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Written Question
Energy: Investment
Wednesday 1st February 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the US's Inflation Reduction Act on clean energy investment in the UK.

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

The Department considers the impact of international policies on UK investment to ensure the Government meets its net zero and economic growth ambitions.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate: Boats
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on including people who live on a boat in the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

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

The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) will provide support of £400 for energy bills for around 900,000 households without a relationship to a domestic electricity supplier. Subject to applications meeting the eligibility criteria, houseboats that can provide proof of address will receive the EBSS AF. Those who are eligible for the EBSS AF will need to submit a short online form via the Government’s GOV.UK pages. The application portal will open on or before 27th February.


Written Question
Renewable Energy: Community Development
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data his Department holds on the number of community-owned renewable energy generation installations in place in each of the last seven years.

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

The Government’s approach to community energy policy is set out in the Net Zero Strategy. This includes re-establishing the Community Energy Contact Group. This forum considers the role that community energy can play in the delivery of net zero as well as support for community energy projects from Ofgem, which welcomes applications from the sector to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme. The Government is also helping local authorities and community energy groups to work together to develop projects within UK Growth Funding schemes.


Written Question
Renewable Energy: Community Development
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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 has made an assessment of the impact of the Government’s policies on promoting renewable energy generation from community-based schemes.

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

The Government’s approach to community energy policy is set out in the Net Zero Strategy. This includes re-establishing the Community Energy Contact Group. This forum considers the role that community energy can play in the delivery of net zero as well as support for community energy projects from Ofgem, which welcomes applications from the sector to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme. The Government is also helping local authorities and community energy groups to work together to develop projects within UK Growth Funding schemes.


Written Question
Renewable Energy: Community Development
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on promoting renewable energy generation from community-based schemes.

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

The Government’s approach to community energy policy is set out in the Net Zero Strategy. This includes re-establishing the Community Energy Contact Group. This forum considers the role that community energy can play in the delivery of net zero as well as support for community energy projects from Ofgem, which welcomes applications from the sector to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme. The Government is also helping local authorities and community energy groups to work together to develop projects within UK Growth Funding schemes.


Written Question
Octopus Energy: Prices
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the debate that took place in the House of Lords on 19 December 2022, whether the Octopus energy local tariffs referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at House of Lords Hansard vol 826 col 219GC, are community owned.

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

As the licensed supplier, Octopus Energy is responsible for any energy tariffs offered to consumers, including the local ‘Fan Club’ tariffs currently available in Market Weighton, Caerphilly and Halifax. Octopus Energy owns the renewable energy generation associated with these local tariffs.


Written Question
Renewable Energy: Community Development
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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 has set targets for the promotion of renewable energy generation from community-based schemes.

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

The Government’s approach to community energy policy is set out in the Net Zero Strategy. This includes re-establishing the Community Energy Contact Group. This forum considers the role that community energy can play in the delivery of net zero as well as support for community energy projects from Ofgem, which welcomes applications from the sector to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme. The Government is also helping local authorities and community energy groups to work together to develop projects within UK Growth Funding schemes.


Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Devolution
Thursday 29th December 2022

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2022 to Question 84783 on Carbon Emissions: Regulation, when his Department first announced its intention to publish the Strategy and Policy statement.

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

The Energy Act 2013 provided powers for the Secretary of State to designate a Strategy and Policy Statement (SPS) for energy policy. A draft SPS was consulted on in 2014 and the Department subsequently committed to redrafting the SPS based on the consultation responses. However, this work was paused following the change of government in 2015.

This Government set out its intention to designate an SPS for energy policy in the Energy White Paper in December 2020. The Department has continued developing the SPS and Welsh and Scottish Ministers have had the opportunity to consider a draft. A public consultation is planned for the Spring.


Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Devolution
Thursday 29th December 2022

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2022 to Question 84783 Carbon Emissions: Regulation, when his Department began to develop the Strategy and Policy statement.

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

The Energy Act 2013 provided powers for the Secretary of State to designate a Strategy and Policy Statement (SPS) for energy policy. A draft SPS was consulted on in 2014 and the Department subsequently committed to redrafting the SPS based on the consultation responses. However, this work was paused following the change of government in 2015.

This Government set out its intention to designate an SPS for energy policy in the Energy White Paper in December 2020. The Department has continued developing the SPS and Welsh and Scottish Ministers have had the opportunity to consider a draft. A public consultation is planned for the Spring.


Written Question
Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult has (a) introduced and (b) implemented technical innovations in the use of tidal power barrages since it was established.

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

The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult continues to engage with tidal barrage developers. However, there have been no commercial projects so far to introduce and implement technical innovation in this sector.