Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to approve the construction of small modular reactors; and where these projects will be situated.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recently consulted on the proposed National Policy Statement EN-7, which outlines an updated planning framework for new nuclear projects, including Small and Advanced Modular Reactors. We aim to finalise and designate EN-7 later this year.
Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) recently announced that it has selected Rolls Royce SMR as preferred bidder, subject to final government approvals and contract signature, to partner with to build the country’s first small modular reactors. GBE-N aims to allocate a site for its small modular reactor programme later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with their plans to develop carbon capture and storage projects.
Answered by Baroness Curran
The East Coast Cluster reached financial close in December 2024 and the HyNet Transport and Storage Network, operated by Liverpool Bay CCS, reached financial close in April 2025, with Government signing contracts with industry to get the first CCUS projects up and running. These two clusters will help remove up to 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year and are due to start operating from 2028.
Officials have continued to engage with Track-2 clusters to understand their plans. We recognise industry will be hoping for clarity on Track-2 - and future CCUS clusters – and further details will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the use of green hydrogen as an energy source.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs) remains our primary mechanism for allocating revenue support through the Hydrogen Production Business Model to low carbon, non-CCUS enabled hydrogen production facilities across the UK.
In the Autumn 2024 Budget, we confirmed support for 11 green hydrogen projects from the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1), and on 7 April 2025 we announced a shortlist of 27 projects that were invited to the next stage of the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2) process.
This announcement reinforces the Government’s recognition of the key role low carbon hydrogen will play in delivering our Clean Energy Superpower and Growth Missions.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in phasing out coal power.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In line with our net zero target, the Government is committed to phasing out unabated coal-fired power generation by 1st October 2024, earlier than the original 2025 target. The remaining coal fired power station in Great Britain is scheduled to close before this date.
This will mean that we will have reduced coal’s share of our electricity supply from around a third, to zero in the space of only ten years.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many households they have helped with home insulation measures in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
From 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023 (latest available data), around 97,100 insulation measures were installed in domestic properties under the following schemes: Energy Company Obligation, Great British Insulation Scheme, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Green Homes Local Authority Delivery and Home Upgrade Grant. Under these schemes, some households may have had more than one type of insulation measure installed. Statistics for each of these schemes are published on the gov.uk website.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many households they aim to help with home insulation measures in the next 12 months; and what budget is available to support this.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While the Department does not hold precise estimates of how many households will be treated in next twelve months, we estimate around 450,000 will be supported via the Energy Company Obligation Scheme from April 2022 to March 2026 with the scheme funding approx. £1 billion per calendar year.
The Government also estimate over 300,000 homes will be supported via the Great British Insulation Scheme from April 2022 to March 2026 with £1 billion funding available across that period.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what investment they are making in nuclear energy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has invested £700m to develop the Sizewell C project – the first state backing for a nuclear project in over 30 years.
The Government is investing in new nuclear, launching the £120m Future Nuclear Enabling Fund as well as the £75m Nuclear Fuel Fund to develop existing and future fuel capabilities.
The Advanced Nuclear Fund of up to £385m is funding Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors. Up to £210m of this is helping to develop the Rolls Royce SMR design. The Fund is also supporting an AMR Research Development & Demonstration competition.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference in the cost of fuel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain; and what steps they intend to take in response.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government collects price data on a national average basis but is aware that, on average, fuel prices in Northern Ireland are generally cheaper than those in other parts of the United Kingdom. The Government therefore welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) market study into Great Britain’s road fuel market, investigating factors driving price variations. The CMA will publish its report including options for possible next steps by 7th July. The Government will carefully consider the recommendations, while looking at pro consumer options, which could give drivers better access to fuel price data.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the contractual contributions to the construction of small nuclear reactors that they will have made by 2025.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has not made contractual commitments to the constructors of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and no SMR projects have yet reached Final Investment Decision (FID) or begun construction.
However, the Government has committed up to £385m for R&D through the Advanced Nuclear Fund, including up to £210m for Rolls Royce SMR Ltd, to develop further their design for one of the world’s first Small Modular Reactors.
In 2023, the Government intends to run a selection process to identify projects, including SMRs, that might reach FID in the next Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contractual commitments they have made to the constructors of small modular nuclear reactors to date.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has not made contractual commitments to the constructors of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and no SMR projects have yet reached Final Investment Decision (FID) or begun construction.
However, the Government has committed up to £385m for R&D through the Advanced Nuclear Fund, including up to £210m for Rolls Royce SMR Ltd, to develop further their design for one of the world’s first Small Modular Reactors.
In 2023, the Government intends to run a selection process to identify projects, including SMRs, that might reach FID in the next Parliament.