Llinos Medi

We know that this is a concerning time for automotive businesses in Wales. Last year, Wales exported £89 million worth of road vehicles to the US, which accounted for 14% of its total road vehicle exports. That is why the government has been focused on negotiating an economic deal with the US, and we remain committed to these discussions.

We are resolute in our support for industry across the whole of the UK, and we will continue to engage with businesses to assess and understand the impact of these tariffs. In addition, on 3 April the government launched a Request for Input from businesses to help inform the UK's response to US tariffs.

My Department continues to engage closely with the industries affected by the US’ tariffs on steel and aluminium, and to assess the potential impact on the steel industry in Wales and across the UK.

We are resolute in our support for the UK steel and aluminium industry, which is vital to the UK economy. We have committed up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector and our upcoming Steel Strategy will be published in the Spring. We will continue to make the case for the UK to be exempted from these tariffs.

I refer the Hon. Member for Ynys Môn to my response to Question 12968 on 12th November 2024.

As part of the Government's responsible approach to policy and decision-making, we have considered the merits of nationalising British Steel and made an estimate of the cost. That estimate is confidential for commercial reasons. However, the Government has no plans to nationalise British Steel.

We are developing a steel strategy, working in partnership with trade unions and industry to grow the steel sector in the UK. This government has identified up to £2.5bn (on top of the £500mn secured for Port Talbot) to support the steel industry.

As part of the Government's responsible approach to policy and decision-making, we have considered the merits of nationalising British Steel and made an estimate of the cost. That estimate is confidential for commercial reasons. However, the Government has no plans to nationalise British Steel.

We are developing a steel strategy, working in partnership with trade unions and industry to grow the steel sector in the UK. This government has identified up to £2.5bn (on top of the £500mn secured for Port Talbot) to support the steel industry.

The Welsh Government will administer the additional funding provided by Great British Energy. This will fund solar panels for schools, leisure centres and museums across Wales, as well as supporting a new scheme which will help public sector and communities complete projects such as solar canopies and battery energy storage.

The Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon will lower bills, strengthen our energy security, and reduce emissions by accelerating the installation of efficient new technologies like heat pumps, heat networks, solar, home batteries and insulation.

The Plan represents the biggest ever public investment in home upgrades. At the Autumn Budget on 26 November, the Chancellor announced an additional £1.5 billion of funding for the Warm Homes Plan, bringing total capital investment to almost £15 billion.

The Government has consulted on the proposed changes to how Feed-in Tariff payments are adjusted for inflation. The consultation included an analytical annex setting out the assessment of the potential impacts of the policy. An updated version of this will be published alongside a Government Response, next year.

It is a commercial decision for suppliers as to how they choose to set export tariffs, and whether to treat domestic and business customers differently for the purpose of tariffs offered under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Most suppliers offer SEG tariffs that are available to both domestic and business customers, but some do provide distinct tariff offerings.

Details of the tariffs can be found in Ofgem’s SEG annual report. The latest report can be found at the SEG Smart Export Guarantee Annual Report - April 2024 to March 2025 | Ofgem

The Government has not made such an assessment specific to North Wales. Levels of standing charges in the non-domestic market are a commercial decision for suppliers and are not regulated by Ofgem as they are in the domestic market.

Standing charges predominantly recover ‘fixed’ costs that do not vary by energy use. This includes supplier’s operational costs for serving each customer and the cost of essential network maintenance and upgrades, which are necessary to keep all consumers connected, minimise constraint costs, meet the capacity needed to deliver clean power by 2030, and help bring down bills for households and businesses for good.

We know that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on standing charges, and we are committed to ensuring that standing charges are fair to all consumers.

As part of this, Ofgem have launched a Cost Allocation and Recovery Review to consider how energy system costs can be recovered from consumers in a fairer and more efficient way and government will continue to engage closely with Ofgem on the work.

Both sites had grid connections being realised before 2030, so are already accounted for in NESO’s planning.

Great British Energy – Nuclear purchased the sites at Wylfa and Oldbury in 2024. As sites which have previously hosted a nuclear power station, both have positive attributes for new nuclear. No decisions have yet been taken on any projects to be deployed at either site. Our plans will be set out in due course

Data for electricity generated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by fuel, is published in Energy Trends: December 2024, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2019 to 2023 - GOV.UK. Data for 2024 will be published on 18^th December 2025.

Data for electricity generated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by fuel, is published in Energy Trends: December 2024, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2019 to 2023 - GOV.UK. Data for 2024 will be published on 18^th December 2025.

The Government commissioned an independent statistical audit in April 2025. Two random samples of audits of external (EWI) and internal wall installations (IWI), across the household populations of both schemes were commissioned to understand non‑compliance rates. 98% of EWI audits need to be remediated. For IWI, that number is 29%.

The samples are not large enough to reliably perform any regional analysis. As we continue with further audits, we will seek to begin to collect this data.

The remediation costs sit with the original installer and we have been clear that no household should be asked to pay any money to put things right. We expect most remediation for solid wall insulation installed under ECO4 or GBIS to cost between £250 and £6,000 for IWI and £5,000 and £18,000 for EWI. This should be covered by the guarantee should the installer no longer be trading.

New nuclear projects are expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK, with the industry-led 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment estimating the need for an additional 24,000 employees across civil and defence by the early 2030s.¹ The Department is working with the Nuclear Industry Association as part of the Nuclear Skills Plan, a collaborative effort between government, industry and academia to address the sector’s workforce needs.

EDF’s Hinkley Point C Socio-economic Impact Report 2025 [1] states that the project has supported 26,000 direct and indirect jobs across Britain, with around 4,500 people from Somerset working at Hinkley Point C. Further, the Report states 64% of the value of the project is going to British businesses with over £5 billion already being spent with suppliers across the South- West region.

[1] https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/hinkley-point-c/realising-socio-economic-benefits

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

New nuclear projects are expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK. The annual industry-led 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA), published by Cogent Skills, estimates the civil and defence nuclear sector could grow by an additional 24,000 employees by the early 2030s. The Department is working with the Nuclear Industry Association as part of the Nuclear Skills Plan, a collaborative effort between government, industry and academia to address the sector’s workforce needs.

In 2024, Great British Energy – Nuclear acquired the site at Wylfa in 2024, which has previously hosted a nuclear power plant and has positive attributes for new nuclear.

No decisions have yet been taken on any projects to be deployed at Wylfa. Our plans will be set out in due course.

The government values nuclear energy’s important role in delivering energy security and homegrown clean power while generating investment and supporting thousands of skilled jobs in communities across the country.

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation closed on 2^nd May and was accompanied by a consultation-stage options assessment. We have engaged widely with stakeholders during the consultation process and a government response with a further impact assessment will be published in due course.

DESNZ do not produce their own figures on the number of jobs within the civil nuclear sector. The industry-led Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA) (produced annually by Cogent Skills) does contain data on the number of civil nuclear jobs across Wales, England and Scotland but not Northern Ireland. New nuclear projects are expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK, with the 2024 NWA estimating the need for an additional 24,000 employees by the early 2030s.

In the recently published Solar Roadmap, we set out our expectation that the solar industry could support up to 35,000 UK jobs in 2030. No estimates were made for Anglesey or Wales. Our assessment is that solar will not pose a threat to food security, whilst any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project development will be required to undergo detailed environmental and other statutory impact assessment

A new nuclear project at any location would help create skilled, high-value jobs although no decisions have yet been taken on any nuclear project to be deployed at the Wylfa site.

Yes, in the meantime I am covering nuclear as part of my portfolio. The appointment of Ministers is a matter for my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister.

Solar power is at the heart of our clean power mission. It is clean, cheap, and reliable.

All projects are subject to a rigorous planning process, in which the views and interests of local communities are considered.

The Hitachi-owned Horizon took the decision to withdraw from the nuclear new build project at Wylfa in September 2020. Any and all discussions undertaken by the previous government with Hitachi concerning the financing of the proposed Horizon project at Wylfa are commercially sensitive and confidential.

Over this Parliament the Government will be working relentlessly to translate the much cheaper wholesale costs of clean power into lower bills for consumers. This will be core to every decision we make.

This is a complex issue and decisions will be made which must be informed by robust research and analysis. We will ensure we keep fairness and affordability at the forefront of our minds throughout this process.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussion with the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of issues.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. We have recently consulted on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households on a qualifying means-tested benefit into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation closed on 24 March and DESNZ is considering the responses received

I have been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills. I would urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support.

The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.

The Department is considering a range of reforms to unlock renewable investment and pass through the benefits of cheaper renewables to consumers. This includes potential changes to support local and community energy.

The Secretary of State previously commissioned Ofgem to explore policy and regulatory barriers to local supply, including route to market challenges. We are also learning from the responses to the Call for Evidence on barriers to community energy[1], which referenced local supply issues.

The Department continues to work with Ofgem and key stakeholders to enhance our community energy offer. We will set out further detail in due course.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/barriers-to-community-energy-projects

DESNZ do not produce their own figure on the nuclear workforce in Wales.

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to her on 7 January 2025 to Question UIN 21108. No decisions have been taken on any projects and technologies to be deployed at sites owned by Great British Nuclear. We will set out our plans in due course.

HM Government remains committed to the decommissioning of nuclear power stations across the UK. The nuclear decommissioning projects including those at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd are carried out by Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The NDA are publicly funded through the Department (DESNZ) and in the future from the Nuclear Liabilities Fund for the Advanced Gas Reactors (AGR) stations.. Funding for 2026-27 and beyond is currently in discussion with the Department as part of the ongoing Spending Review process.

The government aims to conclude the policy development phase of the REMA Programme by mid-2025.

We intend to announce REMA’s final decisions and the timetable for implementation before the Contracts for Difference, Allocation Round 7 auctions open, giving investors clarity for prospective bids.

On 6 February 2025, we published the draft of a new nuclear National Policy Statement (EN-7) for consultation. EN-7 proposes to employ a criteria-based approach, rather than listing potentially suitable sites, to empower nuclear developers to identify suitable sites for their projects.

The Government wants previously listed sites, such as Wylfa, which was acquired by Great British Nuclear in 2024, to meet their potential and EN-7 acknowledges the advantages they can offer for nuclear infrastructure deployment.

On 6 February 2025, we published the draft of a new nuclear National Policy Statement (EN-7) for consultation. EN-7 proposes to employ a criteria-based approach, rather than listing potentially suitable sites, to empower nuclear developers to identify suitable sites for their projects.

The Government wants previously listed sites, such as Wylfa, which was acquired by Great British Nuclear in 2024, to meet their potential and EN-7 acknowledges the advantages they can offer for nuclear infrastructure deployment.

Ministers, and officials within the Department, regularly meet Welsh Government counterparts. As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station and is now owned by Great British Nuclear (GBN), we will work with GBN to assess options for new nuclear at the Wylfa site.

Grid connections for individual projects are a matter for the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and the network companies.

The short pause on connection applications for generation customers is a necessary transitional step in delivering fundamental connections reforms that, if approved by Ofgem, could reduce the connections queue by up to half and will enable accelerated connections for many generation and demand projects. The pause does not apply to demand projects or to projects connecting to the distribution network which do not require Transmission Impact Assessment.