Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department plans to meet its target of 9.3 million heat pumps by 2035.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government will continue to provide financial support to households through our support schemes and by growing the market for green finance, and we will set out more details in the Warm Homes Plan.
The government is supporting supply chain growth through the reformed Clean Heat Market Mechanism, investing in manufacturing capacity through the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator, and helping installers train through the Heat Training Grant.
Our expectation is that the vast majority of heating system replacements will be with heat pumps and other low-carbon technologies, as these become the natural, affordable choice for consumers at the point of replacing an existing heating appliance at the end of its life.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has been done on the impact of energy bills in the event of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme being scaled back.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the costs of the UK’s transition to Net Zero are fair and affordable, and the potential impacts on consumers are being fully considered. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is not funded by a levy on energy bills and will be funded as part of the Warm Homes Plan. As set out in the Budget, the Government will provide an additional £1.5bn for those in fuel poverty, exceeding the £13.2bn commitment set out in the manifesto.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has a committed budget of £295 million for this financial year, and has been extended to 2030, with funding increasing each year. Further details will be set out soon. On 18 November, the Government published the response to a recent consultation providing detail on amendments to the scheme which will be implemented from next year. These changes are designed to increase access, stimulate further demand, and enhance existing consumer protections
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will protect the Boiler Upgrade Scheme through any changes to the Warm Home Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through the Warm Homes Plan, the Government is making the biggest ever capital investment in home retrofit with an additional £1.5bn of new funding announced in the budget to tackle fuel poverty, in turn exceeding our manifesto commitment of £13.2bn. Further details will be set out soon.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has a committed budget of £295 million for this financial year, and has been extended to 2030, with funding increasing each year.
On 18 November, the Government published its’ response to a consultation on potential changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, providing detail on amendments to the scheme which will be implemented from next year.
These changes are designed to increase access, stimulate further demand, and enhance existing consumer protections.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what quantity of plutonium was added to the civil plutonium stockpile in the last year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK is no longer adding to the inventory of separated civil plutonium through reprocessing spent fuel. The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield is now closed, having ceased reprocessing operations in November 2018 and the Magnox reprocessing facility ceased reprocessing operations in 2022.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what quantities of unprocessed plutonium remain within discharged irradiated spent nuclear fuel at (a) nuclear reactor sites and (b) Sellafield.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Plutonium is a by-product of nuclear fission, and it is present in small quantities in spent irradiated fuel. However, the quantities would vary based on the fuel and reactor type.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation publishes annual figures on estimated amounts of plutonium contained in spent civil reactor fuel in the UK. The most recently published data can be found at the following link: 2023 annual figures for holdings of civil unirradiated plutonium | Office for Nuclear Regulation
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the current volume is of the civil plutonium stockpile in tonnes.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As of 31 December 2023, the total holding of separated civil plutonium in the UK was 140.9 tonnes.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation publishes annual figures on the UK's separated plutonium inventory. The most recently published data can be found at the following link: 2023 annual figures for holdings of civil unirradiated plutonium | Office for Nuclear Regulation
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of UK emissions came from refrigerated transport in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions statistics include emissions from refrigerated transport. However, not all of these emissions are identified separately as some are aggregated with other emissions. For example, emissions where refrigeration is powered by the main engine of a vehicle are included with other goods vehicles.
Emissions are identifiable in two cases:
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will hold discussions with businesses planning to invest in the UK under the Technology Prosperity Deal on making investments in renewable energy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage companies building AI infrastructure to use renewable energy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is determined to facilitate the deployment of data centres in ways that are compatible with its Clean Power 2030 ambition. Through the AI Energy Council and its working groups, it has brought the energy and tech industries together at the highest levels to consider the ways in which data centres can be powered by reliable low-carbon generation.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to align the oil and gas sector with international climate commitments.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK is committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels and meeting global climate targets.
The Government has published supplementary environmental guidance on end-use emissions from burning extracted offshore oil and gas. This guidance will ensure that the full environmental impact of offshore hydrocarbon development projects is considered. Environmental Impact Assessments will be subject to a robust regulatory decision-making process.
The Government supports decarbonising oil and gas production. It has also consulted on its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields and will publish a response setting out its next steps in due course.