Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of jobs in the nuclear sector on the economy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ do not produce their own figures on the number of jobs within the civil nuclear sector. The annual industry-led 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA), published by Cogent Skills, estimates that the civil and defence nuclear sector workforce increased from 83,000 jobs in 2023 to 96,000 in 2024, and could grow by an additional 24,000 employees by the early 2030s.[1] These roles are highly skilled, well paid and concentrated in regions where they provide significant economic benefit. Beyond direct employment nuclear investment boosts skills, infrastructure, and services, driving economic growth
[1] Cogent Skills, 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 his policies on new nuclear on job creation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government’s nuclear policies are set to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK. At peak construction, Sizewell C will support 10,000 jobs directly employed in the project, thousands more in the nationwide supply chain, and plans to create 1,500 apprenticeships. Furthermore, a small modular reactor project delivered through the Great British Energy – Nuclear SMR programme could create up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction. The new Atlantic partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and the US will accelerate deployment of new nuclear power, unlocking opportunities for billions in private investment and delivering thousands more well-paid skilled jobs.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 contribution of the civil nuclear supply chain in Warrington North constituency to (a) regional and (b) national economic growth.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As evidenced by the inclusion of civil nuclear the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the government recognises that our nuclear programme is an important driver of regional and national growth. We also recognise the considerable presence of the civil nuclear supply chain in Warrington North, with businesses in the region contributing a range of expertise across the programme.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to help make it easier for (a) tenants and (b) leaseholders to install heat pumps.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Warm Homes Plan will help upgrade homes across the country, including those occupied by tenants and leaseholders, by making them cleaner and cheaper to run, from installing new insulation to rolling out solar and heat pumps.
The Government is helping make heat pumps more efficient and easier to install, through increasing funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to £295 million for this financial year, ensuring more families can benefit from £7,500 off the cost of a heat pump. The Government has also allowed heat pumps to be installed within 1m of the property boundary without applying for planning permission.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 effectiveness of the levelised cost of energy for communicating the true cost of energy production to consumers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) provides a simple, high-level metric to compare the cost of building and operating different generation technologies. While valuable for comparing the relative cost of technologies to each other, LCOE does not include wider system impacts such as flexibility, integration, or transmission costs which occur within an operational system. To fully capture these factors and assess the true cost to consumers, the Department and the independent National Energy System Operator (NESO) use detailed power sector modelling.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many successful applicants there will be to the Great British Nuclear small modular reactor selection process.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Nuclear is driving forward its SMR competition for UK deployment and, following conclusion of detailed negotiations, has invited the four shortlisted companies to submit final tenders. GBN will evaluate these, with final decisions on technology selection to be taken in the Spring. Further updates will follow in due course.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to build any more gigawatt nuclear plants after Sizewell C.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is committed to nuclear power, which, as set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, will play an important role in delivering clean power by 2030, and crucially in the period beyond that, providing clean, stable and reliable power. No decision has yet been taken on whether to pursue a future large-scale project beyond Sizewell C.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people secured a grant from the Great British Insulation Scheme since it opened in April 2003.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is not a government grant, rather it is an obligation on larger energy suppliers to deliver the most cost-effective single insulation measures to eligible households across Great Britain.
Information on the number of measures installed and the number of households that have received measures under GBIS since it launched in 2023 can be found in Tables 1 and 2 of the latest GBIS Statistics Release.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure a just transition when moving from fossil fuels to a hydrogen-based economy.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)
As well as supporting UK energy independence, low carbon hydrogen will be critical to helping British industries transition from oil and gas, provide greener energy for power, transport and potentially home heating. Government’s working closely with the oil and gas industry to achieve a managed transition, including through the North Sea Transition Deal. Deal recognises the world-leading skills of the sector and supply chain and key role it could have in helping deliver net zero and Hydrogen production ambition. The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill sends a strong signal to support the continued investment necessary to our energy security and transition to cleaner technologies.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 it her policy to cap energy prices based on the time of day that households use their appliances.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The price cap on default tariffs remains in place. Ofgem are seeking views on how price protections could apply in future, in light of innovations such as time of use tariffs www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-launches-discussion-future-price-cap .
Alongside this the Government is seeking views on how default tariffs should support households in the future https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/default-energy-tariffs-for-households-call-for-evidence.