Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether new jobs created over the past two years by the clean power investment programme have equalled the jobs lost in the fossil fuel industry over the same period of time.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

The most recent Office for National Statistics figures show that up to 453,900 full-time equivalent jobs were in the UK’s low carbon and renewable energy economy and wider supply chain in 2024.

The UK Government’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan sets out that the clean energy workforce could grow to 860,000 jobs by 2030, an increase of over 400,000 from 2023.

Independent Robert Gordon University analysis indicates that, under a pathway consistent with delivering clean power, job creation in clean energy sectors is expected to exceed projected job reductions in oil and gas, with renewables supporting more jobs overall over time.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the capping of ground rents will affect the price of the purchase of the freehold by leaseholders.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We will implement measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act to make it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to extend a lease or buy their freehold (enfranchisement). The Act caps ground rent in the enfranchisement calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value.

We will also cap ground rents via the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill at £250 transitioning to a peppercorn after 40 years.

I refer the Noble Lord to the government’s draft Impact Assessment for the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. This was published on 19 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here (attached). It has been reviewed by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee which published its opinion on 1 May. It can be found on gov.uk here (attached).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is co-ordinated planning taking place within Government in respect of addressing potential power cuts in 2026 and 2027.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

The UK has a highly resilient energy network, with diverse and secure electricity supplies; Government is confident that operators can effectively balance supply and demand in a wide range of scenarios.

Nevertheless, as a responsible Government we work continually and closely with industry and across Government to maintain this resilience, planning for a range of risks and to identify opportunities to mitigate the impacts of actual or potentially disruptive incidents.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK's total offshore wind capacity over the past two years has been equal to, or greater than, the total offshore wind capacity in the preceding six years.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

The UK’s total offshore wind capacity and electricity generation, 2018-2025, are presented in this table:

Source: UK Energy Trends table 6.1, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-section-6-renewables

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they do not publish data on greenhouse gas emissions embedded within the supply chain of (1) energy intensive goods, (2) car batteries, and (3) solar panels, imported into the UK.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra publishes annual data on greenhouse gas emissions embedded within goods and services imported into the UK here (see attached) as part of the UK and England’s Carbon Footprint.

Because of the methodology used, Defra does not hold data on these emissions at an individual product level, so the department is unable to publish estimates of greenhouse gas emissions embedded specifically within the supply chains of energy intensive goods, car batteries, and solar panels, imported into the UK.

For further information, a methodology document is published alongside the UK and England’s Carbon Footprint statistics here (see attached).

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to replace revenue from fuel duties in the light of the increasing adoption of electric vehicles.

Answered by Lord Livermore

As more people choose to switch to cleaner, greener electric cars, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has forecast fuel duty receipts will decline to around half current levels (around £12 billion) in the 2030s in real terms. Receipts are then expected to approach zero by 2050.

That’s why in the Budget in 2025 the Government announced the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, which will come into effect in April 2028. All UK-registered electric and plug-in hybrid cars will pay eVED, but the rate of eVED paid by electric vehicle drivers will be half the fuel duty rate paid by the average petrol/diesel driver, ensuring that it will still be cheaper to own and run an EV for the majority of EV drivers, with a reduced rate for plug-in hybrid drivers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to break the link between electricity bills and volatile international gas prices.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

Government is already breaking the link between wholesale gas prices and consumer bills by accelerating the deployment of low-cost renewable electricity technologies to reduce our reliance on international fossil fuel markets.

Furthermore, Government plans to offer legacy low-carbon generators the option to move onto fixed price contracts, known as Contracts for Difference (CfDs). We will consult this year and intend to run an allocation process in 2027 to award such contracts.

Finally, Government has acted to tax excess profits by raising the rate of the Electricity Generator Levy from 45% to 55%, ensuring a proportion of any exceptional revenues is available to Government to support households with their cost of living.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains the policy of the National Energy System Operator to achieve clean electricity by 2030 and, if so, what is the effect on the UK's energy security.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is operationally independent from His Majesty's Government. NESO set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and confirmed it was deliverable and could see lower electricity costs and bills.

Clean power gives us greater energy security, reducing our dependency on volatile global fossil fuel markets and delivering a diverse, secure and clean energy system based on renewables and nuclear, backed by a reserve of gas supply to be used only when essential. Over time it should significantly lower the wholesale costs of electricity, which will benefit heavy industry and has the potential to bring down consumer bills for good.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the financial or legislative barriers to making the display of food hygiene ratings mandatory in England.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently exploring a wide set of reforms to the existing food system, and this will include consideration of a statutory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England. As part of this work, the FSA will review the available legislative options and update its assessment of the associated costs and benefits of a statutory scheme. Ministers will consider proposals in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb col 2), how many Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) do not have a fracture liaison service in each of the NHS hospitals within the ICB.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Analysis of 2025 Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) data shows that the number of FLS’ in England has increased since 2024, from 80 to 83. These 83 services are based in 23 out of the 25 integrated care board (ICB) clusters.

Analysis of the 2025 data suggests that no ICB clusters had an FLS in each of the NHS hospitals within the ICB clusters. The number of FLS’ per ICB cluster ranged from one to eight.

Found: Lord Ashcombe Baroness Coffey Lord Jay of Ewelme Lord Krebs Lord Lennie Lord Redwood Lord Rooker

Found: Apologies and notices Apologies were received from Lord Lennie, Baroness Rafferty and Lord Rooker.

Found: Baroness Rafferty No relevant interests declared Lord Redwood No relevant interests declared Lord Rooker

Found: Lord Ashcombe Lord Jay of Ewelme Lord Krebs Lord Lennie Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Lord Rooker

Found: Present: Baroness Sheehan (Chair) Lord Krebs Lord Lennie Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Lord Rooker

Found: ); Lord Ashcombe; Lord Jay of Ewelme; Lord Krebs; Lord Lennie; Baroness McIntosh of Pickering; Lord Rooker

This inquiry will consider how the UK can maintain a secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity supply during ‘dunkelflaute’ events – periods of low wind and solar energy generation. This will include an assessment of current UK preparedness for dunkelflaute conditions, future plans, and policy and regulatory gaps.