Every parliamentary written question tabled by Harriet Cross this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 61–80 of 211 · this parliament
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme on (a) supporting water resilience in Scotland and (b) posing risks to the internal market.
The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme is administered by the Scottish Government which could provide a more accurate assessment. However, I support any measures that protect our natural environment in Scotland.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief on levels on investment on farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
As agriculture is a devolved policy, this response only covers England. In England, no assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief on levels of investment on farms. Data on farm investment income is available in the table 5 series of Farm Accounts in England – but these tables only show data for 2022/23 and 2023/24. Defra are currently collecting the 2024/25 data; data on English farm investment income for 2024/25 will be published in January 2026.
Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the transport of carbon dioxide by ship.
Officials within the department have engaged with their counterparts in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on non-pipeline transport of carbon dioxide, including via rail and ship. This includes inputting into the Call for Evidence on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage on Non-Pipeline Transport and Cross border CO2 networks that ran between 7 May 2024 and 16 July 2024. They are now working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on their upcoming consultation on Non-Pipeline Transport of CO2, which is due for publication by the second half of this year [2025].
What his Department's planned timetable is for (a) making and (b) announcing its decision on whether Mingyang Smart Energy will be permitted to supply turbines for (i) Green Volt and (ii) other wind projects.
The suppliers that offshore wind projects use are a commercial decision for the company involved. As an open economy, we welcome foreign trade and investment, including from China, where it supports growth and jobs in the UK, meets our stringent legal and regulatory requirements, and does not compromise our national security.
Whether his Department plans to allow captured carbon to be delivered by ship to its final storage location.
The Government recognises that non-pipeline methods of CO2 transportation (for example, road, rail, barge and ship) will play an integral role in achieving decarbonisation across multiple regions and sectors of the economy, to meet our carbon budget targets and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Non-pipeline transport (NPT) will be required where it is not technically or economically feasible to connect to a CO2 storage sites via a pipeline. The Government intends to publish an NPT consultation later this year which will include seeking views on support for NPT costs, risk allocation and economic licensing.
What steps he is taking to future-proof the carbon capture and storage industry.
The Government is working to create a CCUS industry and has provided increased support to UK CCUS by allocating £9.4 billion in capital budgets over the Spending Review period. The Government has announced its support for the Acorn (Scotland) and Viking (Humber) clusters and is providing the development funding to advance their delivery. A final investment decision (FID) will be taken later this Parliament, subject to project readiness and affordability. The Government is actively engaging industry on key enabling CCUS policies to ensure we can build the longer-term pipeline of projects that in turn will grow the economy, contribute to the Clean Power Mission and is done at lowest cost to reach Net Zero.
Whether he has had recent discussions with his Norwegian counterpart on (a) the Northern Lights project and (b) the viability of emulating their non-pipeline transport of carbon dioxide in the UK.
On 7th May 2025, the Secretary of State met with Minister Aasland, his Norwegian counterpart, on the occasion of signing a Green Industrial Partnership with the Norwegian Government. This recognised the importance of continued collaboration on Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS), including a commitment to initiate work to identify gaps and challenges to the development of our common North Sea as a hub for carbon storage. Sharing knowledge from current projects, including the Northern Lights CCS project, will play an important role. Our recently published Industrial Strategy: Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan emphasised how the UK’s favourable geology offers capacity to safely store up to 78 billion tonnes of CO2 and the potential to offer international CO2 storage services. Non-pipeline transport, especially the transport of CO2 via ship, will help maximise this geological potential.
What steps he is taking to help ensure that levels of (a) oil and (b) gas production from existing fields are maintained.
The Government has committed to maintaining existing fields for their lifetime. Earlier this year, the Government consulted on ‘Building the North Sea’s energy future’, including proposals not to issue new licences to explore new fields and to partner with business and workers to manage existing fields for their lifespan. A Government response to the consultation will be published in due course. Oil and gas production efficiency is monitored by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). The NSTA publishes a UK Continental Shelf Production Efficiency dashboard on its website
What recent discussions he has had with the North Sea Transition Authority on its statutory duty to maximise the economic recovery of oil and gas in the UK Continental shelf.
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
When she plans to publish a response to the oil and gas price mechanism consultation, published on 5 March 2025.
The consultation was open for 12 weeks and closed on 28 May. The government is now analysing stakeholder responses and will publish a summary of those responses in due course.
