Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 incentivising energy performance-related improvements of commercial buildings in the private sector.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Minimum energy efficiency standards in non-domestic buildings have improved energy efficiency and Government has consulted on strengthening them. We will publish our government response early next year. In addition, our Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme requires large businesses to undertake energy audits and encourages improvements.
There are also incentives to decarbonise with grants to small businesses through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund offers up to £500 million to support existing firms to decarbonise and grow, with the government recently confirming £163 million in phase 3 funding to invest by 2028. More detail on the Government’s approach to decarbonising non-domestic buildings, including through the Warm Homes Plan, will be published in due course.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many recipients of pensions under the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme in Cannock Chase constituency will be affected by the Government's return of money from the investment reserve fund to the scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November to Question UIN 12551.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 support industry to reduce the embodied carbon emissions related to the (a) production and (b) use of new construction materials.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers are considering options to reduce embodied emissions in industry by growing the demand for construction materials such as low carbon steel, cement and concrete. This includes resolving questions such as how embodied emissions in products are measured.
The Government will consult on options for answering these questions in due course.
The Government has established a Circular Economy Taskforce to support the efficient use of construction materials to reduce embodied carbon. Alongside this, Government continues to collaborate with industry groups to promote the efficient, circular use of construction materials, supporting research to enable this.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many former British Coal employees were recipients of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in (a) Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe constituency, (b) Neath and Swansea East constituency, (c) Aberafan Maesteg constituency, (d) Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare constituency and (e) Wales on 12 November 2024.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in the constituencies and in Wales is as follows:
(a) Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe constituency - 151
(b) Neath and Swansea East constituency – 172
(c) Aberafan Maesteg constituency – 131
(d) Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare constituency - 376, and
(e) Wales – 4,048.
This information is from the scheme trustees and correct as at 30 October 2024. Some of these scheme members will not yet be in receipt of their pension, but we do not have a breakdown of that information at constituency level.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 merits of (a) PeakSave and (b) other energy tariff rates for communities without the signal needed to install a smart meter.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has made no such specific assessment, as tariffs and energy contracts are a commercial matter for suppliers. However, the Government does want consumers to have access to a range of tariffs, so they can choose the contract that best suits their needs and can help to reduce energy bills. In circumstances where a supplier may not currently be able to offer a smart meter, Ofgem has been clear that suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to ensure that a suitable metering system is installed.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what definition his Department uses for socio-economic welfare, the context of publications by Ofgem.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Socio-economic welfare is a standard economic tool that aims to identify how much better off the country would be if an improvement is made by tracing the effects on the economy. In this regard, Ofgem uses the same definitions of welfare as used in other areas of government.
Nov. 19 2024
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