Alan Whitehead: BEIS: All Documents

Written Question

Bulb Energy

Friday 25th November 2022

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the Office for Budget Responsibility's estimate that the administration of Bulb Energy required £6.5bn from the public purse.

Answered by Graham Stuart

The OBR figure has been forecast in accordance with usual processes. However, the £6.5bn figure only reflects the public spending implications of the Octopus transaction and does not account for the financial support that will be repaid in accordance with an agreed repayment schedule or recovered by the established shortfall direction mechanism, which means that the Special Administration Regime (SAR) will eventually be fiscally neutral. SAR costs will continue to fluctuate, driven by high energy market volatility meaning any published figures remain uncertain.

Written Question

Bulb Energy: Octopus Energy

Friday 18th November 2022

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

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 7 November 2022 on Bulb Energy: Takeovers, at what point during the takeover of Bulb Energy by Octopus Energy the process will cease to be commercially sensitive.

Answered by Graham Stuart

The sales process between Bulb and Octopus Energy has not yet been completed. Due to the commercial sensitivity around the contractual documentation between Bulb and Octopus, to which the Government is not a counterparty, the Government cannot speculate on when this will cease. The Government remains committed to providing transparency to Parliament at the appropriate time.

Written Question

Carbon Emissions: Regulation

Friday 18th November 2022

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to update the Ofgem's Strategy and Policy Statement to enable it to regulate for Net Zero.

Answered by Graham Stuart

The Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989 state that Ofgem’s principal objective is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, including their interests in the reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases. These Acts define emissions and targeted greenhouse emissions as being the same as in Part 1 of the Climate Change Act 2008.

Therefore, Ofgem already has a decarbonisation objective in law, which will be supported by the Strategy and Policy Statement setting out the Government’s priorities as a guide for the regulator. The Government aims to publish a consultation on the Strategy and Policy Statement soon.

Written Question

Bulb Energy

Tuesday 15th November 2022

Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)

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 8 November 2022 to Question 78625, how much funding was claimed by Bulb Energy under the draw down funding agreement with BEIS before Bulb Energy was taken over by Octopus Energy.

Answered by Graham Stuart

As per Teneo’s progress report on 21^st June 2022, a total drawdown of £901m has been used to meet the costs of the Energy Administrators under the funding agreement.

Further Information can be found at: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08469555.

Teneo, as part of their statutory obligations are required to provide progress reports on a six-monthly basis.

Speech in General Committees - Mon 14 Nov 2022
Energy Bill Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 Energy Prices (Domestic Supply) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022

"Thank you, Sir Roger. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship.

Having agreed, as we of course should have done, to discuss all these statutory instruments in one go, we have a great deal of ground to cover very quickly in our discussions this evening. I will start …..."
Alan Whitehead - View Speech

View all Alan Whitehead (Lab - Southampton, Test) contributions to the debate on: Energy Bill Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 Energy Prices (Domestic Supply) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022

Speech in General Committees - Mon 14 Nov 2022
Energy Bill Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 Energy Prices (Domestic Supply) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022

"I hope it is in scope, because—..."
Alan Whitehead - View Speech

View all Alan Whitehead (Lab - Southampton, Test) contributions to the debate on: Energy Bill Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 Energy Prices (Domestic Supply) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022

Speech in General Committees - Mon 14 Nov 2022
Energy Bill Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 Energy Prices (Domestic Supply) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022

"I will of course accept your guidance and advice, Sir Roger. I only say that there is so much in the legislation, both primary and secondary, that is either not on the Order Paper at all, or is there in such a way that we cannot debate it, that it …..."
Alan Whitehead - View Speech

View all Alan Whitehead (Lab - Southampton, Test) contributions to the debate on: Energy Bill Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 Energy Prices (Domestic Supply) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022