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Written Question
Energy: Standing Charges
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the average daily standing energy charge in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Under the Energy Price Guarantee, average standing charges for customers on default tariffs remain capped in line with the levels set (in Great Britain) by Ofgem for the default tariff cap from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, at 46p per day for electricity and 28p per day for gas, for a typical dual fuel customer paying by direct debit. Further information can be found at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/latest-energy-price-cap-announced-ofgem.


Written Question
Energy: Standing Charges
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help lower daily standing energy charges.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to protecting consumers from the impact of high energy prices. Standing electricity charges are set by electricity suppliers in compliance with the Government's Energy Price Guarantee (EPG). A supplier's default and standard variable tariff unit rate and standing charge together must not exceed the level set by the EPG. On 7 July 2022, Ofgem launched a consultation on proposed changes to the standing charge methodology to reflect the energy use of individual households. Following engagement, Ofgem announced on 21 August that it would retain the current methodology in order to protect users with greater energy needs.


Written Question
Electricity: Standing Charges
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will review the system which calculates the daily electricity unit price.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has launched the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), following a commitment in the British Energy Security Strategy. The recent consultation closed on 10th October and sets out our thinking so far. REMA is a major review into Britain’s electricity market design, which at present operates on the principle of marginal pricing, where the price of electricity is set by the last technology needed to meet overall electricity demand across Great Britain. The Government is considering a range of wholesale market reforms that could help to reduce the link between the gas and electricity price.


Written Question
Nuclear Fusion: Innovation
Wednesday 21st December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to achievement of net energy gain at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility in California, US on December 5 2022, what further steps the Government will take to support the development of nuclear fusion technology.

Answered by George Freeman

The results from the US are further evidence that fusion energy has enormous potential as a clean energy source. As set out in the UK Fusion Strategy, the UK is building on scientific advances like this to deliver commercially viable fusion energy.

The Government is investing over £700m in UK fusion research programmes and facilities over the next three years. In November the Government announced £42 million for the Fusion Industry Programme, which will build capability and spur commercial innovation by supporting UK businesses in solving the technical challenges of fusion, helping to. The Government also announced £84 million to continue operations at JET (Joint European Torus), the world’s most powerful fusion experiment. This autumn, the BEIS Secretary of State announced that West Burton in Nottinghamshire had been selected as the site for the UK’s STEP programme, which will design and build, by 2040, a prototype fusion power plant capable of putting electricity on the UK grid.


Written Question
Nuclear Fusion: Innovation
Wednesday 21st December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to support the development of nuclear fusion technology.

Answered by George Freeman

The results from the US are further evidence that fusion energy has enormous potential as a clean energy source. As set out in the UK Fusion Strategy, the UK is building on scientific advances like this to deliver commercially viable fusion energy.

The Government is investing over £700m in UK fusion research programmes and facilities over the next three years. In November the Government announced £42 million for the Fusion Industry Programme, which will build capability and spur commercial innovation by supporting UK businesses in solving the technical challenges of fusion, helping to. The Government also announced £84 million to continue operations at JET (Joint European Torus), the world’s most powerful fusion experiment. This autumn, the BEIS Secretary of State announced that West Burton in Nottinghamshire had been selected as the site for the UK’s STEP programme, which will design and build, by 2040, a prototype fusion power plant capable of putting electricity on the UK grid.


Written Question
Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy
Wednesday 21st December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what contingency plans his Department has in place for a liability being incurred by a nuclear operator under the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 implements the requirements of the Paris Convention into UK legislation. Under this Act civil nuclear operators are required to have sufficient financial coverage in place to meet their nuclear third party liability obligations to victims.

The UK is also party to the Brussels Supplementary Convention which places additional liabilities on civil nuclear operators. Any liability incurred above these levels would be handled initially by pooled international funds and then by the Government.


Written Question
Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of localised carbon capture at carbon-dioxide emitting facilities such as waste incineration and biogas plants for the UK's industrial requirements for carbon dioxide.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Since last autumn, the UK carbon dioxide (CO2) market’s resilience has improved, with additional imports and further domestic production. It is for the CO2 industry to ensure supplies to UK businesses and the Government is working with industry to encourage a diverse supply.

The Government is aware of several new UK-based CO2 sources under development by industry, however, these will take time to realise and are commercially sensitive.

Waste management carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects are eligible for support under the Industrial Carbon Capture business model, which is considered the best way to support their deployment, given the current barriers and the importance of CCS for decarbonising the sector.


Written Question
Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to implement the (a) revised arrangements to the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy and (b) the Brussels Convention supplementary to the Paris Convention.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The 2004 Protocols amending the Paris and Brussels Conventions came into force on 1st January 2022, following their ratification by the contracting parties at the end of 2021. The Nuclear Installations (Liability for Damage) Order 2016 implemented the amendments into the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Discussions with the civil nuclear sector have informed the UK’s approach to implementing its liability regime. The key amendments in the 2004 Protocols are new categories of damage, increased operator liability, and an increased limitation period for claims for personal injury from 10-30 years after an incident.


Written Question
Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the installation of localised carbon capture and storage equipment at (a) waste incinerators and (b) other carbon-dioxide emitting plants.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government aims to capture and store 20-30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, including from waste management and other industrial facilities. In August, the Government announced a 20-project shortlist to progress to the due diligence stage of the Track-1 Cluster Sequencing process. Support for projects will be delivered via new business models and the £1 billion Carbon Capture and Storage Infrastructure Fund.

In addition, the £289 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) and the Scottish IETF can support sites to invest in decarbonisation technologies, including onsite carbon capture.


Written Question
Civil Society: Fuel Poverty
Friday 16th December 2022

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to provide additional funding to (a) social enterprises and (b) charitable organisations for the energy bills of venues used to provide warm hubs during the cost of living crisis.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) provides a price reduction to ensure that all eligible non-domestic customers including social enterprises and charitable organisations are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.