Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to provide support with heating costs for households that use wood pellets for heating in the context of rises in the cost of wood pellets.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Alternative Fuel Payment will provide a one-off payment to UK households that use alternative fuels for heating. This will come in addition to the £400 provided by the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and a further £800 of one-off support provided to eight million of the most vulnerable households to help with the cost of living.
The Government will continue to monitor the prices of alternative fuels and will consider further intervention if required to protect UK households from extraordinary fuel prices.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 on the adequacy of compensation received by affected consumers of the Ofgem Quality of Service Guaranteed Standards Regulation 9, 2.24, which defines a restoration of power as a period over three minutes; and if he will hold discussions with Ofgem on the potential merits of reviewing that provision.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government expects energy companies to deliver the best support to customers after a disruption to energy supply. Ofgem monitors and enforces the guaranteed standards relating to quality of supply. When a distribution company fails to meet the level of service required, it must make a payment to the customer, subject to certain exemptions.
As part of the Storm Arwen Review, Ofgem has commissioned a review of the guaranteed standards to assess the current compensation provision and payment structure.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) onshore wind, (b) offshore wind and (c) solar sites in Scotland which plan to bid in the contracts for difference auction round 4.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government considers a range of matters when setting the parameters for Contracts for Difference allocation rounds, including the anticipated pipeline of eligible projects. We will publish allocation round parameters in advance of the next auction in late 2021, when assessments of the potential volume of participants can be informed by the most current information on project pipelines.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What steps his Department is taking to support the oil and gas sector.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
I have been in almost daily contact with the sector to support them through this crisis. Last week I attended the Oil and Gas Authority’s Maximising Economic Recovery Forum with industry leaders to discuss the challenges posed by COVID-19, and the sector’s recovery.
We have also committed to delivering an oil and gas Sector Deal during this Parliament.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on the oil and gas sector deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The UK’s offshore oil and gas industry supports almost 300,000 jobs, of which four in ten are in Scotland. We believe that the North Sea oil and gas industry has a key role to play as we move to a Net Zero economy. We will support this transition with a transformational oil and gas Sector Deal. BEIS officials have already held preliminary discussions with industry to discuss how such a Sector Deal could enable the sector to play a leading role in the energy transition. Discussions will develop further over the next few months, as the process develops.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 implementing an oil and gas sector deal; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 met with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) representatives of the oil and gas industry in Scotland to discuss (i) domestic skills, (ii) training and (iii) recruitment in that industry in Scotland.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Both Ministers and officials in this department regularly meet with counterparts from the Scottish Government to discuss a wide range of issues impacting the oil and gas sector in Scotland. However, given that skills and related issues in Scotland are devolved these issues are a matter for the Devolved Administration.
BEIS Ministers and officials meet regularly with the oil and gas industry. For example, I met a range of oil and gas industry representatives and a member of the Scottish Government during a visit to Aberdeen on 2 September 2019. The visit included attendance at the Maximising Economic Recovery UK (MER UK) Forum, where a range of industry issues were discussed. On 20 August 2019 the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy visited Aberdeen where she met representatives from the energy industry.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 he has taken to support businesses in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is supporting businesses in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine to develop and thrive. The British Business Bank has issued 46 loans in the area totalling £493,319 and we continue to deliver the £250 million Aberdeen City Region Deal investing in oil & gas, bio-therapeutics and food innovation, improvements in digital infrastructure, a strategic transport appraisal and the expansion of Aberdeen harbour.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on the oil and gas sector deal.
Answered by Claire Perry
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun on 15th November 2018 to Question 189741 on a potential Offshore Oil and Gas Sector Deal.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on the oil and gas sector deal.
Answered by Claire Perry
Over the last few years, this Government has provided an unprecedented level of support for our vital offshore oil and gas industry that supports more than 300,000 jobs across the UK. Several sectors, including the oil and gas sector have expressed an interest in a sector deal and we are considering seriously these credible industry-led proposals. We intend to take forward some further deals that best meet expectations set out in the White Paper in due course.