Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK's departure from the EU on their ability to deliver successful policy outcomes.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Leaving the EU has provided the UK with the freedom to conceive and implement laws and policies that put the UK first and the opportunity to think boldly about how it regulates its economy for the good of the country as a whole.
At the start of this year, the Government set out its plans to maximise the benefits of Brexit across each major sector of the economy.
So much progress has already been made, and to seize the benefits of Brexit more quickly we have introduced the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
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 take steps to increase funding to promote energy security.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department has set out an ambitious set of measures to promote energy security both in the short and longer term. The Government funding for these measures has been allocated through the Spending Review 2021 settlement. Future Departmental expenditure limits will be agreed with HM Treasury at the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has held discussions on increasing the size of existing Liquefied Natural Gas re-gasification plants in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government engages regularly with a range of businesses operating in the energy sector, including the operators of the UK’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Decisions on expansion of these terminals are a commercial decision for the operators.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had about increasing the number of locations for LNG re-gasification plants in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government engages regularly with a range of businesses operating in the energy sector, including firms considering new energy investments in the UK. Any decisions on developing new LNG terminals are a commercial decision for the proponents of any such project.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
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 list the locations that are (a) being considered and (b) no longer being considered for new Liquefied Natural Gas re-gasification plants in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The proposed location for a new Liquified Natural Gas plant is a matter for the developer, and any application would be dealt with through the planning system in the normal way, dependent on which part of the UK the application is made.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to (a) fund and (b) resource the Energy Supply Taskforce.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Supply Taskforce (ESTF) is part of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, and it therefore provides the funding and resources currently required by the ESTF.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what Government departments will be involved in approving any recommendations put forward by the Energy Supply Taskforce for securing the long-term supply of Liquefied Natural Gas.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Energy Supply Taskforce (ESTF) is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and therefore reports to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The ESTF will provide advice to the Secretary of State on commercial options. In line with all decisions related to the deployment of public money, any recommendation to pursue gas contracts would be subject to internal scrutiny within BEIS and involving HM Treasury, including to ensure that they represented good value for public money.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with OFGEM on ensuring customer satisfaction with smart meter installations.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department works closely with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) to monitor consumer experience of smart meters.
The smart meter rollout has high levels of consumer satisfaction; evidence shows that nearly 8 in 10 consumers are satisfied with the smart meter installation process. Research from Ofgem has found that smart meter-related complaints make up a very small proportion of total complaints to energy suppliers, relative to the level of smart meter take-up across Great Britain.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its four-year policy framework for smart meter installations.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s new four-year smart meter Targets Framework commenced on 1 January 2022 after consultation with industry and consumer groups. The Department will closely monitor smart meter installations, ahead of a mid-point review of the Framework in 2023.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussion he has had with energy suppliers on the number of customer complaints related to smart meter roll-out since its inception.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department works closely with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) to monitor consumer experience of smart meters.
The smart meter rollout has high levels of consumer satisfaction: evidence shows that nearly 8 in 10 consumers are satisfied with the smart meter installation process. Research from Ofgem has found that smart meter-related complaints make up a very small proportion of total complaints to energy suppliers, relative to the level of smart meter take-up across Great Britain.