Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support people whose home values have been affected by spray foam insulation installed under the 2020 Green Homes Grant Scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All installations under government scheme, including the Green Homes Grant Scheme must be installed by Trustmark registered installers. If the installation has met the standards required, it is not expected removal will be required.
Where measures have not been installed correctly, homeowners can use the TrustMark dispute resolution process to seek remediation or redress. If the installer is no longer trading, they should contact the guarantee provider.
The Government has also consulted the insulation, lending and surveying communities and published an inspection protocol that surveyors can use to appropriately assess spray foam installations (https://www.property-care.org/resources/spray-foam-insulation-inspections). It is important a surveyor with appropriate knowledge of spray foam and the protocol is used to give an accurate assessment.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many nuclear certified welders there are currently in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not produce their own figures on the number of welders in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of employment opportunities pertaining to the North Sea.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In March, the government launched a consultation setting out the next steps in its overarching objective to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry. Britain is well-placed to use the skills and expertise of our existing offshore workforce and supply chain to get ahead in the global race for new jobs and industries.
We are working with industry to explore public awareness campaign options promoting the opportunities from clean energy jobs (including those in the North Sea), as announced in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on business in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.
The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.
In the short-term, the Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers.
The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed.
There is support in place through the British Industry Supercharger to reduce the cumulative impact of energy and climate change policies on industrial electricity prices for eligible energy intensive industries (EIIs), including compensation for indirect emission costs of the UK ETS and Carbon Price Support and reductions in the indirect cost due to the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation and small-scale feed-in-tariffs.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - 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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for consultation response feedback to be made publicly available.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department publishes the government’s responses to consultations on GOV.UK. In line with the Cabinet Office consultation principles, these documents explain the responses that have been received from consultees and how they have informed the policy.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce industrial electricity prices in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.
The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.
The Government recognises that one of the barriers to industrial electrification is that electricity is significantly more expensive than gas. We also recognise that the UK’s industrial electricity costs are currently higher than those of our competitors, which partly reflects how the costs of the electricity system are distributed across households and industrial customers.
There is support in place through the British Industry Supercharger to reduce the cumulative impact of energy and climate change policies on industrial electricity prices for eligible energy intensive industries (EIIs), including compensation for indirect emission costs of the UK ETS and Carbon Price Support and reductions in the indirect cost due to the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation and small-scale feed-in-tariffs.
Asked by: Liam Conlon (Labour - Beckenham and Penge)
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 on the UK's priorities for the UN Climate Change Conference 2025.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My Rt Hon friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues, including driving forward the UK’s priorities for COP30.
The joint work of countries committed to development, tackling climate change and multilateralism has never been more important.
We are also working closely across Government to drive further international action, including with
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's timetable is for bringing section 159 of the Energy Act 2023 into force.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expect to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation, which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions.
Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of renewable liquid fuels in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstock.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what level of fire service coverage solar farm applications are required to have in order to be approved as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what level of fire service coverage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project solar farms are required to have.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.