To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Heating: Rural Areas
Tuesday 7th February 2023

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support rural households in the transition to net zero heating.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We are bringing forward a range of policies to help rural households decarbonise their heating. These include schemes such as the £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides grants of up to £6,000 towards the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers, and the £1.1bn Home Upgrade Grant, which supports lower income households off the gas grid in England to upgrade their energy efficiency and transition to low carbon heating.

We are also taking further action to help develop the heat pump market, such as the planned market-based mechanism for low carbon heat. This will provide industry with the policy incentive and confidence to invest in ways to make heat pumps a more attractive and simpler choice for UK households.


Written Question
Insulation: Finance
Tuesday 7th February 2023

Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing financial assistance to encourage home insulation; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such policies in other jurisdictions.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament in decarbonising heat and energy efficiency. The Energy Company Obligation Scheme, running until 2026 is valued at £4 billion. ECO+ has also been announced, with the scheme worth £1 billion per annum to run from Spring 2023 until 2026.


The Autumn Statement announced a new ambition to reduce energy consumption from buildings and industry to 15% by 2030. A new Energy Efficiency Taskforce will be established supporting this. £6 billion of additional funding will also be available from 2025 to 2028.


The Government routinely considers schemes in other jurisdictions in its policy development process.


Written Question
Carbon Capture and Storage
Tuesday 7th February 2023

Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of carbon capture technology.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Between 2004 and 2021 the UK Government has invested over £346 million into CCUS Research, Development and Deployment (RD&D). This funding has ensured the UK remains at the forefront of CCUS Research and Innovation. Developing the skills, knowledge, and technology to allow the UK to deploy CCUS domestically and export it expertise around the world. In 2020 the UK Government confirmed Advanced CCUS and Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) innovation would be two of the ten priority areas of the £1 billion BEIS Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP, 2021-2025).


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking with Ofgem to ensure energy suppliers adhere to existing rules on prepayment meters.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of prepayment meters and is responsible for ensuring licensed energy suppliers comply with those rules. Ofgem publishes details of its compliance and enforcement action on its website at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/compliance-and-enforcement.

The Government has set out its 5-point plan regarding prepayment meters and Ministers will keep the House updated on its progress. Ofgem has launched a new prepayment meter investigation, in response to the 5-point plan. I have spoken to Ofgem to discuss the specific case of British Gas.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the application portal will open for the extension to the Energy Bills Support Scheme for people living in park homes.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The application portal for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding is scheduled to open by 27 February. In addition to this portal, a dedicated customer helpline will be available to assist customers who do not have online access with further details to be released in February.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Landlord and Tenant
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that landlords share the support provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme with their tenants.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Third-party intermediaries, such as landlords, who receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) must pass that support through to end users, such as tenants, in a just and reasonable way.

The Government has introduced regulations to require that EBSS support is provided to the people it is designed to help. Further details can be found here.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of regulations on the circumstances in which energy suppliers can force customers to use prepayment meters.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Ofgem restricts the force-fitting of a prepayment meter on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. When installing a PPM, suppliers must consider whether this is safe and practicable, including whether a PPM is appropriate for the customer, before remotely switching or installing a PPM under warrant.

The Government has set out its 5-point plan regarding PPM and Ministers will keep the House updated on its progress. Ofgem has launched a new PPM investigation, in response to the plan. I have spoken to Ofgem to discuss the specific case of British Gas.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Applications
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund application launch has been delayed to 27 February 2023.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is finalising several elements of the scheme that are critical to delivery. There are significant complexities in delivering a novel scheme with a wide variety of eligible groups with different energy arrangements. The Government must ensure consumers are protected; public money is well spent with robust verification and anti-fraud checks; and that local authorities are prepared to deliver support to eligible households.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Applications
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how long it will take to assess applications to the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The assessment of applications will be completed by local authorities. Cases will vary in complexity and the length of time it takes to assess them will vary accordingly.


Written Question
Warm Home Discount Scheme: Newport East
Monday 6th February 2023

Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households are eligible for the Warm Home Discount in Newport East constituency; and how many payments were made to eligible households in Newport East constituency as of 31 December 2022.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government does not hold constituency-level data on eligibility for, or payments of, Warm Home Discount rebates.