Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of small modular reactors being made as load following energy sources.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The next generation of nuclear, including small modular reactors (SMR), offers new possibilities including faster deployment, lower capital costs, and greater flexibility.
Whilst nuclear energy has a unique role to play in delivering stable, low carbon baseload energy, SMRs may be able to serve the electricity grid more flexibly than traditional nuclear, as well as unlock a range of additional applications in energy sectors beyond grid electricity.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a comprehensive redress scheme for consumers (a) installing and (b) retrofitting low carbon technologies.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government’s main priority is protecting consumers and the homes they live in, and we will continue to fight for reform of a system which is clearly not fit for purpose.
The reform will involve rapidly changing the landscape of regulation, spanning from how installers working in people’s homes are certified and monitored, to where homeowners turn to for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. This work is already underway, but we will set out plans for root and branch reform as part of the Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to improve consumer confidence in low carbon home upgrades in the context of delivery issues in previous iterations of the ECO scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is committed to protecting homeowners across the UK who receive energy efficiency upgrades. We are introducing a new system of consumer protections, with clear centralised oversight to ensure proper installer accountability as part of the Warm Homes Plan.
Immediate actions taken include improved oversight of installations and installers, with a more robust suspension and reinstatement process, and enhanced contractor checks and restrictions to prevent installers from evading accountability if they operate through multiple certification bodies.
Additionally, Government has increased oversight of TrustMark’s operations, and introduced site visits from retrofit co-ordinators to give an additional layer of on-site assurance.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the UK’s workforce has the skills required to meet its targets for heat pump installations.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recently published the Clean Energy Jobs Plan which sets out cross-Government actions to deliver more skilled workers. Today’s heat pump workforce is large enough to meet current demand and training rates are on track to meet future demand. The Government is delivering several policies to support the heat pump workforce and is working with industry to ensure training equips installers with the skills needed to provide high quality installs. The £10 million Heat Training Grant supports existing heating professionals in England to upskill and the Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship is helping to bring new entrants into the sector.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a single accreditation scheme to protect households in upgrading to (a) more energy efficient and (b) low carbon technologies.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government’s priority is ensuring that all consumers are protected when undertaking home retrofit work, as well as improving the overall consumer journey regardless of housing tenure or how installation work is funded. Currently any installations under government energy efficiency schemes must be carried out by TrustMark registered and PAS 2030 or MCS certified businesses, in accordance with PAS 2035. As the only government endorsed quality scheme, TrustMark oversees compliance with the overarching PAS 2035 process.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) independent and (b) impartial statutory advice for consumers undertaking (i) retrofit and (ii) low carbon technology installations.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that access to trusted and impartial information is an important enabler to consumers, when making choices about how to retrofit their homes.
This is why the Government is working to enhance our digital consumer advice offer, creating a single access point for all consumers (homeowners, landlords and tenants) at varying points in their retrofit journey. It will bring information on energy efficiency and clean heating solutions like heat pumps and solar, sources of funding and links to trusted installers together for the first time. The digital service is also backed up with a national phoneline for those needing additional support in accessing advice on how to upgrade their homes.
We will set out additional steps towards improving the overall consumer journey in the Warm Homes Plan, which will be published soon.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will take steps to ensure that the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and the United States does not adversely impact nuclear (a) security and (b) safety.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy between the UK and United States will support the government's effort to improve our energy security, drive economic growth, and underpin our efforts to deliver of Net Zero.
The paramount importance placed on nuclear safety and security by government remains unchanged. All the nuclear projects announced as part of the Alliance will be subject to the scrutiny of an independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and will need to meet the robust standards safety and security standards demanded by government and the public.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to United States' Department of the Interior's letter to Orsted North America Inc, dated 22 August 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of that letter on international investor confidence in UK offshore wind projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is aware of the US Department of the Interior’s 22 August 2025 letter to Ørsted North America. Overseas regulatory decisions are for those authorities; the UK is a separate market with our own regulatory framework.
The Government remains confident in the UK’s ability to attract international investment in the clean energy mission. We will achieve this by driving investment certainty, delivering targeted catalytic public investment, investing alongside industry where necessary, and breaking down barriers to investment.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy on the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s (a) safety standards and (b) independence and impartiality.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy builds on existing collaboration and will accelerate licensing and reactor design checks, provide certainty to industry and uphold safety standards, while making both the UK and US an attractive place to invest.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the UKs independent regulator, will need to be satisfied that any design to be deployed in the UK meets UK safety standards and complies with UK law.
By working with the US the ONR will streamline processes, while continuing to maintain rigorous UK regulatory standards and its independent decision making.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the United States' Department of Energy's press release entitled Energy Department returns $13 billion in unobligated wasteful spending to American taxpayers, published on 24 September 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of that announcement on international investment confidence in UK renewable energy developments.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government remains confident in the UK’s ability to attract international investment in the clean energy mission. We will achieve this by driving investment certainty, delivering targeted catalytic public investment, and breaking down barriers to investment.
Since July 2024, over £50 billion of private investment has been announced into the UK’s clean energy industries.