does not generally deal with estates where there is a valid will.</p><p> </p><p>If the referral contains information which suggests the deceased has left a valid will disposing of their entire estate, it will be returned to the person who referred it. The Division does not keep a record of these estates.</p><p> </p><p>If the deceased does not appear to have left a valid will or entitled relatives, the estate will be advertised on the Division’s website.</p><p> </p><p>Occasionally the Division determines that the deceased has left a valid will which disposes of the entire estate after it has been advertised. There were two such estates referred in March 2019; two in April 2019; none in May 2019; one in March 2020; one in April 2020 and one in May 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Estates where the deceased has left a valid will but it does not dispose of the entire estate are sometimes referred to the Division because the undisposed residue passes by intestacy to the Crown. One such estate was referred to the Division in March 2019 and one in April 2019. There have been no other referrals in the months concerned.</p><p> </p><p>During the corresponding period, the number of estates referred to the Division where there was no will or no will has subsequently come to light were: March 2019 = 296; April 2019 = 187; May 2019 = 160; March 2020 = 192; April 2020 = 204; May 2020 = 81.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 10/07/2020 12:47:20 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1202420

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Intestacy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, if she will make it her policy to strengthen the guidance issued by the Government Legal Department to local authorities on handling the estates of people who have died without (a) known entitled relatives and (b) leaving a will to ensure that they refer all eligible estates as soon as possible after death to the Bona Vacantia Division and do not pass the details directly to a single heir hunting firm.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	58046
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>The Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department (GLD) handles the estates of people who die without known entitled relatives, and without leaving a will. There is no statutory obligation to refer estates to GLD. However, GLD publishes guidance on the matter. In addition, local authorities can and do seek advice from GLD about the referral of specific cases.</p><p> </p><p>GLD does not provide advice to local authorities on the use of heir hunters.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 24/06/2020 16:23:59 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

819863

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2018
	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	Biofuels: Subsidies
	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 Clean Growth Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of subsidising biomass conversion.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	121935
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2018 answer text <p>Biomass conversions play an important transitional role in decarbonising the grid and helping to meet carbon targets. 2.98 GW of capacity is currently supported under the Renewables Obligation or has been awarded a contract under the Contracts for Difference scheme.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Watford answering member printed Richard Harrington question first answered 17/01/2018 14:39:57 answering member 4068 label Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1171915

	registered interest
	date	20/01/2020
	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	Renewable Energy
	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 steps she is taking to deliver the recommendation from the Committee on Climate Change that large-scale solar PV and onshore wind should have a Government-backed route to market.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	5496
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <p>Latest figures indicate we now have more than 27GW of combined onshore wind and solar PV capacity installed in the UK, enough to power over 13 million UK homes. A number of renewable energy projects, including onshore wind and solar PV projects, are now deploying without subsidy in the UK and we expect others may follow.</p><p> </p><p>No decisions have been taken on future Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation rounds for established technologies such as onshore wind and solar PV. We keep the CfD scheme under review and will announce the scope of future allocation rounds in due course.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 23/01/2020 10:08:18 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

829885

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2018
	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	Renewable Energy: Finance
	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 Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing funding to biomass conversion and increase the resources available for wind and solar energy exploitation.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	124642
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>Renewable technologies now form a significant part of the UK’s energy mix, and the recent Clean Growth Strategy sets out policies to continue the expansion of the low carbon electricity sector. Coal to biomass conversions are a transitional technology in the decarbonisation of electricity, with all support under the renewables obligation and contracts for difference (CfD) schemes ending in 2027. We are improving the route to market for renewable technologies such as offshore wind by making up to £557m available for further CfD auctions, and working with industry to develop an ambitious Sector Deal for offshore wind which could result in 10 gigawatts of new capacity. No decisions have been made on further CfD auctions for the Pot 1 technologies.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 01/02/2018 11:48:03 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

829956

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2018
	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	Biofuels
	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 Ofgem's Biomass Sustainability dataset 2015-2016, published on 22 March 2017, what assessment he has made of the effect of UK biomass production on deforestation.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	124693
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2018 answer text <p>Reporting under Ofgem's Biomass Sustainability dataset 2015-2016, published on 22 March 2017, is a requirement on biomass generators to demonstrate compliance with UK biomass sustainability standards. The Department have not made an assessment of the effect of UK biomass production on deforestation.</p><p> </p><p>The “Biomass Feedstock Availability Report”, also published in 2017, shows that the large majority of woody biomass fuels in the UK are sourced from agricultural and forestry residues, arboricultural arisings, waste woods and sawmill products.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 31/01/2018 17:58:00 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

910284

	registered interest
	date	23/05/2018
	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	Solar Power: EU External Trade
	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 recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of EU tariffs on the development of the solar technology sector in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	147499
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2018 answer text <p>The Department has not made a recent assessment of the effect of EU tariffs on the development of the solar technology sector in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The European Commission revised these tariffs in September 2017 following a review of evidence provided by stakeholders and Member States. The Department for International Trade (DIT) represented the UK during this review and they have also recently conducted a Call for Evidence to identify UK interest in existing EU trade remedy measures. This Call for Evidence has now closed and DIT are currently considering the responses they have received.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 04/06/2018 14:41:29 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

829959

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2018
	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	Biofuels
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the number of virgin forests that have been affected by biomass production in the past three years; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	124695
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>The Department has not made a specific assessment of the number of virgin forests that have been affected by biomass production in the past three years.</p><p> </p><p>However to receive government support for heat and power generation from biomass in the UK, all biomass must comply with the UK’s sustainability criteria, which includes demonstrating that wood is supplied from legal and sustainable sources.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 01/02/2018 11:50:31 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

851598

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2018
	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	Intellectual Property
	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 his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the British intellectual property sector and the businesses that rely upon that sector.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	130361
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2018 answer text <p>The UK has one of the best IP regimes in the world, and leaving the EU will not change that: we will continue to deliver quality rights granting services, lead the world in enforcement and engage in international IP discussions. The Government is considering options to ensure that the UK’s intellectual property regime will continue to support business and innovation in the future.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 05/03/2018 14:35:04 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse