Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how well prepared the UK energy sector is to combat espionage activity.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
National Security is a key priority for the government. The Department takes the threat of espionage against the energy sector extremely seriously and works closely with industry, regulators and Government partners to ensure a strong and coordinated approach. This includes maintaining robust cyber, physical and personnel security measures to identify, prevent and respond to hostile activity.
Operators should regularly assess risks and test their preparedness, and the Government continues to work to strengthen resilience across the sector so that the UK energy sector maintains a high level of preparedness to counter espionage risks.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made on the potential risk of (a) domestic and (b) international espionage activity impacting energy infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government keeps the threat of both domestic and international espionage to UK energy infrastructure under regular review. This includes assessments of the threat picture undertaken with industry, security agencies and international counterparts, drawing on intelligence reporting and incident trends.
Collaboration with allies is critical to our collective security and resilience. DESNZ engages closely with international partners and multilateral institutions, including NATO, to monitor potential espionage activity targeting energy infrastructure in the UK and abroad, share situational awareness, and identify trends that may have implications for national security.
The Department continues to monitor threats closely and works with industry to ensure the security of UK energy infrastructure against espionage activity from both domestic and international actors.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of the cost of energy bills on households.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is the lead department for the energy sector only. Regarding energy utility bills, lowering bills is central to every decision we make.
Thanks to decisions in Government's Autumn Budget, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will deliver an average £150 of costs off household energy bills from April 2026. As a result of this action, people can expect to make a significant saving on their bills.
In addition, in 2024-2025, 7,961 households (18.4%) in Ashfield benefited from the Warm Home Discount - a £150 discount on their energy bill. This winter, we are expanding this discount so that around 6 million low-income households will receive this support, including an approximate additional 160,000 households in the East Midlands region.
Beyond these measures, this Government is taking back control of our energy to prevent the British people from being left exposed to price shocks caused by our dependence on fossil fuel markets. We are delivering the biggest investment in clean, low-cost energy in British history, so we can build a system that protects billpayers permanently.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps he is taking to support households with the cost of utility bills.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is the lead department for the energy sector only. Regarding energy utility bills, lowering bills is central to every decision we make.
Thanks to decisions in Government's Autumn Budget, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will deliver an average £150 of costs off household energy bills from April 2026. As a result of this action, people can expect to make a significant saving on their bills.
In addition, in 2024-2025, 7,961 households (18.4%) in Ashfield benefited from the Warm Home Discount - a £150 discount on their energy bill. This winter, we are expanding this discount so that around 6 million low-income households will receive this support, including an approximate additional 160,000 households in the East Midlands region.
Beyond these measures, this Government is taking back control of our energy to prevent the British people from being left exposed to price shocks caused by our dependence on fossil fuel markets. We are delivering the biggest investment in clean, low-cost energy in British history, so we can build a system that protects billpayers permanently.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This information is set out in the department’s annual reports and accounts.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a timeline for the transfer of the £2.3bn investment reserve to BCSSS members.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Chancellor announced in the budget the transfer of the full reserve of £2.3bn which will increase member incomes by 41%. The transfer has been completed and the required amendments to the scheme rules agreed and signed.
Implementation is a matter for the Trustees but we understand they have put processes in place so that the first payments will be made on 23 December.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 estimate of the cost to the public purse of the COP30 climate summit.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government has rigorous processes in place to ensure costs for COP summits are managed effectively and represent value for money. A full cost will be confirmed and published once all expenditure is finalised.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, DESNZ are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recruitment must follow the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 legislation, which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.
Whilst recruitment into DESNZ does not focus solely on underrepresented groups we want to ensure all groups feel supported during the recruitment process and see DESNZ as an employer of choice. As part of our recruitment process, we:
DESNZ has run or supported the following programmes aimed at supporting underrepresented groups in the workforce in the past year:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he is taking steps to prevent job losses at the Lindsey Oil Refinery.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The insolvency process at Prax Lindsey is led by the court-appointed Official Receiver, who must act in accordance with his statutory duties and independently of government.
On 30 September, the Official Receiver made the independent decision to issue 125 redundancy notices effective from 31 October in order to provide employees with as much notice as possible, while concluding the sales process in the coming weeks. The majority of the workforce will be retained beyond the end of October.
The Official Receiver is independently assessing potential bids for the future of the refinery and its assets and has made clear he will continue to work with all bidders with credible and deliverable proposals. The Government remains hopeful that a solution will be found that supports jobs on the site long-term.
The Government’s first priority is supporting the workforce. Employees will be able to access support from the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Careers Service. We are also funding a Training Guarantee for refinery workers, to ensure they have the skills they need and are supported to find long-term jobs, including in the growing clean energy workforce. Those affected are able to enrol onto the scheme now with over 60 workers already registered to complete Training Need Assessments.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 it his policy to prioritise industrial rooftops over (a) arable farmland and (b) countryside fields for solar panel locations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government incentivises industrial rooftop solar in various ways, including permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee.
Solar is part of our strategy for improving the energy performance of buildings. It will play an important role, where appropriate, on newbuild non-domestic buildings in the Future Buildings Standard which is to be introduced later this year. The UK’s overall approach to Net Zero commercial buildings will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan later this year.
Achieving our ambitious clean power mission will require rapid deployment of rooftop and ground-mounted solar. However, planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, solar developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed land.