Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 offshore wind commitments signed on 26 January 2026 on UK electricity prices over the next decade.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Energy Secretary signed a non-binding clean energy security agreement, the Hamburg Declaration, with European leaders at the North Sea Summit to progress build out of renewable energy in the North Sea. and incentivise further investment. Agreements in the Declaration are fully aligned with existing government policy.
Working with our European neighbours to develop joint offshore wind will enable us to maximise the clean energy potential for the North Sea, drive investment and job creation, and ensure energy security and resilience. By moving away from volatile fossil fuels we will protect consumers across the UK.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to quality assure information on the Fuel Finder Website.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) regulations 2025, the appointed aggregator is responsible for managing the registration information and providing real-time fuel price information. The Department also requires the aggregator to implement data quality assurance processes to ensure all information published through the Fuel Finder service meets agreed standards. This includes validating price submissions at the point of entry and implementing continuous data quality monitoring to maintain accuracy and reliability.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to monitor the take up of the Fuel Finder Website by motorists.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Motorists will primarily access Fuel Finder data indirectly through third-party navigation apps and price comparison websites. Fuel Finder will track who is accessing the data as an indicator of overall usage.
The service will also undergo a statutory evaluation which will as a minimum assess the likely effects for existing and future customers.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish the Fuel Finder Website.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Fuel Finder scheme is now live, with registration open to petrol stations. From 2 February, petrol stations will be required to report their fuel prices within 30 minutes of a change. This data will be made freely available on the Fuel Finder website and integrated into mapping software and price comparison apps, enabling consumers to compare prices easily and make informed decisions on where to buy their fuel.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to publicise the Fuel Finder Website to motorists.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fuel Finder data will be made freely available and third party services such as navigation apps and price comparison websites who will integrate the data into their consumer-facing tools, meaning drivers can access accurate, up-to-date fuel prices without needing to visit the website directly.
The Government will publicise Fuel Finder through its usual communications channels to raise awareness of the new system.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of permitting crop-based biofuels to be eligible under the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate on investment in (1) waste-based biofuels, and (2) e-fuels.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
On 22 December 2025 the Department for Transport published a call for evidence to gather views and update our evidence base on crop-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The call for evidence will improve our understanding of the impacts and interactions of deploying crop feedstocks in SAF on feedstock availability, industrial development, and on sustainability. This will include considering the impact on food prices, biodiversity, and investment in waste-based biofuels and e-fuels.
This reflects our commitment to ensure our policies are informed by the best and most recent evidence. The call for evidence does not propose any changes to the SAF Mandate. In the light of the responses to the call for evidence, should there be a case to review the feedstock eligibility criteria, it would be subject to consultation before any legislative change.
Asked by: Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of permitting crop-based biofuels to be eligible under the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate on (a) food prices, and (b) biodiversity.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
On 22 December 2025 the Department for Transport published a call for evidence to gather views and update our evidence base on crop-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The call for evidence will improve our understanding of the impacts and interactions of deploying crop feedstocks in SAF on feedstock availability, industrial development, and on sustainability. This will include considering the impact on food prices, biodiversity, and investment in waste-based biofuels and e-fuels.
This reflects our commitment to ensure our policies are informed by the best and most recent evidence. The call for evidence does not propose any changes to the SAF Mandate. In the light of the responses to the call for evidence, should there be a case to review the feedstock eligibility criteria, it would be subject to consultation before any legislative change.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help reduce geographical variations in the cost of petrol and diesel.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has introduced the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, which requires all petrol stations in the UK to share live fuel price data through the Fuel Finder service from 2 February 2026. This will improve transparency and enable motorists to compare prices easily, helping to reduce regional disparities. The Competition and Markets Authority continues to monitor the road fuel market to assess the effectiveness of competition and advise the Government on any further action needed to protect consumers.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
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 adequacy of the procurement and contract‑management processes used for the Fuel Finder project; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that public money allocated to this project has been spent effectively and provides value for money.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A competitive and open tender process was run for Fuel Finder in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and government procurement policies and guidance. Evaluation criteria included quality, technical criteria and total cost.
The Fuel Finder contract is managed in line with the Government Digital Service Standard and is overseen by Departmental project boards, following established governance arrangements and spend assurance processes that apply to all major digital and commercial projects.
All of the above are steps taken to ensure an effective implementation and the project will continue to be reviewed to ensure value for money, minimising and managing costs carefully.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 CMA's First Annual Road Fuel Monitoring Report, what assessment he has made about the extent of competition in the road fuel retail market.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government notes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) annual road fuel monitoring report, which found that fuel margins remain high and are not explained by operating costs.
Addressing the CMA’s findings, the Government is implementing Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for road fuel prices to improve price transparency and incentivise competition in the market from both supermarket and non-supermarket retailers. The CMA also has statutory powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to monitor the market and advise on any further action.