Matt Vickers Portrait

Matt Vickers

Conservative - Stockton West

2,139 (4.4%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 12th December 2019

Shadow Minister (Crime, Policing and Fire)

(since July 2024)

Crime and Policing Bill
20th Mar 2025 - 13th May 2025
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
12th Feb 2025 - 18th Mar 2025
Finance (No.2) Bill
15th May 2024 - 21st May 2024
Petitions Committee
1st Mar 2021 - 14th May 2024
Finance (No. 2) Bill
10th May 2023 - 18th May 2023
Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Bill
8th Mar 2023 - 15th Mar 2023
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
15th Jun 2022 - 20th Oct 2022
Home Affairs Committee
15th Mar 2022 - 27th Jun 2022
Justice Committee
15th Mar 2022 - 27th Jun 2022
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
19th Oct 2021 - 21st Jun 2022
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee
19th Oct 2021 - 21st Jun 2022
Public Order Bill
25th May 2022 - 21st Jun 2022
Glue Traps (Offences) Bill
12th Jan 2022 - 19th Jan 2022
Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union
2nd Mar 2020 - 16th Jan 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Matt Vickers has voted in 304 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Matt Vickers Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Diana Johnson (Labour)
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
(75 debate interactions)
Angela Eagle (Labour)
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
(51 debate interactions)
Tom Hayes (Labour)
(38 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(379 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(20 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(7 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Matt Vickers's debates

Stockton West Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Matt Vickers has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Matt Vickers

4th June 2025
Matt Vickers signed this EDM on Wednesday 4th June 2025

Mauritius Treaty

Tabled by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
That the Agreement, done at London and Port Louis on 22 May 2025, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, should not be ratified.
107 signatures
(Most recent: 1 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 92
Reform UK: 5
Independent: 4
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Traditional Unionist Voice: 1
Ulster Unionist Party: 1
Labour: 1
2nd September 2024
Matt Vickers signed this EDM on Monday 2nd September 2024

Social Security

Tabled by: Rishi Sunak (Conservative - Richmond and Northallerton)
That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 869), dated 22 August 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22 August 2024, be annulled.
81 signatures
(Most recent: 10 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 74
Independent: 4
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Scottish National Party: 1
View All Matt Vickers's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Matt Vickers, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Matt Vickers has not been granted any Urgent Questions

1 Adjournment Debate led by Matt Vickers

Monday 9th December 2024

Matt Vickers has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Thousands of Civil Service roles moved out of London in latest reform to the state, published on 14 May 2025, what recent progress his Department has made on moving civil service roles outside of London.

On 14 May, the Government announced it will be:

  • Strengthening its presence in 13 cross Government locations across the UK.

  • Ensuring that 50% of UK-based SCS are located outside of London by 2030.

  • Strengthening the talent pipeline by launching a new apprenticeship programme, setting an ambition for 50% of Fast Stream roles to be based outside London by 2030, and committing to develop and launch a local government interchange programme in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA).

  • Reducing the number of Civil Service buildings in London, closing 11 buildings by 2030 to deliver £94m in savings per year.

  • Launching two new thematic campuses, an Energy Campus in Aberdeen and a Digital & AI Innovation Campus in Manchester.

In June, the Government announced that PfG’s existing thematic campuses in Darlington, Sheffield and Leeds will be leading a new approach to bring together policy makers with those on the frontline to support mission delivery.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many non-disclosure agreements have been signed by staff in central government departments in the last 12 months.

Departments are required to report to the Cabinet Office on an annual basis the number of confidentiality clauses used in connection with special severance payments, however full information on the use of non-disclosure agreements is held by individual departments.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many government contracts have been awarded without competitive tender since January 2023.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service (https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search). The details published online include whether each contract was let through competitive tendering or via direct award.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the cost to the public purse of central Government spending on external consultants in each of the last three years.

Individual Central Government departments publish expenditure on external consultants in their annual reports and accounts. The Government is committed to stopping all non-essential expenditure on consultants, and reducing the reliance on contingent labour.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress he has made on the Places for Growth programme.

