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Written Question
Energy: Carbon Emissions
Thursday 2nd February 2023

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will set out in a table (1) the carbon intensity of the national grid, and (2) the relative mix of (a) natural gas, (b) coal, (c) solar power, (d) wind power, (e) hydropower, (f) biomass, (g) nuclear, and (h) other sources of energy used to power the national grid, in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government does not hold this data in its own right. The enclosed table sets out data provided by the National Grid, in the categories and time intervals requested.


Written Question
Energy Charter Treaty
Thursday 1st December 2022

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to leave the Energy Charter Treaty; and if so, when.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is closely monitoring developments in the Energy Charter Treaty as part of its engagement with the Treaty’s modernisation process.


Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 21 Nov 2022
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Energy Supply Shortfalls

Speech Link

View all Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Energy Supply Shortfalls

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 21 Nov 2022
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Energy Supply Shortfalls

Speech Link

View all Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Energy Supply Shortfalls

Written Question
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the devolved administrations on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill; and whether they will consult formally with the devolved administrations as the bill progresses through Parliament.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government remains committed to proactively engaging with devolved administrations at official and Ministerial level on the reviews into retained EU law.

To date, there have been regular official level discussions with the devolved administrations and we will continue to engage in areas of interest as the Bill progresses through Parliament.


Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 05 Sep 2022
Four-Day Working Week

Speech Link

View all Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Four-Day Working Week

Written Question
District Heating
Friday 29th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures (1) they, and (2) Ofgem, are taking to ensure that homes connected to heat networks are not locked into high fossil fuel heating systems.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

To ensure heat networks do not remain on fossil fuel systems, the Government has introduced the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). The GHNF is a 3 year £288 million capital grant fund which helps heat networks install cost-effective low-carbon heat sources. The Government is also proposing to regulate heat networks through the Energy Security Bill, which would provide powers to set carbon emissions limits on heat networks as part of the move to net zero. Under the Bill, it is envisaged that Ofgem will be appointed as the regulator for heat networks and enforce carbon limits.


Written Question
Energy: Conservation
Friday 29th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their plans to establish a regulatory framework for heat networks as set out in the Energy Bill [HL], what steps they are taking to ensure that properties’ energy efficiency is improved when they are connected to a heat network; and what funding will be available for any such energy efficiency improvements.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Following the success of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) Demonstrator which was delivered in FY21/22 , we are now developing a multi-year scheme, the HNES Main. This scheme will be a key part of the Heat Network Transformation Programme in which we are investing £338 million from 2022-2025.

The HNES Main is likely to again offer both capital grants and revenue grants to existing district heating or communal heating projects to improve the efficiency of the communal network.

Alongside the improvements to network efficiency the government has announced more than £3.9 billion of new funding for decarbonising heat and buildings, including measure to improve the energy efficiency of properties.


Written Question
Heat Pumps
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they define a smart heat pump; what plans they have to introduce support for consumers to purchase smart heat pumps; and when they plan for any such support to be introduced.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is currently consulting on proposals to mandate smart functionality for specific electric heating appliances, including heat pumps, from 2025. For the purpose of the smart mandate, a smart heat pump is defined as communications-enabled and capable of responding automatically to incentive signals (such as price) and/or other more direct control signals by shifting or modulating its electricity consumption. Consumers can use existing support schemes, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, to install a smart heat pump and the consultation is seeking views on what further action may be needed to ensure all consumers can benefit from smart heating.


Written Question
Heat Pumps: Imports
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect UK manufacturers from cheap imported heat pumps as a result of their proposed market-based mechanism for low carbon heat.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is putting in place a package of measures to build a globally competitive UK heat pump manufacturing sector. This includes policies to help build demand for heat pumps, like the £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme, as well as those that incentivise inward investment in the supply chain, such as the Super Deduction Capital Allowance Scheme and the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition. There has already been significant investment in the UK heat pump supply chain over the past 12 months from companies like Mitsubishi, Octopus Energy, Vaillant and Ideal Heating, and we expect this growth to continue.