Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what activities they funded for identifying carbon capture utilisation and storage development opportunities in Xinjiang between 2016 and 2018; and whether they received any representations from Shell in that time about (1) that funding, or (2) the company’s deal with the China National Petroleum Corporation to collaborate on enhanced oil recovery.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2017, the Government explored potential opportunities to integrate carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the coal-to-chemicals sector in Xinjiang into China’s emissions trading scheme.
Officials have been unable to locate any information sought by the noble Lord that UK funding was provided to Xinjiang during this period, nor any information indicating that representations were received from Shell regarding this potential funding or its Enhanced Oil Recovery partnership with CNPC in Xinjiang at that time.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they have taken to ensure that procurement and transactions in the energy sector are not reliant on the use of Uyghur Muslim slave labour in Xinjiang.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Modern slavery is a serious human rights violation depriving individuals of their freedom and dignity while inflicting immeasurable harm on families, communities, and society as-a-whole. The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.
The Government continue to explore the use and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools to ensure UK can effectively tackle forced labour in supply chains. The Government’s Trade Strategy launched the Responsible Business Conduct Review as a primary lever for delivering this as a cross-departmental endeavour to review and to address the UK’s policy regime and voluntary due diligence requirements for forced labour. Additionally, the Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan committed to embedding ethical supply chain standards into DESNZ public spend; and Great British Energy confirmed it will follow strict ethical standards to help ensure solar supply chains are free from exploitation.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the UK's contribution to the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme in 2024–25 went to funding for (1) China, and (2) carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1. In 2024–25, none of the UK’s contribution to the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) supported new programming in China.
2. The International Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Programme, which was managed under ESMAP, formally closed on 31August 2024. No UK funding was spent in 2024–25 through the CCUS programme.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that Great British Energy complies with Section 3(2)(e) of the Great British Energy Act 2025 to not use products made by slave labour.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government expects Great British Energy (GBE) to become a sector leader in ethical supply chains.
GBE are embedding ethical standards across GBE and will develop a comprehensive Supply Chain Risk Framework overseen by Senior Accountable Director for Ethical Supply Chains, Baroness Frances O’Grady.
GBE will prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement, as required under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, setting out the steps it is taking to ensure slavery and human trafficking are not present in its business or supply chain. GBE will also utilise the debarment list as set out under the Procurement Act 2023.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to recent spending by Great British Energy on solar panels for use by schools and hospitals, what assessment they have made of the merits of (1) sourcing solar panels from manufacturers outside China, and (2) spending money from this scheme on creating solar panel manufacturing capacity in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For solar projects, the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC) and their partners are procuring the solar panels in line with strict procurement controls. While these panels could come from anywhere in the world, we know that around 95% of global polysilicon, ingot and wafer production, required for the manufacture of solar panels, happens in China [1].
Whilst China has a long-established strong position in conventional solar, there are emerging opportunities in solar supply chains which the UK can capture by leaning into our strengths as a scientific and innovation superpower. Alongside Great British Energy delivering over £200m investment for local and community energy, we have several other pioneering companies developing the next generation of cutting-edge solar technologies, including perovskite and thin film. In the Solar Roadmap, we have committed to consider the case to further support companies looking to scale up the production of these parts – so that UK companies don’t just generate innovative ideas but build them as well.
[1]Based on previous estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA): https://www.iea.org/reports/solar-pv-global-supply-chains/
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that Chinese-made solar panels purchased by Great British Energy for use in UK schools and hospitals have not been manufactured by slave labour; whether these purchases conform with section 3(2)(e) of Great British Energy Act 2025; and who is responsible for assessing this.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are strict procurement controls in place for schools and hospitals to ensure as far as possible any solar panels are free from forced labour.
This includes the Procurement Act which will enable contracting authorities to reject bids and terminate contracts with suppliers which have previously committed an offence under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, or where there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the supplier has engaged in this conduct.
We take this issue extremely seriously and will also be placing reporting commitments around the procurement process on panels as part of the funding agreements.
Through Great British Energy we will help build the supply chains needed to support a new era of clean homegrown power, bringing jobs and investment.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero raised the use of Uyghur slave labour in the manufacture of solar panels and in other forms of green technology during his recent visit to China, and, if so, what response he received.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
This Government continues to stand firm on the issue of human rights in China, including relating to forced labour. The recent visit by the Secretary of State gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero raised the use of Congolese child labour in the mining of minerals used in green technologies exported to the United Kingdom during his recent visit to China, and if so, what response he received.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
My department is committed to working closely across Government and industry stakeholders to take forward the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable, innovative and free from forced labour.
The Secretary of State's recent visit to China gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to UK national security and to resilience of the role and involvement of Mingyang Smart Energy Green Vault North Sea Wind Farm Project.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given on 12 February by my hon Friend the Minister for Climate (Kerry McCarthy) to the hon Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine).
We cannot comment on individual investment cases, but investment into the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny, and we will continue to work closely with industry to build secure supply chains and ensure the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number and cost of solar panels which have been purchased from China over the past ten years; how many solar panels they expect will be purchased (1) over the next ten years and (2) to meet to objectives of the Great British Energy Bill; and what is the estimated expenditure for each of these periods.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The Government recently set out its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which requires significant deployment of solar electricity. Developing sustainable, diverse and resilient solar supply chains, free from forced labour, is an absolute priority for this Government and the solar industry.
The Government does not hold data on the supply chains of individual businesses and therefore cannot provide details of overall expenditure or quantities of Chinese imports of solar panels. As Great British Energy will be operationally independent, it will be for the company to determine the projects and technologies it chooses to invest in, in accordance with its objectives.