Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of whether the oil and gas sector will meeting its targets under the North Sea Transition Deal.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The North Sea Transition Authority monitors the emissions reduction targets within the North Sea Transition Deal (NSTD) and published its annual Emissions Monitoring Report on 5 September. The report shows that emissions from upstream oil and gas activities on the UK Continental Shelf dropped 23% between 2018 and 2022 and indicates that industry is on track to meet the interim NSTD emission reduction targets of 10% by 2025 and 25% by 2027.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of guidance on potential conflicts of interest for senior staff at Ofgem.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
No discussion or assessments have been made. However, Ofgem Directors and Director Generals are employed as Civil Servants and, as such, are expected to abide by the Civil Service Code. It is expected that Ofgem staff will have declared any potential conflicts to the relevant senior manager in Ofgem, as set out under Ofgem’s Conflict of Interest Policy, which can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2013/03/conflicts-of-interest-at-ofgem.pdf
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing local authorities to apply to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme on behalf of leisure facilities operated by third party providers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
If a local authority either owns the building where the leisure facilities are being operated, or they have a long-term lease arrangement, they meet the eligibility criteria and can therefore apply for Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking (a) domestically and (b) in collaboration with international partners to achieve the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 Initiative.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In 2020, the UK committed to the World Bank’s ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ Initiative. In the North Sea Transition Deal, industry committed to accelerate compliance ahead of 2030. With support from Government, industry is on track to meet this target.
The UK is a long-standing partner of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The UK put methane reduction towards the top of the agenda during its COP Presidency, driving support behind the Global Methane Pledge. At COP27, the UK signed up to the Joint Declaration by Energy Importers and Exporters on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fossil Fuels.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps to ensure that persons in supported accommodation without bank accounts are able to receive payments under the Energy Bill Support Scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding is delivered by local authorities in Great Britain who are only able to make payments into UK current accounts. The Government has recommended throughout the scheme that any applicants who do not have a bank account open one to receive payment, such as opening a basic bank account, which are free to open. Appointees of eligible households can also apply on behalf of an applicant, using their appointee bank account details.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for the Warm Home Discount to people with Reynaud’s.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Warm Home Discount prioritises people who are most at risk of being in fuel poverty. Fuel poverty is a combination of low incomes and high energy costs, so the scheme is targeted at those on means tested benefits whose homes are expensive to heat. People with Reynaud’s do not automatically fall into that category.
These households may be able to speak to their energy supplier about being added to their Priority Services Register, which provides additional support for vulnerable households, such as priority support in an emergency.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason households with (a) fossil fuel central heating and (b) hot water heating from renewable sources must replace both to receive a grant under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the environmental impact of that policy.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to encourage property owners to replace fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon systems. An eligible technology must fully replace any existing fossil fuel system and be capable of meeting the full space heating and hot water requirement for the property. In some circumstances, the scheme allows for parts of the original heating system to be retained including for example, solar thermal collectors.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 merits of assessing the energy and trade intensity of individual types of business, such as commercial laundries, to provide more granular data than that afforded by standard industrial classification codes applied at a sector level.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government currently has no plans to review the eligibility criteria for the Energy and Trade Intensive element of the Energy Bill Discount Scheme. The HMT-led review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme took account of many contributions from the private sector, trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations. Trade and energy intensity assessments were based on ONS and BEIS data. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity, and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes. The list of eligible Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), as published on gov.uk, will be eligible for the higher level of support.