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Session 2017-19 Thursday No. 208 17 January 2019 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................ 1 Written Answers ................................ ..................... 4 [I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows. Minister Responsibilities Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Earl Howe Minister of State, Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Barran Whip Lord Bates Minister of State, Department for International Development Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Wales Office Baroness Buscombe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Lord Callanan Minister of State, Department for Exiting the European Union Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Duncan of Springbank Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office and Scotland Office Baroness Fairhead Minister of State, Department for International Trade Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Goldie Whip Lord Henley Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice Spokesperson Baroness Manzoor Whip Baroness Stedman-Scott Whip Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport Lord Taylor of Holbeach Chief Whip Baroness Vere of Norbiton Whip Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development Lord Young of Cookham Cabinet Office Spokesperson and Whip Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/ Written Statements 17 January 2019 Page 1 “A Clean Planet for All”: a long-term strategy for EU Written Statements greenhouse gas emissions reductions – exchange of views: Thursday, 17 January 2019 The Commission introduced their long-term strategy on Counter-Terrorism and Border Security climate, which was published on 28th November 2018, which recommends that the EU aims for net-zero [HLWS1218] greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, following which the Baroness Williams of Trafford: My rt hon Friend the Council held its first exchange of views. The Council Minister of State for Security (Ben Wallace) has today agreed that the strategy should be discussed in multiple made the following Written Ministerial Statement: council formations in the coming months. Interventions I am today placing in the Library of the House the focused on the aim for net zero-emissions, the importance Home Office’s analysis on the application of Standing of just transition, the recognition of specific national and Order 83O of the Standing Orders of the House of regional circumstances, the contribution of technology to Commons relating to public business in respect of the decarbonisation, and the role of national long-term Lords amendments to the Counter-Terrorism and Border strategies. Security Bill. The UK intervened to highlight that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Environment Council Special Report on 1.5 degrees underscored the urgency of tackling climate change, and welcomed the strategy as a [HLWS1220] serious response that also underlines the benefits of taking Lord Gardiner of Kimble: My Hon Friend the action, and stresses the need to ensure that no one is left Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the behind in the transition. The UK highlighted the action Environment (Dr Thérèse Coffey), has today made the being taken across the UK to tackle climate change, and following statement. the role of Clean Growth in the domestic Industrial I attended EU Environment Council on 20 December in Strategy. The UK welcomed the focus in the strategy on Brussels. Mairi Gougeon MSP, the Scottish Minister for Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS), given its Rural Affairs and Natural Environment also attended. vital importance in reducing the costs of decarbonisation and the need for collaboration to scale up CCUS, and also I wish to update the House on the matters discussed. highlighted the need to consider nature-based solutions. CO2 Emission Standards for Heavy-Duty vehicles AOB items Regulation – General Approach: The following items were also discussed under Any Council reached an agreed position (“General Other Business. Approach”) on the regulation on CO 2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The European Commission had 1. Report on recent international meetings: United proposed an indicative 30% reduction in emissions by Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 24th 2030, with a 15% reduction by 2025. session of the Conference of the Parties: A full roundtable heard Ministers set out their The Presidency, Commission, and Poland, which held respective positions. The UK intervened calling for the presidency of the Twenty Fourth Session of the greater ambition for 2030 and stressing the need to agree Conference to the Parties (COP) to the United Nations a strong overall package of measures. The Presidency Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), presented a revised proposal; the key element being a presented on COP24, which took place in Katowice, binding 2030 target, which was sufficient to achieve a Poland, on 2-14 December 2018. The agreement of the General Approach. One Member State abstained. rulebook underpinning the Paris Agreement was welcomed as a significant achievement. Regulation on LIFE – partial General Approach: 2. Report on the implementation of the EU Strategy on The Presidency introduced their compromise text for a adaptation to climate change: partial General Approach of the LIFE programme (the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental, Council noted the information from the Presidency. nature conservation and climate action projects 3. The ‘Graz Declaration’ - Starting a new era: Clean, throughout the EU), to run from 2021-2027. In this safe and affordable mobility for Europe: revised text, the Presidency reintroduced the role of the Council noted the Presidency presentation on the Graz LIFE committee and placed greater emphasis on Declaration, which was agreed at October Informal geographical balance. Member States welcomed the Environment Council (29-30 October). adoption of the partial general approach. Whilst all could support the agreement, a number of Member States 4. Measures at EU level to create the conditions for intervened to restate their preference for higher co- discontinuing the use of the environmentally problematic financing rates. substances contained in plant protection products: Page 2 17 January 2019 Written Statements Council noted the information from the Belgian 8. The future of European Environment Policy – delegation on plant protection products. Towards an 8th EU Environment Action Programme: 5. Intermediary Sessions of the Meeting of the Parties Council noted the information from the Presidency on to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment plans to develop an eighth EU Environment Action in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and the Programme. Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): 9. Environmental and climate ambition of the future Lithuania, supported by Luxembourg, presented CAP: information concerning the draft recommendations of the Council noted the information from the German United Nations Economic Commission for Europe delegation, supported by the Luxembourg delegation. (UNECE) Espoo Convention Implementation Committee regarding the Ostrovets new nuclear project in Belarus. These recommendations will be tabled for possible Foreign Affairs Council endorsement by the Intermediary Session of the Meeting [HLWS1221] of the Parties to the Convention in February 2019. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Right Honourable 6. Current legislative proposals: Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Sir Alan Duncan), has made the The Presidency and the Commission provided an following written Ministerial statement: update on current environmental legislative proposals: Regulation on Taxonomy; Directive on single-use My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for plastics; the Regulation on persistent organic pollutants Foreign and Commonwealth