Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 engage with the Scottish Government on the inclusion of onshore wind in Scotland in the upcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is being developed by the National Energy System Operator, following joint commissioning by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments. It will assess electricity generation and storage across Great Britain, including onshore wind in Scotland, as part of future energy infrastructure planning.
We are engaging with the Scottish Government through SSEP analytical, advisory groups, and official-level discussions. This enables views on Scottish energy priorities, planning, consenting, environmental issues and renewable deliverability to inform the process.
The Scottish Government will also be able to provide formal views before the Secretary of State decides on the preferred pathway.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of analysis from Aurora Energy Research which notes that rebalancing a share of planned Scottish offshore wind towards Scottish onshore wind after 2030 as part of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan would reduce energy system costs by £5 billion pounds a year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is delivering the first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). This will consider the cost optimal types and locations of future energy infrastructure including onshore and offshore wind - whilst also factoring in environmental, societal, and other spatial interests.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 for empowering local authorities to assess flexibility and microgrid opportunities before pursuing network buildout, in the context of the recommendations in the ADE: Demand report entitled Powered by People, Powered by Place.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has noted the Association for Decentralised Energy's report, Powered by People, Powered by Place, and recognises the importance of local evidence in identifying flexibility and other opportunities before network investment decisions are made.
The Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) methodology, being developed by the National Energy System Operator, proposes bringing together local authorities and stakeholders to help provide a whole-energy and bottom-up view of how local energy systems need to evolve to meet local and national priorities. Distribution Network Operators would remain responsible for detailed network planning, including flexibility, microgrid opportunities and network investment, informed by RESP outputs.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Regional Energy Strategic Plans, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the 10% voting share for demand-side stakeholders on Strategic Boards, as highlighted in the ADE: Demand report entitled Powered by People, Powered by Place.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Responsibility for the development of Regional Energy Strategic Planning (RESP) and the governance arrangements sits with the National Energy System Operator (NESO), under Ofgem’s policy framework and guidance.
Following their consultation, NESO is currently finalising the RESP methodology, which includes the voting share of the Strategic Boards. DESNZ Secretary of State and Ofgem is due to review and approve the methodology in due course.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 ADE: Demand report entitled Powered by People, Powered by Place, what assessment has his Department has made of the appropriateness of the exclusion of contracted consumer-led flexibility data from the data collection process informing National Energy System Operation modelling for Regional Energy Strategic Plans.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has noted the Association for Decentralised Energy's report, Powered by People, Powered by Place.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) will be developing Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) to support whole-system distribution-level planning across energy demand, supply, storage and flexibility. The aim is for flexibility to form part of a number of RESP outputs, including modelled Pathways and Strategic Investment Need. We are working with NESO on the RESP methodology, which will be published in due course.
The distribution networks will remain responsible for detailed network planning, including consideration of contracted flexibility alongside network investments.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will publish data on unregulated fare movements by GWR since the regulated freeze was announced on the Bath Spa to London Paddington route.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes annual statistics on changes in rail fares, for both regulated and unregulated fares. The most recent data covers 2024-25 and is available on the ORR website at https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance/rail-fares/. Data for 2025-26 will be published in July 2026.
Information on changes in unregulated fares by individual train operating companies is not held centrally by the Department. This level of detail is not routinely compiled and would require bespoke analysis.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she if taking to help ensure that the digital infrastructure underpinning the Deposit Return Scheme includes next‑generation barcodes and digital product information.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Exchange for Change, a not-for-profit, industry-led organisation, has been appointed to design and deliver the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including the specifics of the digital infrastructure and labelling requirements. For further details please visit Home | Exchange for Change or contact Exchange for Change direct at [email protected].
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 impact of the timetable for auction being brought forward on large renewable projects that have had their Contracts for Difference AR8 supply chain plan statement confirmed.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Contracts for Difference Scheme (CfD) runs annually. For Allocation Round 8, the Government confirmed in March it would open the round in July (in AR7, the round opened in August). The Supply Chain Plan (SCP) process opened in April, with results now released to applicants. The government does not expect this year's timeline to have a substantial constraining impact on the available pipeline of renewable projects, however inevitably some projects will not be sufficiently progressed to meet the CfD entry criteria by the opening date and will need to look to future rounds should they wish to secure a CfD.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the UK will encourage allocation of resources for Ukraine local government support at the forthcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains steadfast in our support to Ukraine, having provided £21.8 billion in military and non-military assistance since the start of the full scale invasion. This includes support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, including through our £5.3 billion of non-military support, covering fiscal, humanitarian, energy, stabilisation, reform, and economic and social recovery. We will continue to work with Ukraine and international partners, including via the Ukraine Donor Platform and the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, to help mobilise finance for a sustainable and locally led recovery, including by supporting stronger regional and local capacity and work on project preparation to help speed up the development of shovel ready infrastructure projects.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of how different low hours thresholds and different reference period lengths in respect of guaranteed hours provisions may impact workforce flexibility.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures and will publish further analysis in due course as we implement these measures.
The consultation includes specific questions on the potential effects of different hours threshold options to inform policy decisions.