Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has the department made of the potential impact of the government’s Warm Homes Plan on levels of fuel poverty in North East Somerset and Hanham.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ’s annual sub-regional fuel poverty statistics estimate the rates of fuel poverty in constituencies within England, and will therefore reflect the impacts of the Warm Homes Plan in time.
The Department will publish monitoring statistics and evaluation of policies announced in the Warm Homes Plan. DESNZ currently publishes statistics covering the uptake and impacts of energy efficiency measures here.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of funding in the consolidated low income household energy efficiency scheme will be allocated to (a) private sector homes and (b) social housing properties.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Warm Homes Plan includes £5 billion targeted investment for home upgrades for low-income and fuel poor households. This will initially be delivered via the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), which support social housing tenants and low-income homeowners respectively. The WH:SHF has been allocated up to an extra £295 million for 2026/27, in addition to the £1.3billion previously committed. £500 million has been allocated for the WH:LG.
From 2027/28 onwards the Government intends to integrate these schemes into a single low-income capital scheme, shifting towards area-based delivery. The Government will say more about the evolution of our low-income schemes in Spring 2026.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of curtailment costs borne by domestic consumers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data relating to curtailment caused by constraints including costs is provided in the National Energy System Operator (NESO) Annual Balancing Report at this link: neso.energy/document/362561/download. Constraint costs, as with other interventions taken by NESO to balance the electricity system, are recovered from consumers through Balancing Service Use of System Charges. Both domestic and non-domestic consumers pay these balancing costs, in proportion to their energy consumption. Although the most energy intensive industries receive additional support with these costs.
The current extent of grid constraints reflects years of underinvestment, with new network infrastructure development having lagged the expansion of new generation. We are already taking action to reduce constraints with the biggest upgrade to Great Britain’s electricity network in decades.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the environmental impact of high-carbon advertising.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is committed to reducing emissions from high carbon products and will continue to bring forward proposals to do so. For example, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is assessing the potential for voluntary ecolabels. Ecolabels provide information on the carbon intensity and environmental impact of products and services, to help inform consumers’ purchasing decisions.
The Committees of Advertising Practice and Advertising Standards Authority regulate the content and targeting of advertising in the UK, and the advertising codes include rules on environmental claims. The ASA system operates independently of the government.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including on how we deliver our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made to help improve the energy efficiency of homes in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The recently published Warm Homes Plan, backed by £15 billion, represents biggest investment in home upgrades ever. Households, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, will be able to benefit from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can cut energy bills and improve energy efficiency.
The Warm Homes Plan makes an offer to every household, and we will reach up to 5 million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, and innovative low-interest finance available to all. New energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors will also lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.
Asked by: Luke Murphy (Labour - Basingstoke)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many workers applied to the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund during the pilot programme; and what estimate he has made of the number of workers who will be supported by the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund in the next 12 months.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As of 6th February, the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund has received 980 applications and of these 402 have been approved so far. Following the success of the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund pilot in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire UK and Scottish Governments plan to significantly scale up this and will extend the reach of the Transition Training Fund, enabling thousands more highly skilled oil and gas workers to access tailored careers advice and training to transition to new sectors.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
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 the the crude oil and diesel spill from the Piper Bravo Platform on 6 January 2026 on the marine environment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The crude oil and diesel spills on the Piper Bravo Platform on 6th January 2026 were reported to the Health & Safety Executive in accordance with their hydrocarbon release reporting requirements. Both spills were contained on the installation with no spill to the marine environment.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department provides (a) funding and (b) any other support for increasing (i) grid capacity and (ii) enabling electrification at the Port of Southampton.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, published in March 2025, sets out domestic goals and commitments to decarbonise maritime transport, and a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports was launched to assess future energy demand at ports such as Southampton and Portsmouth International.
While the Government does not directly fund increases in electricity network capacity, we support Ofgem in their work to incentivise electricity network companies to invest strategically, ensuring plans reflect emerging demands from electrifying sectors. Through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions, Portsmouth International Port received nearly £20m of R&D funding to support a shore power trial.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues and the Northern Irish Government on using funds raised by the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to maritime to support maritime decarbonisation projects in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Revenue raised through the UK Emissions Trading Scheme support the Government’s wider priorities, including spending that helps deliver decarbonisation.
The Government is providing funding to support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, including in Northern Ireland.
For example, the first phase of funding for the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions saw £19 million provided to businesses and projects based in Northern Ireland.
This includes a project to demonstrate a fully electric crew transfer vessel in Belfast Harbour and feasibility studies for a zero-emission shipping corridor between Northern Ireland and England, involving trials at Larne Harbour.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 the potential impact of alternative rooftop land uses, including solar panels and energy infrastructure, on the (a) valuation of properties hosting telecommunications equipment and (b) landowners’ willingness to continue hosting mobile network infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No assessment has been made.