Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Net Zero Strategy published in October 2021, if he will take steps to promote the use of sustainable building materials, including hempcrete.
Answered by Jane Hunt
The Government recognises that the use of environmentally sustainable building materials has an important role to play in meeting our net zero target. The Government also recognises that sustainability can be achieved in different ways. We are focused on promoting the use of low-carbon products and processes, and reducing waste, rather than specific material types.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has spent supporting the community-owned renewable energy sector in each year since 2015.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government recognises that community energy groups have a role to play in the Department’s efforts to decarbonise the economy.
Through the introduction of UK-wide growth funding schemes, such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals in ways that best suit their needs. The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes.
The Government also plans to reintroduce the Community Energy Contact Group to strengthen engagement with the sector.
There have been a range of government initiatives from different Government Departments that have supported the community energy sector since 2015. This includes grant funding through the £15 million Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) from Defra and BEIS, and broader schemes which have been open to community energy groups as well as other organisations, such as the Feed in Tariff scheme, the Towns Fund, and the Community Renewal Fund, where spend is not shown explicitly for community groups.
RCEF projects are currently in the delivery stage, and we expect to review the scheme in due course.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to support the development of community owned renewable energy schemes.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government recognises that community energy groups have a role to play in the Department’s efforts to decarbonise the economy.
Through the introduction of UK-wide growth funding schemes, such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals in ways that best suit their needs. The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes.
The Government also plans to reintroduce the Community Energy Contact Group to strengthen engagement with the sector.
There have been a range of government initiatives from different Government Departments that have supported the community energy sector since 2015. This includes grant funding through the £15 million Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) from Defra and BEIS, and broader schemes which have been open to community energy groups as well as other organisations, such as the Feed in Tariff scheme, the Towns Fund, and the Community Renewal Fund, where spend is not shown explicitly for community groups.
RCEF projects are currently in the delivery stage, and we expect to review the scheme in due course.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
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 the Rural Community Energy Fund.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government recognises that community energy groups have a role to play in the Department’s efforts to decarbonise the economy.
Through the introduction of UK-wide growth funding schemes, such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals in ways that best suit their needs. The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes.
The Government also plans to reintroduce the Community Energy Contact Group to strengthen engagement with the sector.
There have been a range of government initiatives from different Government Departments that have supported the community energy sector since 2015. This includes grant funding through the £15 million Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) from Defra and BEIS, and broader schemes which have been open to community energy groups as well as other organisations, such as the Feed in Tariff scheme, the Towns Fund, and the Community Renewal Fund, where spend is not shown explicitly for community groups.
RCEF projects are currently in the delivery stage, and we expect to review the scheme in due course.