Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the trend in the level of average fuel prices in the period between 25 October 2023 and 22 November 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department publishes average fuel prices for the UK on a weekly basis. The average road fuel prices on 20 November in the UK were 150.5 pence per litre for petrol and 158.4 pence per litre for diesel. Both have decreased week-on-week, by -0.6 percent and –0.7 percent respectively) over the past month.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the difference between fuel prices (a) on and (b) not on motorways.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to him on 18 September to Question UIN 199076.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average price for fuel was at (a) motorway stations and (b) other petrol and diesel stations in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department publishes average fuel prices for the UK weekly, but the data is not collected at the granularity to determine prices for motorways compared to all other stations.
The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) road fuel market study found drivers without access to fuel cards are paying more at motorway service stations than elsewhere. This is due to limited competitive pressures and limited opportunities for customers to observe prices and shop around. Differences in ‘fixed’ and ‘variable’ costs, such as rent, staff wages and fuel volume sold also cause price variations.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with fuel retailers on the level of fuel prices on motorways.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to him on 18 September to Question UIN 199075.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the cost difference between fuel sold by petrol stations on motorway service stations and other petrol stations.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) final report found drivers without access to fuel cards are paying more at motorway service stations than elsewhere. This is due to limited competitive pressure and opportunities for customers to observe prices and shop around. Differences in ‘fixed’ and ‘variable’ costs, such as rent, staff wages and fuel volume sold also cause price variations.
The Government accepted the CMA’s recommendation to create an open data scheme and monitoring function for road fuel prices and will consult this autumn. These recommendations should facilitate greater competition in the UK market and put downward pressure on prices.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with fuel retailers on fuel prices within motorway service stations.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The former Secretary of State met with fuel retailers in July 2023 to discuss the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) market study findings and strongly encourage their participation in the CMA implemented voluntary scheme, in place until the government can place the open data scheme on a statutory footing.
The Government is aware customers often pay more at motorway fuel stations than elsewhere. The Government has accepted the CMA recommendation to create a statutory open data scheme and monitoring function, that together will facilitate greater competition and put downward pressure on road fuel prices.
The Government will consult this autumn.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to respond to email correspondence of 2 June 2023 from the hon. Member for Sefton Central on subsidies for oil, coal and gas.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department responded to the hon. Member on 6 September.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress she has made on implementing the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in the last three years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is making available £2.5 billion over the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25 to support public sector organisations. As of August 2023, the Scheme has awarded 977 grants worth over £2 billion. The next phase of the scheme will open to applications in Autumn 2023.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provided through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in the North West.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Demonstrator project, the Northwest of England was granted around £3m of funding in 2020. Through the SHDF Wave 1 project, the Northwest of England was granted around £27m in August 2021, and through the SHDF Wave 2.1 project, the Northwest of England was granted around £105m in March 2023.