Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Miatta Fahnbulleh and Rachel Blake

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)]

T10.   The Pimlico district heating undertaking was built in 1950, the first ever district heating network in the UK. It used to be cutting edge, but it is in desperate need of replacement, so that my constituents can have heating and hot water. Will the Government work with local authorities such as Labour Westminster city council to make sure that all the costs of replacement do not necessarily fall just on residents?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

Westminster city council owns the network, and we know that it is considering options for refurbishing and potentially decarbonising it. In the round, we are committed to working with district networks to do two things: to increase technical standards, so that they are more efficient; and, critically, to properly regulate them, so that we protect consumers from unfair prices.