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.
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 was his Departments total spend on international climate finance in each of the last 3 years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ ICF supports global clean energy deployment, protects the world’s forests and leverages private investment at scale to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s total spend on International Climate Finance (ICF) over the last 3 years is:
DESNZ ICF spend | Financial Year |
£394.9m | 2024/25 |
£311.1m | 2023/24 |
£350.2m | 2022/23 |
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 information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Hybrid working is an informal, discretionary, non-contractual arrangement that enables employees to work partly in the workplace and partly at home. Employees are expected to spend a minimum of 40% of their working hours in the office. Office attendance requirements are managed locally to ensure the minimum requirement is met, and no central data is held on this.
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, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has made use of artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year for a range of purposes including:
AI is used in accordance with all relevant departmental and government guidelines, to ensure responsible and ethical use and data protection.
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 components of wind turbines are (a) supplied and (b) manufactured in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Offshore Wind Regional Growth Prospectuses set out a range of current manufacturing and services capabilities in the UK, as well as growth opportunities, including in blade, foundation and cable manufacture; secondary steel components; cable installation; operations and maintenance activity; and environmental services. New facilities in development include cable manufacturing in Nigg and Blyth, and monopile construction in Teesside.
Data collected via the Onshore Wind Taskforce indicates that UK content in domestic onshore windfarms can be between 50 and 70 percent, with high shares of jobs and investment in development, operations and maintenance, civil engineering and electrical works.
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 many delegates the Government plans to take to the COP30 climate change summit.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The size and composition of the UK delegation is still being determined.
In keeping with previous years, the UNFCCC is expected to publish a provisional list of registered participants as COP30 begins, with a final list published a few weeks after COP concludes. This will list all UK delegates who attended COP30.
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, which delegates the Government plans to take to the COP30 climate change summit.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The size and composition of the UK delegation is still being determined.
In keeping with previous years, the UNFCCC is expected to publish a provisional list of registered participants as COP30 begins, with a final list published a few weeks after COP concludes. This will list all UK delegates who attended COP30.
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 the cost to the UK taxpayer is for the COP30 climate summit.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy
The size and composition of the UK delegation is still being determined, along with various logistical elements. Some costs will only be finalised after the summit concludes.