Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which Ministers attended the 4th Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition Forum on 20 May 2025.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on gov.uk.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 link between the installation of solar panels on new build homes and the cost of energy for those residents.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Solar panels benefit households by reducing electricity bills significantly and providing payment for excess electricity generated through the Smart Export Guarantee.
Future standards this year will set our newbuild homes on a path that moves away from relying on fossil fuels and ensures readiness for a net zero future. We will encourage the installation of solar panels on these developments, where appropriate.
We received a lot of feedback on the Future Homes Standard consultation proposals relating to solar and are mindful of the opportunity it represents. We are committed to ensuring that the standards we set are ambitious and technically achievable. We are working to get the technical detail right and will provide an update soon.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how nuclear energy can support the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Nuclear can support the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries by providing a source of reliable, low carbon energy. Nuclear will play an important role in helping the UK achieve a secure, resilient Clean Power system, in turn enabling large industrial consumers of electricity to decarbonise their operations. There are further opportunities for nuclear to support industrial decarbonisation by supplying electricity and/or heat directly to industrial sites. Government recognises the potential for nuclear to play a wider role in the UK energy system, including the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries, and is exploring ways to unlock this opportunity.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how (a) Small Modular Reactors and (b) Advanced Modular Reactors can support energy-intensive industries.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Small and Advanced Modular Reactors (SMRs and AMRs) can support energy-intensive industries by providing scalable, low-carbon energy with the ability to co-locate at industrial sites. These reactors are well-suited for hard-to-decarbonise sectors and emerging demands such as AI data centres, which require reliable, continuous electricity and options for co-generation. The Government recognises the potential of advanced nuclear to power such facilities and is exploring ways to unlock this opportunity.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 new nuclear development on local communities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Public consultation and community engagement is an essential part of the planning process.
We are in the process of designating a new National Policy Statement for nuclear energy generation, called EN-7, which we consulted on earlier this year. EN-7 makes clear that as part of the planning process the applicant must assess the socioeconomic the impact of the construction, operation and decommissioning of the proposed nuclear infrastructure. This assessment should demonstrate that the applicant has taken account of, amongst other things, potential pressures on local and regional resources, population density and economic benefits.
New nuclear projects provide considerable benefits to the communities that host them. For example, EDF report that £5.3 billion has already been invested into the South West regional economy because of Hinkley Point C development.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to discuss support for the ceramics industry in relation to rises in energy costs.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister 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.
Companies in the ceramics sector are eligible to apply to the British Industry Supercharger scheme, which has provided energy bill support to hundreds of firms in energy intensive sectors. Financial relief to support energy intensive industries with electricity costs is worth £470 million per year through a mixture of spending and bill discounts.
I meet frequently with representatives of the ceramics sector to discuss challenges faced by manufacturers, including high energy costs. Government is committed to continuing to listen and engage with the sector.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help reduce levels of fuel poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme; and if he will meet with the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency to discuss those steps.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are multiple targeted schemes to deliver energy efficiency measures to low-income and fuel poor households. The Warm Home Discount schemes also provide a £150 rebate off bills to eligible low-income households across Great Britain, and we have recently consulted on expanding this scheme to an extra 2.7 million households from next winter. We published a Review of the Fuel Poverty Strategy which closed in April, and we are currently considering the responses received.
The Government has also kickstarted delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next 3 years, helping around 225,000 households reduce their energy bills by around £200.
We continue to monitor energy prices and the price cap and are working to ensure bills are affordable for consumers in the long-term.
Invitations to meet should be sent in the normal way by post or by email.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help reduce energy prices for energy intensive industries.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government recognises high energy prices are a key challenge for UK businesses. Our Clean Power 2030 target is the key to long-term sustainable price reductions. Our mission is for clean power by 2030 because clean, homegrown energy is the best way to protect billpayers and boost Britain's energy independence. This Government is also already bringing energy costs for UK industries closer in line with other major economies through the British Industry Supercharger. This fully exempts eligible firms from certain costs linked to renewable energy policies, particularly those exposed to the high cost of electricity.
UK businesses using more electricity and less fossil fuels is the future. The latest advice from the Climate Change Committee expects electricity to meet 61% of industrial energy demand by 2040. My department is developing options to enable them to do that.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 adequacy of UK energy security.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great Britain’s energy system is diverse and reliable, with the annual Statutory Security of Supply Report 2024 assessing that GB is expected to have sufficient supplies of electricity and gas to meet consumers’ demands over the short and long-term. However, our dependence on fossil fuels has left us vulnerable to global supply shocks and unstable energy prices. The Government's Clean Energy Superpower Mission, supported by the largest investment in home-grown clean energy in British history, will enhance energy security by boosting our energy independence, protecting billpayers, and reducing exposure to global supply shocks.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the report of the Green Jobs Delivery Group on skills for the green energy sector.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are building on the progress that the Green Jobs Delivery Group previously made by setting up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ). The OCEJ has been created to ensure that clean energy jobs are abundant, high quality, paid fairly, and have favourable terms and good working conditions. We published our analysis on the future of the clean energy workforce as part of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan in December 2024, including the accompanying 'Assessment of the Clean Energy Skills Challenge' annex.