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 address spatial planning issues for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea to maximise 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.
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 his Department is taking to support the commercialisation of science and technology research in green steel.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Science and technology research in green steel is still at an early stage of development and hence has not reached the point of commercialisation. But development of science and technology in green steel is being supported by a number of programmes including SUSTAIN (Future steel manufacturing research Hub) funded by £10m EPSRC funding and studies undertaken as part of the £55m NZIP Industrial Fuel Switching programme.
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 his Department is taking to help ensure energy firms exhaust all other options before forcibly installing prepayment metres in homes.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department is working with Ofgem to ensure that they take a more robust approach to the protection of vulnerable customers, and make sure energy suppliers are complying with the rules.
Ofgem has now asked suppliers to pause the installation of prepayment meters under warrant until they have assured Ofgem they are compliant with all relevant regulations and obligations.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked domestic energy suppliers to report back on the steps they have planned to identify customers who may have had a prepayment meter installed inappropriately, and confirm that appropriate action will be taken in these instances.
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 assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the rules governing the forcible installation of prepayment metres in homes by energy companies.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Ofgem has stringent rules on force-fitting prepayment meters on customers. Suppliers are required to follow specific processes before switching a customer to a prepayment meter.
As part of efforts to increase greater transparency around prepayment meters, the Government has announced a five-point plan, calling on suppliers to stop voluntarily the practice of force-fitting prepayment meters on customers and make greater effort to help the most vulnerable, such as offers of additional credit and debt forgiveness.
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, pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2022 to Question 86656 on Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme, what progress his Department has made on the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department is processing information provided to the department through the Request for Information process that ran over the summer for which there was significant interest. The Government will set out the next steps on the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme soon.