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, what support his Department provides to UK companies developing synthetic hydrocarbons as alternatives to conventional fossil fuels; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of synthetic hydrocarbon fuels in the UK’s transition to lower-carbon energy sources.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Given that low carbon fuels will find their primary application in transport decarbonisation, this policy area is led by the Department for Transport. Low carbon fuels, including synthetic hydrocarbons produced from sustainable biomass and other renewable energy sources, will play a critical role in meeting legislated carbon budgets and the Net Zero 2050 target. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation and the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate provide support for low carbon fuel supply in surface transport and aviation, respectively. The Advanced Fuels Fund has allocated over £198 million to support UK alternative fuel production, including synthetic hydrocarbons, with 21 projects supported.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 the revised Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round timetable on large solar projects that are unable to bid into the pre-qualification window for that round, including those projects that are well advanced and strategically aligned.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the level of underspend, or projected underspend, in the first year of the Warm Homes Local Grant and Warm Homes Social Fund; how many local authorities have submitted expenditure data to date; and whether the Department has modelled the full-year underspend based on these partial returns.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) schemes began delivery in April 2025.
Both schemes were oversubscribed demonstrating the high ambition of local authorities and social housing providers. We continue to see strong demand in both schemes.
To maximise delivery, where potential underspend has been identified it has been reallocated to high performing projects to ensure that grant funding is used by the end of the financial year.
Across both schemes, the final in-year spend can only be confirmed following robust financial management assessments. Financial reporting for the schemes will be available as part of DESNZ’s published annual accounts.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the UK's contribution to the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme in 2024–25 went to funding for (1) China, and (2) carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1. In 2024–25, none of the UK’s contribution to the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) supported new programming in China.
2. The International Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Programme, which was managed under ESMAP, formally closed on 31August 2024. No UK funding was spent in 2024–25 through the CCUS programme.
Asked by: Debbie Abrahams (Labour - Oldham East and Saddleworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential contribution of wave power to the UK's renewable energy mix; and what steps his department is taking to support its deployment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Carbon Trust estimates the UK’s total wave resource to be around 230 TWh/year, with an exploitable resource of 40–50 TWh/year. However, wave energy is not yet commercially viable. The Government monitors progress closely and supports innovation through research funding programmes operated by UK Research and Innovation. As set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, emerging technologies may have a role to play in the longer term, subject to cost reduction, performance improvement and demonstrated scalability.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that Great British Energy complies with Section 3(2)(e) of the Great British Energy Act 2025 to not use products made by slave labour.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government expects Great British Energy (GBE) to become a sector leader in ethical supply chains.
GBE are embedding ethical standards across GBE and will develop a comprehensive Supply Chain Risk Framework overseen by Senior Accountable Director for Ethical Supply Chains, Baroness Frances O’Grady.
GBE will prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement, as required under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, setting out the steps it is taking to ensure slavery and human trafficking are not present in its business or supply chain. GBE will also utilise the debarment list as set out under the Procurement Act 2023.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the revised timeline for the Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round, what steps his Department is taking to support large solar projects that have begun planning for construction but may not be able to bid in the pre-qualification window under the revised timeline.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they have taken to ensure that procurement and transactions in the energy sector are not reliant on the use of Uyghur Muslim slave labour in Xinjiang.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Modern slavery is a serious human rights violation depriving individuals of their freedom and dignity while inflicting immeasurable harm on families, communities, and society as-a-whole. The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.
The Government continue to explore the use and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools to ensure UK can effectively tackle forced labour in supply chains. The Government’s Trade Strategy launched the Responsible Business Conduct Review as a primary lever for delivering this as a cross-departmental endeavour to review and to address the UK’s policy regime and voluntary due diligence requirements for forced labour. Additionally, the Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan committed to embedding ethical supply chain standards into DESNZ public spend; and Great British Energy confirmed it will follow strict ethical standards to help ensure solar supply chains are free from exploitation.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 the alignment between the new timings for Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round and statutory planning decisions for large renewable projects key on the delivery of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
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 develop the UK’s renewable energy sector in response to the current international oil crisis.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are accelerating investment in homegrown clean power to boost energy security and cut exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. We are bringing forward the next renewables auction to July, introducing low cost ‘plug-in solar’ for households, and applying the lessons of the Fingleton Review to speed up delivery of critical infrastructure, including renewables.