Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the areas of the UK that will be most affected by extreme heat during summer 2022.
Answered by Jane Hunt
Long-term average temperatures (1991-2020) show that a band extending from Surrey to Cambridgeshire is usually most likely to experience the absolute highest maximum temperatures in the UK during summer.
The Met Office 3-month outlook indicates there is a higher chance of a hot summer in 2022 compared to the long-term average. Detailed information at regional and local level is provided in short range forecasts.
When extreme temperatures are forecast the Met Office issues severe weather warnings for affected areas and works closely across government and with responder partners to support preparations for potential impacts.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) dates of meetings between Ministers in his Department and representatives of renewable energy companies since 1 September 2021.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) dates of meetings between Ministers in his Department with representatives of the oil and gas industry since 1 September 2021.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of introducing minimum energy efficiency standards for owner-occupied homes.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave her on 9th February 2022 to Question 116013.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 his Department's Heat Pump Ready Programme, if he will make an estimate of the total number of heat pump installations that have taken place in each of the past three years in each local authority area.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Heat Pump Ready Programme, part of the £1billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, was launched October 2021.
Heat Pump Ready Stream 1, Phase 1 projects began feasibility studies in July 2022 and have not yet installed heat pumps. BEIS recently published the Stream 1, Phase 1 projects. In Stream 1, Phase 2, commencing in early 2023, the most successful Phase 1 projects will trial their proposed methodology, deploying heat pumps within their local authority areas.
An earlier BEIS Energy Innovation Programme, Electrification of Heat Demonstrator, has installed a total of 742 heat pumps across South-east Scotland, Newcastle and South-East England.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for the total number installations made under the Green Homes Grant since its completion.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme closed to new applicants at the end of 31 March 2021. The latest Green Homes Grant voucher release official statistics published in February 2022 show, at the end of 7 February 2022, nearly 49,600 measures were installed.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many licenses have been issued for oil and gas drilling each year from 2019.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The most recent offshore licensing round was the 32nd UK Offshore Licensing Round. It was conducted by the Oil and Gas Authority (now the North Sea Transition Authority), and concluded on 30 September 2020, with 113 licences offered.
Four offshore licences were also offered in 2019.
No onshore licences have been offered in England in this period. Onshore oil and gas licensing is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) dates of meetings between Ministers in his Department and officials at UK Oil and Gas on the Surrey coal mine since 1 January 2019.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Department holds many meetings with companies to discuss a wide range of business issues. Details of meetings held by Ministers in the Department are recorded in our transparency data, which is published at
www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an estimate of the quantity of wood pellets that will be burnt at Drax in each year up to 2027.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has not made an estimate of the quantity of wood pellets that will be burnt at Drax, however Drax has a fixed declared net generation capacity of 2,595 MW for biomass and has previously utilised 6-7 million tonnes of biomass pellets per year when operating at capacity. Drax is able to generate electricity using a variety of biomass feedstocks, providing they meet the sustainability criteria set under the Contracts for Difference and Renewable Obligation schemes.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's timescale is for making an assessment of the quantity of forestry needed to grow biomass for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in 2050.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government only supports sustainable biomass. The Government will publish a Biomass Strategy this year which will consider the volume of forestry residues from sustainable forestry operations and the use of other sustainable feedstocks for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.