How many farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland will become liable for inheritance tax based on current agricultural land values from April 2026.
I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced UIN 32333 published on 3rd March 2025 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-02-21/32333.
How many redundancy notifications his Department received between 1 November 2024 and the latest date for which information is available.
In the period 1 November 2024 to 1 June 2025, 2,574 HR1 Advance Notification of Redundancies have been received.The Insolvency Service has released this Management Information (MI) to meet stakeholder needs for this data in a timely way. This MI is not classified as Official Statistics: it has not been rigorously quality assured and may be subject to revision.
How many pensioners in receipt of a Winter Fuel Payment in 2023-24 were no longer eligible in 2024-25.
It is estimated that 9.2 million pensioners who received a WFP in 2023/24 were not eligible for a WFP in 2024/25. This estimate was published in the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
What information his Department holds on the (a) onshore and (b) offshore workforce in the North Sea oil and gas sector in (i) July 2024 and (ii) March 2025.
The Department does not hold its own estimates for the offshore or onshore North Sea oil and gas sector workforce. According to ONS data[1], direct jobs in oil and gas extraction fell by around a third between 2014 and 2023, despite ongoing domestic licensing and production.As Britain becomes a clean energy superpower, the Government is determined to create new high-quality jobs to ensure a phased and responsible transition in the North Sea.This is vital for delivering the best outcomes for workers and communities, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.[1] ONS Business Register and Employment Surveyhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/industry235digitsicbusinessregisterandemploymentsurveybrestable2(opens in a new tab)
On how many days were wholesale electricity prices in excess of £150 per megawatt hour during winter 2024-25.
The Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) publishes this data. It is available here:https://dp.lowcarboncontracts.uk/dataset/imrp-actuals
How much were constraint payments to wind farm operators in Great Britain (a) in total and (b) for each month between 1 April 2024 and 30 April 2025.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for operating Great Britain’s electricity system, which includes managing constraints. The NESO publishes daily constraint costs here: Constraint Breakdown Costs and Volume | National Energy System Operator. Data is not available on the split of costs between different types of generators. Constraints are a natural part of operating an efficient electricity system and electricity systems around the world use the constraint payment model. Government is working to reduce constraints and enable a more secure energy system by accelerating the build of electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity.
Food and Rural Affairs, when (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department last held discussions with (a) the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and (b) other fishing industry representatives before the UK-EU Summit 2025.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 52791. Most recently, the Secretary of State, the Fisheries Minister, or Defra officials spoke with key industry representatives, including from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, on 19 May.
How many people were not notified before prisoners who perpetrated crimes against them were released early under the SDS40 scheme.
This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of specified violent, sexual or terrorism offences and are sentenced to twelve months or more imprisonment. The Victim Notification Scheme provides a similar service for victims of certain stalking and harassment offences. Both Schemes allow for the Probation Service to notify eligible victims of information about an offender’s sentence.When SDS40 was introduced, for those eligible victims who opted into the Schemes, the Probation Service provided information on the SDS40 changes, including the offender’s new release date and how to access support services. Eligible victims continue to receive key information about the offender in their case, including when the offender is recalled to custody.
How many days was more than 10 per cent of UK electricity demand imported between 1 November 2024 and 30 April 2025.
The Department does not record daily electricity demand or import data. Half-hourly figures for electricity demand and import for Great Britain’s public distribution system are available from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) data portal. Quarter-hourly figures for Northern Ireland’s electricity demand from the public distribution system are available from EirGrid.
What estimate his Department has made of gas storage capability in the UK in (a) cubic feet (or other appropriate unit of volume) and (b) days of average usage; what steps he is taking to increase storage capacity; and when this will be complete.
According to Ofgem’s annual publication, GB has eight gas storage sites with a combined maximum capacity of 3.2bcm – around 13 days of average (24/25) winter gas demand – and maximum deliverability of ~123mcm/day.Gas storage is an effective source of system flexibility to supplement GB's supply sources from the UK and Norwegian Continental Shelves, LNG terminals and interconnectors. Storage can be used to respond to short-run changes in supply and demand or during cold winter months to help meet demand peaks. In winter 24/25, gas storage provided ~9% of the total gas used in GB.The Government continues to work with storage operators and regulators, to explore options around the role storage can play in supporting future system resilience in a changing gas landscape.