Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 the company behind the Morgan windfarm pulling out of the project on the proposed Morgan and Morecambe cabling corridor.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The planning application for the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farm Transmission Assets is a live case. The government is unable to discuss matters relating to live planning applications.
The UK is one of the most successful and attractive markets for offshore wind in the world and has seen £62 billion of private investment in clean energy industries since July 2024
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 ability of vulnerable groups to participate in consultations on the Morgan and Morecambe offshore windfarm cabling route.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The applicant must carry out a consultation in compliance with the Planning Act 2008 as part of the pre-application procedure for any nationally significant infrastructure project such as this. Applicants, the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State must also ensure compliance with the relevant secondary legislation made under the Planning Act 2008, and have regard to the requirements in the Equality Act 2010 (such as Section 149 ‘Public sector equality duty’), providing accessible engagement opportunities for potentially affected parties, including those in vulnerable groups.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether an Equality Impact Assessment was carried out for the Application by Morgan Offshore Wind Limited and Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Limited for an Order Granting Development Consent for the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets Project.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A Public Sector Equality Duty Statement forms part of the application for the project, and is available from the Planning Inspectorates website. The Planning Inspectorate is currently finalising its Examination report for this case, which will be submitted on 29 January 2026 to the Secretary of State who then has three months to make the planning decision. All relevant considerations will be taken into account including any equality impacts.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what replacement scheme will support energy efficiency for low-income households after ECO4 ends on 31 March 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government has committed to additional grant funding of £1.5bn which will be directed to upgrading low-income households, benefitting those in fuel poverty. This will take total Warm Homes Plan funding to around £15 billion; more details will be set out soon. The government continues to improve home energy efficiency through Warm Homes: Social Housing Decarbonisation, Warm Homes: Local Government and the ongoing Boiler Upgrade Scheme supporting thousands of households to upgrade their heating systems.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 potential changes in the level of demand for insulation and heating upgrades following the reduction of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that demand for energy efficiency upgrades will remain strong. To bring energy bills down for all, the decision has been made not to continue the Energy Company Obligation when the current scheme ends.
The government has instead committed an additional £1.5bn of grant funding, which will be directed to upgrading low-income households, benefiting those in fuel poverty. The details of this will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan.
The government continues to improve home energy efficiency through schemes, such as the Warm Home: Social Decarbonisation, Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Boiler Upgrade scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on local employment and SME supply chains of reducing the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To bring domestic energy bills down for all, ECO will not continue when the current schemes end. Government recognises that this is likely to have an impact on some companies in the supply chain.
Government has instead committed additional grant funding of £1.5 billion, which will be directed to upgrading low-income households, benefiting those in fuel poverty. Government will set out the details of this in the Warm Homes Plan.
Government continues to improve home energy efficiency through other existing schemes, such as the Warm Home: Social Housing Fund, Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 value for money of expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries compared to other low-carbon heating options.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognise that hydronic heat pumps may not be the most appropriate solution for all properties, especially those that currently have ‘dry’ (non-hydronic) space heating. Therefore, we are supporting air-to-air heat pumps under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to increase consumer choice and flexibility.
The value for money, costs and benefits of expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps will be included in a published Impact Assessment covering the period 2025/6 to 2029/30. This analysis will be updated to incorporate heat batteries closer to the point when they become eligible under the scheme.
An Impact Assessment for period 2022/23 to 2024/25 is already published.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 adequacy of regulations governing the use of Microgeneration Certification Scheme certification branding in subcontracted solar PV installations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under any DESNZ schemes, microgeneration technologies including rooftop solar must be installed by an MCS-certified installer or equivalent. The installer must use an MCS-approved product and carry out the installation to the relevant MCS installation standard.
However, the Government inherited a fragmented consumer protection framework for installation of energy efficiency measures. We are currently reviewing the broader consumer protection landscape and will bring forward wider system reforms to ensure consumers can have confidence in the quality of installations and protections when upgrading their homes.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many applications for air-to-air heat pump grants have been received since the expansion of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers grants of £7,500 for hydronic heat pumps only – air and ground source.
On 18 November, the Government published the response to the consultation, which closed on 11 June, on proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
The Government will begin to provide grants with a value of £2,500, to support the installation of air-to-air heat pumps in domestic properties from next year.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the reforms announced in the Department for Education's press release entitled Schools to cut bills with Great British Energy solar panels, published on 17 November 2025, what is the definition of home grown in the context of imported components for solar panels.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
‘Homegrown’ ‘power refers to schools generating their own electricity from solar panel installations on their own buildings. Panels themselves are procured with support from Crown Commercial Services under strict controls and may include components sourced outside the UK. All contracts issued under this schools and solar initiative comply with UK procurement rules.