Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps the Government has taken to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government is committed to tackling climate change and to the Paris Agreement.
We have been among the most successful countries in the developed world in growing our economy while reducing emissions. Since 1990, we have cut emissions by more than 40 per cent while our economy has grown by two thirds. This is the best performance amongst G7 nations. PWC has recently found the UK is leading the G20 in clean growth, decarbonising faster than any other country.
This year the Government has announced a number of policy measures to support low carbon transition including: confirmation of the phase out of unabated coal power generation in Great Britain by 2025; new measures to support green finance; and £246 million for the ‘Faraday Challenge’ to support the design, development and manufacture of electric vehicles. We have held a Contracts for Difference auction which resulted in the cost of new offshore wind projects from 2022-23 being 50% lower than the first auction held in 2015. We will publish our Clean Growth Strategy shortly which will set out how we will reduce emissions through the 2020s.
The Government is working internationally to support implementation of the Paris Agreement. We actively participate in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations to agree detailed rules that will underpin the Paris Agreement. We are working closely with EU partners to agree the legislative package that will set out how the EU will meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. The International Climate Fund of £5.8bn between 2016-2020 is helping to unlock investment in developing countries and raise ambition; and through our foreign policy network the UK is engaging countries around the world on delivery of their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent representations the Government has received from (a) the Chinese government and (b) Chinese energy companies on proposals to build new nuclear power stations in the UK.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department regularly engages with the Chinese government and with CGN about their proposed partnership with EDF in UK new nuclear build – as we do with all developers with proposals for new nuclear power stations. A record of ministerial engagement with external stakeholders is published on a quarterly basis, and can be found at
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
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 effects of recent changes in the value of the pound on the cost to the UK of electricity and gas imports.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department has not made an assessment of the recent changes in the value of the pound on cost to the UK of electricity and gas imports.
Exchange rates are only one of the factors which influence the cost of electricity and gas imports.
Market gas prices are also impacted by the availability and cost of a range of gas supplies, both regional and global, infrastructure constraints and global and regional demand. The cost of importing electricity to the UK through its interconnectors with other European countries is also influenced by the electricity generation mix in Europe and gas, coal and carbon prices and level of electricity demand in the UK and other European countries.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's policy is on the role of unabated coal-fired power generation over the next decade.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Coal currently plays an important role in our energy mix, helping to ensure security of supply. However the level of coal generation has declined significantly in recent years as cleaner, lower-carbon alternative forms of generation come onto the system. I would expect this decline to continue as part of our plans for a cleaner energy future.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's policy is on whether it should be mandatory for price comparison websites to show the cheapest energy deals available.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is vital that customers trust price comparison websites, as they offer real opportunities for improving competition and I expect price comparison websites to be clear to consumers when they are not providing a whole market tariff comparison.
Ofgem are currently consulting on proposals to allow price comparison websites to only show those tariffs that consumers can switch to through the price comparison website as a default, but they must also provide quick and easy access to a webpage showing all tariffs available on the market. The consultation closes on 28 September and is available online at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2016/08/whole_of_market_consultation.pdf
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to complete the roll-out of smart meters.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is requiring energy suppliers, as part of their licence conditions, to take all reasonable steps to roll-out smart meters to all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by 31 December 2020. Good progress is being made with more than 3.6 million meters now operating under the Programme.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many cyber-attacks there have been on the UK's national energy infrastructure in the past five years.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In the interest of National Security we cannot comment on specific details of cyber security attacks. However, cyber security is one of the Government’s top national security priorities and BEIS is continuing to work with government departments and the National Cyber Security Centre, as well as with industry partners, to ensure that the risks to the energy sector are understood and that appropriate mitigations are established.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to support a role for Chinese companies in the construction or ownership of new nuclear power stations in the UK.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is for the private sector to fund build and operate new nuclear power stations. We welcome proposals by qualified companies for new nuclear power.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the UK plans to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and to climate action is firm. We remain committed to ratifying the Paris Agreement, and initiating domestic procedures for this, as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to set out its own nationally-determined contribution to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Answered by Nick Hurd
For now the UK remains a Member State and part of the EU’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). It is not appropriate at this point to speculate about arrangements for after the UK ceases to be a Member State. The UK’s commitment to tackling global climate change remains firm.