Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage domestic processing and manufacturing capacity for critical minerals and components essential to net zero technologies, including offshore wind.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A secure, diversified supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition. Within the Modern Industrial Strategy, the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan highlighted the UK’s existing strengths in critical mineral mining and processing required for clean energy.
The UK government remains committed to further supporting the growth of UK processing capability. The new Critical Minerals Strategy, which has now been published, sets out how we will enhance the UK’s domestic capabilities, optimising domestic production across the supply chain. The Strategy supports delivery of the Industrial Strategy, recognising critical minerals are foundational to growth driving sectors such as clean energy industries.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the importance of offshore wind to the UK’s electrification strategy.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Offshore wind provides the UK with secure, domestically generated electricity, and represents a core part of this Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower – delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating to net zero.
This Government’s mission-driven approach will maximise the opportunity for economic growth, attracting vital investment to UK coastal communities. This Government estimates that the sector could support up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs by the end of the decade.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent energy companies from increasing direct debit payments from customers over the summer while global energy prices are falling.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A customer’s direct debit payment arrangement should avoid large credit or debit balance at the end of 12-month period. Energy suppliers are required to ensure a customer’s direct debit payments are set on the best available information. For existing customers, the payment level should be based on energy consumption over the previous year with adjustments for price changes. With Ofgem now setting the energy price cap on a quarterly basis, regular adequacy reviews on customers’ accounts by suppliers should mean when the cost of energy falls, they will see this reflected in their direct debit payment sooner.