On 14 May, the Government announced it will be:

  • Strengthening its presence in 13 cross Government locations across the UK.

  • Ensuring that 50% of UK-based SCS are located outside of London by 2030.

  • Strengthening the talent pipeline by launching a new apprenticeship programme, setting an ambition for 50% of Fast Stream roles to be based outside London by 2030, and committing to develop and launch a local government interchange programme in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA).

  • Reducing the number of Civil Service buildings in London, closing 11 buildings by 2030 to deliver £94m in savings per year.

  • Launching two new thematic campuses, an Energy Campus in Aberdeen and a Digital & AI Innovation Campus in Manchester.

In June, the Government announced that PfG’s existing thematic campuses in Darlington, Sheffield and Leeds will be leading a new approach to bring together policy makers with those on the frontline to support mission delivery.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to (a) consolidate and (b) relocate departmental property estates outside of London.

On 14 May, the Government announced it will:

  • strengthen its presence in 13 cross Government locations across the UK;

  • ensure that 50% of UK-based SCS are located outside of London by 2030;

  • strengthen the talent pipeline by launching a new apprenticeship programme, setting an ambition for 50% of Fast Stream roles to be based outside London by 2030, and committing to develop and launch a local government interchange programme in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA);

  • reduce the number of Civil Service buildings in London, closing 11 buildings by 2030 to deliver £94m in savings per year; and

  • launch two new thematic campuses: an Energy Campus in Aberdeen; and a Digital & AI Innovation Campus in Manchester.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the contribution of hospitality businesses to economic growth in coastal and rural communities.

The Government recognises the significant role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth, employment and community cohesion across the UK, especially in coastal and rural areas. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector, such as the Hospitality Support Scheme to co-invest in projects that boost productivity and help community pubs adapt to local needs.

Whilst there has been no specific assessment on economic contribution for rural or coastal hospitality businesses, in 2024, the hospitality sector contributed £51.5 billion to the UK economy, representing 2.0% of total output.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to support hospitality businesses with cashflow pressures.

The Government recognises the vital role of hospitality businesses in our communities and economy, and the pressures they face, that’s why we’re taking targeted action to support them.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to consider ways to create a more balanced premises licensing system that not only safeguards communities but also supports responsible businesses. On 7 October the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Reforming the licensing system - GOV.UK (deadline: midday, 6 November 2025). These reforms are part of the Small Business Strategy, which also tackles late payments, improves access to finance, and cuts red tape. We want planning and licensing systems to work fairly for businesses and residents.

Additionally, we’re creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value and continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council to boost productivity and resilience by working together to address the challenges facing businesses.

Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
15th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment.

The Government has launched a modern Industrial Strategy, removing barriers to investment and improving access to finance to drive nationwide growth.

The expanded Office for Investment (OfI) now offers enhanced commercial expertise and a broader regional presence, working closely with Mayors and Devolved Administrations to connect investors with high-potential opportunities across the UK.

Additionally, UK Export Finance has strengthened its support for international investment through its new ‘Invest-to-Export’ Guarantee, helping overseas firms establish UK-based exporting facilities. These initiatives aim to create a more dynamic, attractive environment for strategic investment and long-term economic development.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
15th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support jobs in the hospitality sector.

We recognise the vital role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the country.

We also increased the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next year. This allows businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs and we’re committed to introducing permanently lower business rates for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure businesses with rateable values of less than £500,000.

We have recently launched Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which help jobseekers move quickly into hospitality roles through flexible training and support. In addition the Hospitality Fund is backing projects that will include addressing skills gaps in the sector and boosting productivity.

15th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the barriers to business growth in rural areas.

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. Addressing the needs of businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking and we continue to revisit and improve our support offers. The upcoming Business Growth Service will unify existing core services nationally while delivering locally, collaborating with local and devolved governments and Growth Hubs.

All businesses, including rural enterprises, can access Local Growth Hubs for tailored support throughout their development journey. Growth hubs customise their offerings based on specific community needs, whether in towns or rural locations.

