Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of reduced VAT for domestic fuels and tax reliefs for fossil fuel companies on the ability of the UK to phase out fossil fuel infrastructure in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The VAT reduced rate for domestic fuel and power is aimed at reducing costs on household purchases of several supplies of energy, including electricity which is generated from renewable sources. This measure helps lower the cost of household bills for families.

The UK Government also places additional taxes on the extraction of oil and gas, with companies engaged in the production of oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf subject to headline tax rates on their profits that are more than double those paid by other businesses. To date, the sector has paid over £330 billion in production taxes.

The UK is currently a net importer of both oil and gas and even under the most rapid energy transition scenarios, the UK is expected to remain a net importer for the foreseeable future. Managing the declining production from our relatively small domestic basin, while reducing our overall usage of fossil fuels, is therefore compatible with our climate change commitments.

Overall, the UK is fourth on the ODI’s 2018 G7 Fossil Fuel Subsidy Scorecard and is ranked first among G7 nations for pledges and commitments. Since the ODI published their report, the Government has signed a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in law, becoming the first G7 country to set such a goal. Among a range of other actions, we have also launched a comprehensive global review of the link between biodiversity and economic growth to be led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta.