Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered implementing a methane tax on vented emissions from North Sea oil and gas operators to help incentivise improved (a) capture and (b) use of wasted gas.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has committed to end routine flaring and venting by 2030. The North Sea Transition Authority issues consents for flaring and venting activity with strict limits and uses enforcement action as part of its regulatory toolkit. The UK’s oil and gas sector has one of the lowest upstream methane emission intensities globally and achieved the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative’s 0.2 per cent methane intensity target by 2025, achieving 0.17 per cent in 2020 with a further decrease to 0.13 per cent in 2022.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to include methane in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme scope to include methane emissions in the upstream oil and gas sector is being considered by the UK ETS Authority. The Authority will set out more detail in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to promote UK leadership on methane reduction (a) technologies and (b) services in international markets ahead of COP30.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We promote the use of technology in reducing emissions across agriculture, waste and oil and gas sectors. Examples include offshore and onshore oil and gas operators using cameras, drones and sensors to detect leaks, capturing methane from landfill and using it for electricity, carrying out world-leading research to reduce landfill methane emissions and we are reviewing the use of methane suppressing feed products in suitable cattle systems. Ahead of COP30 will use our international leadership role as a Global Methane Pledge Champion to continue to encourage and support others to reduce methane emissions across all sectors.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish a new Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We will deliver an updated plan by 29 October 2025.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure the Warm Homes Plan reaches low-income households.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, including £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes.
There are multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures to low income and fuel poor households. Current schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). The Government recently announced Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund to support social housing providers and tenants, and the new Warm Homes: Local Grant to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades and cleaner heating. Both schemes are expected to deliver in 2025.
Support is also available through the Warm Home Discount schemes which provide eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill.
Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of adequacy of local content levels in supply chains for the (a) oil and gas and (b) renewable energy sector.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) monitors UK content in upstream oil and gas through Supply Chain Action Plans. NSTA reports that, over the last three years, oil and gas related Operating Expenditure consistently delivered UK content above 85%, with Capital Expenditure and Abandonment Expenditure consistently delivering above 75% UK content.
For renewables, the Department requires all large Contracts for Difference applicants to submit Supply Chain Plans, asking for the percentage of UK content of a project. These figures are commercially sensitive and only shared when Supply Chain Plans are published.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of developing a net-zero local government framework for local authorities.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government’s approach to working with local authorities on net zero is set out in the Net Zero Strategy and Net Zero Growth Plan. The Government’s engagement forum with local government, the Local Net Zero Forum, has considered a framework for Local Authority net zero roles and responsibilities but this was not determined to be the best way forward.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the total value is of grants available to local authorities to deliver net-zero projects that are administered by her Department.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is not possible to provide a figure for the total amount of net zero grant funding available to local authorities because this depends on the decisions local authorities make themselves about how they use the funding available to them. Through their core settlement, grant funding schemes, and UK growth funding, Government provides a wide range of funding to support local authorities to tackle net zero goals.
The Government has established the UK Infrastructure Bank with an initial £12 billion of capital. One of the bank’s core objectives is to support regional and local economic growth. This includes a lending facility of £4 billion for local authorities at preferential rates.
Individual Government grant funding schemes each have their own monitoring and evaluation processes.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will list all (a) funding schemes and (b) initiatives available for local authorities to help support their transition to net zero.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is not possible to provide a figure for the total amount of net zero grant funding available to local authorities because this depends on the decisions local authorities make themselves about how they use the funding available to them. Through their core settlement, grant funding schemes, and UK growth funding, Government provides a wide range of funding to support local authorities to tackle net zero goals.
The Government has established the UK Infrastructure Bank with an initial £12 billion of capital. One of the bank’s core objectives is to support regional and local economic growth. This includes a lending facility of £4 billion for local authorities at preferential rates.
Individual Government grant funding schemes each have their own monitoring and evaluation processes.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the effectiveness of grant schemes on net zero outcomes.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is not possible to provide a figure for the total amount of net zero grant funding available to local authorities because this depends on the decisions local authorities make themselves about how they use the funding available to them. Through their core settlement, grant funding schemes, and UK growth funding, Government provides a wide range of funding to support local authorities to tackle net zero goals.
The Government has established the UK Infrastructure Bank with an initial £12 billion of capital. One of the bank’s core objectives is to support regional and local economic growth. This includes a lending facility of £4 billion for local authorities at preferential rates.
Individual Government grant funding schemes each have their own monitoring and evaluation processes.