15th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the export credit schemes run by UK Export Finance.

The recently-published UK Export Finance (UKEF) Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for the last financial year show that it provided a record £14.5 billion of support for exports, supported up to 70,000 UK jobs, and contributed up to £5.4 billion to the UK economy. The report is available online, along with those from previous years, at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with the British Blockchain Association on the potential of blockchain technology to (a) reduce fraud, (b) enhance transparency, (c) improve costs and (d) provide efficiency in cross-border trade and commerce.

As the Chancellor set out her Mansion House Speech on Tuesday, we recognise the transformative potential for digital assets and blockchain technologies to drive economic growth in the UK and increase efficiencies across financial markets. We are proceeding with proposals to create a new financial services regulatory regime for fiat-backed stablecoins.

This will support growth in the UK by giving cryptoasset firms the regulatory certainty needed to invest here, and to help drive innovation in our financial services sector whilst at the same time including rules on regulation, safeguarding and market integrity.

17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increased tariff-free imports of ethanol under the US-UK trade agreement on (a) the viability of (i) Ensus UK and (ii) other domestic producers, (b) wider supply chains, (c) employment and (d) levels of future investment in (A) the Tees Valley and (B) other affected regions.

Since the announcement of the UK-US Economic Deal on 8 May, the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting with representatives of the bioethanol sector in the Tees Valley and Humberside to discuss how the quota will impact their businesses.

In parallel, DBT officials are continuing to work closely with other government departments, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain.

We will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other pressures on the UK’s bioethanol sector.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the quantity of ethanol permitted to enter the UK tariff-free under the UK-US trade agreement on the UK bioethanol industry; and what steps his Department plans to take to help support domestic (a) producers and (b) supply chains.

Since the announcement of the UK-US Economic Deal on 8 May, the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting with representatives of the bioethanol sector in the Tees Valley and Humberside to discuss how the quota will impact their businesses.

In parallel, DBT officials are continuing to work closely with other government departments, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain.

We will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other pressures on the UK’s bioethanol sector.

Douglas Alexander
Secretary of State for Scotland
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the use of blockchain technologies in (a) trade, (b) commerce, (c) logistics and (d) supply chains.

The Department for Business and Trade supports the adoption and deployment of technologies to increase productivity in these areas. The upcoming Industrial Strategy will set out our vision and the ambitious set of actions we will take, in partnership with business and academia, to support the tech sector and power the economy of the future. The Industrial Strategy, alongside the upcoming Trade Strategy, will also set out further detail on the steps we are taking to enhance supply chain resilience.

As well, the Department for Transport will publish a new freight plan later this year. While currently under development, we anticipate this will consider the role of technology in enabling the sector to boost economic growth.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
7th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the productivity forecast in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s report entitled Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025.

The Office for Budget Responsibility is an independent macroeconomic forecasting body. As such it would not be appropriate for us to comment on the specifics of its forecasts.

The Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy White Paper has an explicit ambition to support productivity, as well as economic growth, jobs, and wages across the UK, by delivering a credible 10-year plan which provides the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth in the future.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
7th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed new powers for the Fair Work Agency on levels of regulation for businesses.

An impact assessment for the Fair Work Agency (FWA) was published on 21st October 2024.

The FWA will take a balanced approach to upholding workers’ rights, providing better support on how to comply with the law but taking tough action against rogue employers who exploit their workers. Every business will be treated with fairness and equity, but it is not fair when businesses who want to do right by their staff are undercut by a minority who flout the law.

7th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that enforcement powers for the Fair Work Agency are (a) proportionate and (b) equitable for (i) employees and (ii) businesses.

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will not change the obligations on businesses who should always have been paying their workers correctly. The FWA’s enforcement powers are largely natural evolutions of powers that existing bodies have.

The FWA will take a balanced approach to upholding workers’ rights and provide better support to businesses on how to comply with the law and will take tough action against rogue employers who exploit their workers. Most businesses want to do right by their staff, and it is not fair when they are undercut by a minority who flout the law.

27th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the chemical sector.

