Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure an objective and equitable approach to decision making for the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is running a competitive process in line with the published scheme guidance.
The balance of funding across different parts of the UK, worth up to £160 million, will depend on the assessment of applications that the Government has received.
Any funding awards will be based on a project’s ability to demonstrate value for money and its ability to meet the strategic objectives of the scheme.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to ensure an equitable allocation of funds between England, Scotland and Wales from the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The balance of funding across different parts of the UK, worth up to £160 million, will depend on the assessment of applications that the Government receives.
Any funding awards will be based on a project’s ability to demonstrate value for money and its ability to meet the strategic objectives of the scheme.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Government plans to announce the results of the latest round of the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government expects the initial assessment of applications to conclude towards the end of the year. The Department will notify projects at that point if they have been placed on either the primary or reserve list. The Department will also notify unsuccessful applicants at that time.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to maximise the opportunity of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government fully supports the Crown Estate's Leasing Round 5, which will make available seabed areas capable of supporting up to 4.5 gigawatts of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. The Crown Estate will set out next steps on the Round later this year.
The Department is currently assessing applications for the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme, worth up to £160 million, which will support investment in port infrastructure to deliver the Government's floating offshore wind ambitions.
The UK and Welsh Governments have also jointly announced two freeports in Wales, each backed by UK Government funding of £26 million.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps have been taken in relation to the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The application window for the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme closed on 27 August. Applications have been received and are currently being assessed.
The Department expects the initial assessment of applications to conclude towards the end of the year and will notify projects at that point if they have been placed on either the primary or reserve list. The Department will also notify unsuccessful applicants at that time.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what role (a) regional job creation and (b) investment growth play in decisions relating to the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme assessment.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Value for money assessments for all applications will consider the wider economic benefits of applications including job creation, upskilling and wider regional investment.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of fuel prices at (a) supermarkets and (b) other fuel retailers on the cost of goods.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The major impact of road fuels prices on the cost of goods will be from the impact on supply chain logistics and distribution. These will be only one of many different sources of cost and the proportion will vary from one product to another. In general, large hauliers involved in these activities will not purchase fuel at the retail prices quoted at forecourts of either supermarkets or other retailers.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to make further announcements on maximising the opportunity of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government supports The Crown Estate's Leasing Round 5 for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and worked with it to agree the spatial design set out in their market update on 4 July.
My Right Hon. Friend the then Secretary of State and I met with The Crown Estate in July and my officials are in regular contact with The Crown Estate to realise the opportunities from floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. The Crown Estate will set out the next steps on Leasing Round 5 later this year.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including the former BP Chemicals plant site in Baglan Bay in the new nuclear siting strategy.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is developing a new nuclear National Policy Statement (NPS), which will set planning policy for deploying new nuclear power stations beyond 2025 and support the UK in meeting the ambition of reaching up to 24GW of nuclear energy by 2050. As a first step towards developing the new nuclear NPS, later this year we intend to consult on how new nuclear developments could be sited in future prior to consulting on a draft NPS.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the Crown Estate on (a) the Celtic Sea floating offshore wind leasing programme and (b) maximising the long term potential of green energy generation in the Celtic Sea.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government supports The Crown Estate's Leasing Round 5 for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and worked with it to agree the spatial design set out in their market update on 4 July.
My Right Hon. Friend the then Secretary of State and I met with The Crown Estate in July and my officials are in regular contact with The Crown Estate to realise the opportunities from floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. The Crown Estate will set out the next steps on Leasing Round 5 later this year.