Every parliamentary written question tabled by Jamie Stone this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 59 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the scientific evidence on rewetting peatland and other habitats and resilience to wildfire; and what her Department's strategy is for reducing wildfire risk in areas where rewetting is not a viable option.
Awaiting answer.
With reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland report, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government
Awaiting answer.
Whether his Department plans to support further assessment of Dounreay as a site for future nuclear deployment following the publication of Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice o
Awaiting answer.
With reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland report, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of n
Awaiting answer.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of Ofcom's approval of changes to STV's regional news programming on access to locally relevant news for rural and remote communities.
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland. I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this...
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that viewers in areas such as the Highlands and Islands are not impacted by the centralisation of broadcast news production.
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland. I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this...
Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on local democratic engagement and accountability of reductions in dedicated regional news services in the north of Scotland.
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland. I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this...
Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on ensuring that changes to regional broadcasting licences do not lead to a disproportionate concentration of news production in central urban areas.
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland. I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this...
Media and Sport, if she will review the public service broadcasting framework to increase protections for local and regional news provision.
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland. I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this...
Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to ensure that distinct local voices continue to be represented in public service broadcasting.
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland. I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this...
In reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear’s large-scale nuclear siting study which includes Scottish sites, what nuclear technologies have been identified as suitable for deployment at D
The government has tasked Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) with identifying suitable sites, including those in Scotland, that could host a potential large-scale new nuclear project. GBE-N will report to Ministers by Autumn 2026 on potential sites to...
What steps she is taking to help tackle strategic issues affecting domestic air travel, including (a) airport capacity and regional connectivity, (b) the resilience and availability of aircraft, (c) the regulat
The Government recognises the vital role of domestic aviation in supporting economic growth and regional connectivity. The sector operates largely on a commercial basis, with airports and airlines best placed to determine capacity and routes. It is also t...
Communities and Local Government, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of insurance provision available to Community Councils and other volunteer‑run civic bodies, particularly regarding the availability of cover for defending Judicial Review proceedings.
Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities. As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.
Communities and Local Government, whether their Department intends to explore mechanisms, such as pooled schemes, indemnity funds, or shared‑risk arrangements, to ensure that Community Councils can access protection against high‑cost legal challenges, including Judicial Review.
Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities. As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.
Communities and Local Government, whether their Department has issued guidance to Local Authorities regarding the procurement or negotiation of insurance policies for Community Councils, specifically in relation to the exclusion of Judicial Review defence costs.
Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities. As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her department is taking to ensure the Environment Agency has the necessary direction and resource to develop permitting guidance for novel low-carbon ammonia projects, to support their transition from R&D to commercial applications and accelerate decarbonisation.
Defra officials are closely engaging with the Environment Agency (EA) about the regulation of novel low-carbon ammonia technologies. EA colleagues are reviewing areas where further work is required to support permitting of these technologies and have been engaging with UK environmental regulators, expert groups and trade associations. Defra will continue to ensure EA work is appropriately resourced to develop guidance to give operators regulatory clarity while ensuring the environment and health are protected. Defra's recent consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry also included a number of proposals aimed at supporting innovation and which would enable R&D in this sector. The Government response for this consultation will be published at the earliest opportunity.
What assessment he has made of i) the levels of the ammonia production in the UK ii) the security of supply of imported ammonia and iii) the rising costs of fertilisers as a result of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The UK does not manufacture ammonia in significant volumes. CF Fertilisers made the commercial decision to switch to an import model of ammonia in 2022. Whilst there has been a significant increase in ammonia costs due to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf, there has been no assertion yet that supply is not secure.Recent market volatility has seen an increase in fertiliser prices, reflecting global conditions rather than any immediate supply disruption to the UK. The government is in close contact with domestic fertiliser suppliers and is monitoring overall supply and pricing in the UK.
Whether his Department intends to develop a standard for low carbon ammonia.
Ammonia can serve as an essential feedstock across a wide range of industrial applications and could support decarbonisation in hard-to-electrify transport sectors, such as maritime. Ammonia can also be used as a ‘hydrogen carrier’ to store, transport and trade hydrogen.' We do not have plans currently to create a standard for ammonia, given our primary focus on hydrogen production. However, we will continue to review emerging evidence on UK supply and demand for ammonia and will consider the development of any further appropriate policy measures as needed.
What assessment he has made of the levels of imported ammonia required for munitions manufacturing.
Ammonia, an important precursor in the production of energetics and munitions, is one of many chemicals critical to defence manufacturing and, as such, supply levels are kept under review. The levels of ammonia required for munitions manufacturing differs between programmes. The fulfilment of those requirements is managed by Defence suppliers, and the MOD works closely with them to monitor and review national and international supply networks to ensure availability and manage risks to Defence outputs.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of low-carbon ammonia as a flexible energy store, including to provide seasonal energy storage and dispatchable power.
Government recognises that ammonia could play an important role for the transport, storage andtrade of hydrogen, especially for hydrogen users with limited access to networks. Ammonia based chemical storage for cracking hydrogen was assessed to have a low technology readiness and is not eligible for the first round of the Hydrogen Storage Business Model (HSBM), which will support large scale geological storage of hydrogen as part of the UK’s first regional hydrogen network, aimed at decarbonising industry and providing flexible power generation. Government continues to review developments and welcomes evidence from industry on ammonia.