The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address planning barriers to growth, channel finance towards growth priorities and accelerate the transition to net zero.

This will be supported by our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.

Last autumn’s Budget announced continued support for Energy Intensive Industries – including chemical companies – through £350M of additional funding across the next two years.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Post Office closures on local communities.

The UK Government is as committed as ever to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network. It is inevitable that with a network of this size, there will be variations in the number of branches open at any one time. As postmasters move on, branches close and new ones open. The Post Office Chair’s recent announcement on the future of the Post Office has led to concerns around potential closures of Directly Managed Branches. However, no decisions have yet been taken on the future of any individual branch. While the Post Office network can fluctuate between areas and regions, the Post Office works with communities to consider how to best meet needs for Post Office services in a local area. The Government-set Access Criteria ensures that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens.

12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth.

This is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper next year.

Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage business confidence.

Growth is the number one mission of the Government and we will continue to work with and listen carefully to the business community. In the Budget, the Government was forced to make difficult choices to plug the black hole in the Government’s finances, but the fundamentals for doing business in the UK remains strong. The Government has already taken steps to strengthen business and investor confidence through, reforming the planning system, getting people back to work and creating the growth and skills levy. DBT is driving long term, inclusive growth through our Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, Small Business Strategy and Plan to Make Work Pay.

12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to reduce regulation for businesses.

The Government is determined to kick-start economic growth, which is why it is essential that we identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. This is why the Department is developing an ambitious regulatory reform agenda to ensure that any future regulation, or reforms to regulation, work for businesses, consumers and supports the Government’s growth mission. As part of this, we are working across government to identify regulatory reforms that will support the Industrial Strategy. Our proposals will be set out in due course.

12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help safeguard jobs in the UK automotive supply chain.

The automotive industry is an important part of the Government’s plans for growth. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we will support growth sectors to create high-quality, well-paid jobs across the country.

The Budget committed over £2 billion of capital and R&D funding to 2030 for zero emission vehicle manufacturing and their supply chains. Building on the achievements of the Automotive Transformation Fund and Advanced Propulsion Centre R&D programmes, we will launch a new initiative, kickstarting economic growth by supporting good jobs and productivity growth across the UK automotive sector. The Industrial Strategy will provide more details in the Spring.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on business rates.

We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. The Secretary of State works closely with all his cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. The Government has also published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for business rates reform and inviting industry to co-design a fairer business rates system: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-business-rates

10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to review the contractual and regulatory obligations of the Data Communications Company in relation to improving smart meter network connectivity in the North of England.

The DCC is required by licence conditions to seek to provide coverage to all premises where it is practicable and cost proportionate, and to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of coverage. Ofgem is responsible for regulating the DCC against its obligations.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of the technology selected by the Data Communications Company for the North of England smart meter rollout and (b) the potential impact on meeting installation targets.

The DCC is obligated to provide WAN coverage to 99.5% of premises across its ‘North’ region, which includes the North of England. After consultation with industry, energy suppliers can now install 4G cellular smart meter communication hubs across the whole of GB. 4G will operate in the North alongside long-range radio communications for smart meters, offering suppliers an additional option for connectivity. Additionally, a new solution using consumers’ broadband connections, with consumer consent, in areas still with no WAN coverage will be piloted early next year, with a wider rollout expected later in 2026.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the proportion of households in the North of England that are unable to connect to the Data Communications Company smart meter network; and what steps he has taken to improve coverage in rural and hard-to-reach locations.

The DCC is obligated to provide WAN coverage to 99.5% of premises across its ‘North’ region, which includes the North of England. After consultation with industry, energy suppliers can now install 4G cellular smart meter communication hubs across the whole of GB. 4G will operate in the North alongside long-range radio communications for smart meters, offering suppliers an additional option for connectivity. Additionally, a new solution using consumers’ broadband connections, with consumer consent, in areas still with no WAN coverage will be piloted early next year, with a wider rollout expected later in 2026.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of homes in each region where installed smart meters remain non-functional due to lack of network connection.

