Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 implications for his policies of the estimate in the report by the OBR entitled Fiscal risks and sustainability, published in July 2025 of the fiscal cost of climate change mitigation.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In its most recent ‘Fiscal risks and sustainability report’ (2025), the OBR is clear that the costs of climate damage are getting higher, while the cost of the net zero transition is getting lower. Only by investing in the transition now can we reduce costs in future.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much Ofgem has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem is a non-ministerial government department. It has its own policies regarding the procurement and provision of equipment.
The total spent on ‘working from home’ equipment reflects an increased headcount to deliver additional remit for key government priorities, and steps to reduce its London office footprint to save money. In each of the last three financial years Ofgem spend is:
Year | Total £ |
2022-2023 | 65,698.08 |
2023-2024 | 122,779.65 |
2024-2025 | 208,008.53 |
Totals | 396,486.26 |
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) wood pellets and (b) other biomass has been imported from North Korea in the last 10 years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK does not import wood pellets or biomass from North Korea for fuel or electricity generation. There are no plans to import wood pellets or biomass from North Korea.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the UK has imported (a) wood pellets and (b) other biomass from Afghanistan in the last 10 years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK does not import wood pellets or biomass from Afghanistan for fuel or electricity generation. There are no plans to import wood pellets or biomass from Afghanistan.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the carbon footprint of importing wood pellets in the last 10 years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Emissions from importing wood pellets are constrained by biomass sustainability requirements. The supply chain emissions threshold for large scale biomass electricity generators to receive support is capped at 55.6gCO2e/MJ. This threshold will be tightened further under proposed future arrangements with Drax to 36.6 gCO2e/MJ.
Compliance with sustainability criteria under the Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference schemes are a matter for Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, and LCCC, as the counterparty to the CfD.
Large scale biomass generators, such as Drax, do also publish emissions data as part of their annual ESG reports.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 pylons in the Grimsby to Walpole project on the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not make assessments of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) unless they are submitted to the relevant Secretary of State for a final decision. Currently this project is at the pre-application stage. As for all NSIPs the developer should comprehensively assess the potential effects of their proposals within their application. This includes assessments of their project’s potential effects on landscape, visual character, and ecological integrity as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The scope of any assessment should be agreed between the applicant, relevant statutory consultees, and the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the relevant Secretary of State.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not hold this information centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of how many and what proportion of solar panels installed in the UK in the last five years were made (a) in the UK and (b) in China.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not hold this information. HMRC publishes the value and mass of solar panels imported, by country, on its data portal at www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table/.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of homes in Lincolnshire that are below EPC band C.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not held by the Department.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 help improve the energy efficiency of older housing stock in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future, including those within the South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire. The Government will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.
We are investing £13.2 billion to help upgrade millions of homes and cut energy bills for families across the country to tackle to cost of living crisis. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.