Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of progress towards the Clean Energy Mission.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Over the course of 2025, almost two-thirds of Britain’s electricity generation came from clean power. We have seen over £110 billion in private investment announced into clean energy and consented enough clean energy to power over 20 million homes. In our last auction we secured new offshore wind at a price that is 40% cheaper than building and operating new gas, while unlocking £27 billion in private sector investment and supporting thousands of jobs across the country. By delivering more clean, homegrown power, the less time gas will set the price of electricity. We have already moved from gas setting the price of electricity around 90% of the time in the early 2020s, to around 60% today.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of fully covering the cost of making disused coal tips safe in Wales.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recognises the importance of ensuring coal tip safety across the country and just how much this issue resonates with local communities, particularly in the South Wales valleys.
The UK Government and Welsh Government have worked closely together to secure coal tip sites, with the support of the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA).
Local authorities remain the primary authority for coal recovery schemes from tips through the planning and enforcement system, including responsibility for securing appropriate funding.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2026 to Question 30489, how the Tropical Forests Forever Facility will count as a loan rather than a grant given "Funds that flow from the TFFF to forest countries will not have to be repaid.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s is proposing to make a £400 million investment as a repayable investment to the Tropical Forest Investment Fund (TFIF), the investment arm of the TFFF. The TFIF will invest this capital, with the returns generated used to make payments to eligible tropical forest countries for protecting their forests. These payments to forest countries will not need to be repaid.
The detailed financial model is being developed by the Facility and its partners, and the UK’s investment is expected to be repaid with a return, subject to final terms, due diligence and the UK’s conditions being met.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish a) the list of attendees at the first meeting of the Climate Security Taskforce which met on Tuesday 20th October, and b) the minutes of the meeting.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The membership of the Taskforce is publicly available on GOV.UK,. The Taskforce meetings are held in confidence to support candid and independent discussion. Regular updates to the public will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish the membership, terms of reference and scope of the new ministerial taskforce on the national security and resilience risks of a changing climate and nature loss.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The membership, terms of reference and scope of the Taskforce on the National Security and Resilience Risks of a Changing Climate and Nature Loss are publicly available on GOV.UK
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has assessed the challenges for coastal towns and other areas with significant stocks of older housing in improving residential energy efficiency; and whether he has a national strategy for addressing heritage protection, household affordability, housing quality and carbon reduction in such areas.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to improving the UK’s diverse building stock.
The Government continues to work with heritage organisations and across government to support appropriate energy efficiency improvements to historic and listed buildings, while safeguarding their heritage value.
A national strategy is already in place in the form of the Warm Homes Plan, which was published earlier this year and sets out a range of schemes, policies, and approaches to these issues.
In particular, current Government capital schemes are designed with criteria specifically targeting low-income households and the least efficient properties based on their EPC rating.
The Plan also sets out how over the longer term we will integrate those schemes into an ambitious new single scheme which will shift towards area-based delivery, building on the experience of local authorities with more targeted and deliverable investment, and devolving funding so regional and local government accelerate home and building upgrades according to their needs.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has considered what support could be provided to pensioners to cope with extreme heat arising from climate change.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that some groups, including older people, are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. Air-to-air heat pumps, which can provide heating and cooling, will be eligible for support through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Warm Homes Local Grant and Warm Homes Social Housing Fund once they can be MCS certified.
The Government believes priority should be given to passive cooling measures to limit the impact of active cooling on energy bills. That is why the Warm Homes Plan committed to seek to embed appropriate and cost-effective passive measures within capital-funded schemes focused on low-income and social housing during this Parliament.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will include Syngenta workers being made redundant prior to the site closing in December 2027 in the Grangemouth Workers Guarantee.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Syngenta has stated that no final decision has been made but it has begun a formal consultation process with employees and trade union representatives and has indicated it remains committed to considering alternative options and potential pathways forward.
We are working closely with Syngenta, the Scottish Government and other partners to secure the best possible outcome for the site and its workforce. We will continue to engage constructively with the company throughout the consultation, including exploring opportunities to retain, transfer or repurpose operations or assets and protect as many jobs as possible.
The UK government are considering the implications of recent announcements and will continue to work with partners to ensure affected workers are supported.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to enable households, community groups and local businesses in North East Somerset and Hanham to participate in and benefit from the Clean Energy Mission.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through the Local Power Plan, the Government is delivering the biggest expansion of community energy in a generation. Great British Energy will provide up to £1 billion to support over 1,000 local and community energy projects by 2030. Its £30 million funding package will help community organisations and local authorities develop and deliver projects, including through partnerships.
The Government is also working with Ofgem and stakeholders to address barriers involving finance, capability, grid connections and market access. These measures will enable households, community groups and local businesses, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham, to benefit from clean energy.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government has reassessed the factors that contribute to the use of a 500-litre minimum order for domestic heating oil deliveries; and what steps it is taking to ensure that rural households can access smaller delivery quantities where the upfront cost of larger orders presents financial difficulties.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the pressures faced by households that rely on heating oil. Minimum order volumes are commercial practices that can reflect the fixed costs of delivery and operational constraints, including tanker metering.
Following the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study, the Government has committed to review the rules and regulations that may constrain minimum order volumes.
The Government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October. We will focus on a programme of reform to strengthening consumer protections.
A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK"
We are engaging with industry and UKIFDA to consider practical options for smaller deliveries, while ensuring that any changes do not undermine security of supply or lead to disproportionate costs for consumers.
The Government has improved support for vulnerable customers with more than £50 million of targeted support for low-income households that heat their homes with oil.