The Department does not hold separate figures on the number of homes with smart meters not sending automatic readings due to lack of Wide Area Network (WAN) signal. The Data Communications Company (DCC) is obligated to provide WAN coverage to 99.25% of premises across GB, with a broadband solution (with consumer consent) soon to become available that will reach more of the premises currently without WAN signal.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what engagement his Department has had with (a) Ofgem and (b) the Data Communications Company to ensure that households unable to connect to the smart meter network are not excluded from competitive tariffs or financially disadvantaged.

The Department regularly engages with Ofgem and the Data Communications Company on the smart metering programme. The DCC is obligated to provide WAN coverage to 99.25% of premises across GB and required by licence conditions to seek to provide coverage to all premises where it is practicable and cost proportionate, and to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of coverage. DCC has introduced 4G smart metering communications across GB and is working on a new solution to enable consumer broadband connections (with consumer consent) to carry smart metering communications in this context.

Martin McCluskey
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund is restricted to Scottish residents; and whether he plans to extend that scheme to workers in England.

The Office for Clean Energy Jobs is funding targeted Regional Skills Pilots across the UK which will address skill gaps in a limited number of places which have been identified as priority areas for clean energy, including Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

The Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire pilot, the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, is being delivered in partnership between UK Government, Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland. This is a targeted pilot for workers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Pilots are also running in Cheshire West and Chester, North and North East Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire, with local and devolved partners empowered to develop their own plans for how best to target the funding. The Department will publish a Clean Energy Workforce Strategy setting out our approach to creating good jobs across the country.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what (a) funding and (b) retraining support is available for oil and gas workers in England impacted by the transition to renewable energy.

We will shortly be publishing a Clean Energy Workforce Strategy which will set out our approach to upskilling and reskilling the workforce into clean energy roles through initiatives including the Energy Skills Passport, in collaboration with industry, which is helping oil and gas workers to identify routes into roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance.

The skills system is delivering training for existing workers looking to retrain or upskill into clean energy. Support includes the announcement of 10 Technical Excellence Colleges for construction, which will transform existing further education colleges to deliver the skills needed for growth-driving sectors like clean energy; the Growth and Skills levy to deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England; and Skill Bootcamps to address the need for clean energy skills where this reflects regional priorities.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with employers in the oil and gas sector in England on (a) skills transition and (b) workforce retention.

The Department (DESNZ) established the Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ) to engage industry and employers on skills needs and challenges. In partnership with Skills England, it leads workforce planning by identifying skills gaps and supporting reskilling.

DESNZ consulted with all stakeholders, including employers on ‘Building the North Sea’s Energy Future’. It included questions on supporting the oil and gas workforce to transition to clean energy sectors. A Government response will be published in due course.

These engagements have informed recent initiatives, including the Energy Skills Passport, the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund pilot in Aberdeen, and the training guarantee for at-risk workers at Petroineos and Prax oil refineries.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of net zero policies on employment in the oil and gas sector in England.

The North Sea basin is super-mature, and production is in natural decline. Oil and gas production fell by 72% between 1999 and 2023. Direct jobs in oil and gas extraction fell by around a third between 2014 and 2023.

The clean energy transition creates an opportunity for our expert oil and gas sector to play a central role in the future of energy supply.

Robert Gordon University estimates that the renewables workforce could grow from 39,000 in 2024 to 84,000-153,000 by 2035, subject to realised deployment across those technologies and proportion of UK content delivered by the domestic supply chain.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce household energy bills.

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 are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation 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 into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce industrial carbon emissions.

Emissions savings through fuel switching from fossil fuels to low carbon alternatives, improvements in resource and energy efficiency and industrial carbon capture are all needed for the industrial sector to transition to net zero, and government is developing a suite of policies to deliver these savings.

We will bring forward a clear plan for industrial decarbonisation. A new Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy will set the strategic direction for our approach to working with industry towards a competitive and low carbon industrial base in the UK, ensuring growth opportunities are captured in tandem with emissions reductions.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Home Office)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resilience of the national grid in the context of the potential disruption of offshore energy infrastructure.

Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network with diverse sources of supply and maintaining the security of electricity supply is a key priority for Government.

We are working with the National Protective Security Authority, the energy industry, regulators and other stakeholders to continually improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure. We work to reduce the vulnerability of networks and assets, taking into account a range of threats and future system changes.

The National Energy System Operator can balance the system in a wide range of scenarios, including potential disruptions to offshore infrastructure.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of decarbonising the electricity grid by 2030.

NESO's analysis confirmed delivering clean power by 2030 is deliverable, more secure, and could see a lower cost of electricity, and lower bills.

We are committed to working with industry to grow our clean energy system with once-in-a-generation levels of energy investment – an estimated £40 billion, the vast majority of which will come from the private sector.

The Government is leveraging public finance institutions like the National Wealth Fund and Great British Energy to catalyse private investment. By providing early-stage funding, de-risking projects, and supporting the development of critical infrastructure, we aim to attract private capital and accelerate the deployment of clean power technologies.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Great British Energy on household energy bills.

In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee energy security and protect billpayers is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. That is why government has a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

We have a sustainable, long-term plan to protect all UK billpayers from volatile international gas markets. Backed by £8.3 billion, Great British Energy is part of this plan, driving the deployment of the clean, homegrown energy we need to boost our energy independence. As a publicly owned company, Great British Energy will ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers, and communities reap the benefits of this plan.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism on the costs of installing new gas boilers.

The Clean Heat Market Mechanism does not require any change in the price of fossil fuel boilers.

The Government took steps before introducing the scheme to revise the 2023 proposals in order to reduce impacts on boiler manufacturers and provide them more time to scale up supply chains.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support the North Sea oil and gas sector.

The Government has consulted on ‘Building the North Sea’s Energy Future’, setting out its overarching objective to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry and on its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields. A response setting out its next steps will be published in due course.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reaching 24GW of nuclear capacity by 2050.

The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan makes clear that nuclear will play an important role in our future energy system, providing low-carbon, baseload power to the grid. Government will continue to seek to streamline regulatory processes, and foster innovation in nuclear technology, to ensure that nuclear continues to play an important role in the net zero transition after 2030.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with international counterparts on approaches to protecting intellectual property rights in the context of generative artificial intelligence.

The Government has consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including on the use of copyright material in AI development.

As part of this work, the Government has engaged extensively, both with international counterparts and with industry stakeholders on the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Government will review the responses to its consultation carefully as it considers its next steps. The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be sent out in due course

Kanishka Narayan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the UK’s creative industries on (a) the Government’s proposed exception to copyright for text and data mining and (b) the potential impact of an opt out regime on creators’ rights and incomes.

The government is engaging extensively with stakeholders from the creative industries on copyright and AI. This has included establishing a stakeholder working group to inform policy development.

Three initial stakeholder roundtables were convened in the Summer with representatives of the creative, media and AI sectors, by the Secretaries of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Alongside this, DSIT officials continue to meet with creative industry representatives to discuss the proposals outlined in the consultation on copyright and AI, and their potential impacts.

Kanishka Narayan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of stimulating a licensing market for the use of copyrighted creative content by generative artificial intelligence firms.

The Government consulted on copyright and AI between 17 December 2024 and 25 February 2025. This included seeking views on whether and how the government should support licensing.

Consultation responses are currently being reviewed alongside extensive engagement, which will include a dedicated technical working group on licensing which is due to be established. Together these will inform an assessment of the potential merits of stimulating the licensing market and any next steps to support both the creative and AI sectors. Proposals will be set out in due course.

Kanishka Narayan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that existing copyright law is (a) upheld and (b) enforced in relation to the scraping and use of creative content by generative artificial intelligence developers without permission or payment.

Copying protected material in the UK infringes copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

Rights holders are supported to enforce their rights by initiatives such as the streamlined procedures of the UK’s Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC).

The Government consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI), including the use of copyright material in AI development.

The Government will review the responses to its consultation carefully as it considers its next steps. The Government continues to engage extensively on this issue and will set our response in due course.

Kanishka Narayan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)