Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that Scotland is supported through the commitments made in the Hamburg Declaration and its associated Action Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State signed a clean energy security agreement, the Hamburg Declaration, with European energy ministers at the North Sea Summit to progress build out of renewable energy in the North Sea and incentivise further investment.
Scotland is at the very heart of our Clean Energy Superpower mission. And in preparation for the North Sea Summit, the Department has engaged with UK industry, including Scottish companies, who have also attended the Summit. Officials regularly engage with and involve the Scottish Government in all relevant work related to the Hamburg Declaration and associated documents.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) onshore oil developments in the UK on areas of significant housing growth such as the Ardingly Reservoir catchment and (b) those developments on drinking water.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local planning authorities and the Environment Agency are responsible for assessing the impact of onshore oil and gas developments on housing and drinking water respectively.
The North Sea Transition Authority regulates exploration and development licensing for England’s onshore oil and gas resources on behalf of the Secretary of State. Licence holders require further consents and permits before any operations take place.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to improve GPs access to decarbonisation schemes to help them meet NHS Net Zero targets.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to supporting the decarbonisation of the GP estate. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, GP facilities can receive £7,500 for heat pumps and £5,000 for biomass boilers. We also help fund the UK Business Climate Hub, an online resource supporting SMEs identify and implement changes to their energy use.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to improve the physical and cyber security of the UK’s offshore renewable energy infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department works closely with the energy industry, NESO, regulators and National Technical Authorities to strengthen the physical and cyber resilience of offshore renewable energy infrastructure.
Recognising the risks to subsea and offshore assets, including vulnerabilities from accidental, negligent or intentional disruption, the Department is focused on proportionate measures to reduce opportunities for interference; with physical protection a key area of emphasis, reinforced by strengthened monitoring, detection and restoration arrangements.
Government has set robust regulatory standards for cyber security through the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018, with the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill set to enhance and modernise these protections. This includes working with regulators to ensure these regulations cover critical operators as the sector evolves towards Net Zero targets.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of Ofgem’s ability to scrutinise Drax.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We work closely with Ofgem to seek continuous improvement to scrutiny processes.
Under Drax’s Low-Carbon Dispatchable Contract for Difference from 2027, day-to-day scrutiny of biomass sustainability will be provided by the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC). LCCC will implement significantly bolstered assurance standards, including audits across Drax’s global supply chain, an increased audit sample size, and a raised assurance standard from ‘limited’ to ‘reasonable’. There are also significant financial penalties available should Drax’s compliance fall short.
Ofgem will continue to regulate compliance with Drax’s licence conditions, with the powers to launch investigations and issue fines for breaches.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take with European partners to ensure the UK supply chain can maximise opportunities from the Joint Offshore Wind Investment Pact.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State signed a clean energy security agreement, the Hamburg Declaration, with European energy ministers at the North Sea Summit to progress build out of renewable energy in the North Sea and incentivise further investment. This includes an Action Plan, published on Gov.uk, which sets out concrete steps and timelines over the next months and years for both governments and industry to take in order to achieve the objectives agreed.
Working with our European neighbours and industry to develop joint offshore wind will enable us to maximise the clean energy potential for the North Sea, drive investment and job creation, and ensure energy security and resilience.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made towards phasing out gas boilers by 2035; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that timeframe in meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan sets out the government's proposals and policies to enable carbon budgets to be met. In doing so, it provides an assessment of the impact of the government’s expectation that the vast majority of heating system replacements will be low-carbon by 2035.
We are making significant progress towards this objective. Demand for heat pumps and other clean technologies is soaring, while our Warm Homes Plan sets out ?15 billion of investment and a range of interventions to ensure that clean heating technologies are the most attractive and natural option for consumers.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of extending a specific price cap, comparable to that applying to domestic customers, to landlords of vacant residential properties supplied under deemed energy contracts following the end of a tenancy.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Price Cap was established to protect existing and future domestic customers who pay standard variable and default rates from a ‘loyalty penalty’. The non-domestic energy market is significantly more complicated, with considerable variation in consumption levels, so the domestic cap could not be extended to cover deemed rates for non-domestic contracts.
Ofgem published updated guidance on the rules for deemed rates in November 2023. This prohibits suppliers from profiting significantly more from deemed rates than from their wider contracts, alongside a broader protection against unduly onerous contract terms. Last year Ofgem also approved improvements to the Retail Energy Code, standardising how supplier’s manage changes of occupancy involving landlords and other non-domestic consumers.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered flexible or compensatory approaches to EPC compliance, where upgrades are not technically or financially viable.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Having an EPC is a requirement for property owners selling or renting a property. Landlords of rented homes may also need to upgrade their properties to meet minimum energy efficiency standards. There are a number of existing exemptions for the private rented sector, who, since 2020, have been required to meet an EPC E standard or have a valid exemption. The government recently confirmed the standard will be increased for privately rented homes, and a new standard will be introduced for the social rented sector.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of localised connectivity limitations on rural households; and what steps he is taking to ensure that rural communities are not disadvantaged in comparison with urban areas.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is working closely with the DCC and energy suppliers to ensure smart meter connectivity can be extended to currently unserved properties in all regions as soon as reasonably possible. One such solution, currently being trialled, will involve Virtual WAN (VWAN) - a new option that, with their consent, uses customers’ broadband connections to carry smart metering communications.