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Written Question
Renewable Energy: Prices
Thursday 3rd November 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to ensure that community-owned wind farms, solar farms and hydro schemes that reinvest their surplus back into local communities are exempted from any new regulations created or implemented under section 16 of the Energy Prices Act 2022.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The role of community and locally owned renewable energy schemes is supported by the Government and policy developments will reflect this.


Written Question
Natural Gas and Oil: Shetland
Wednesday 20th July 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total output in 2021 was of oil from all the oil and gas fields in East and West Shetland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The total output in 2021 of oil from fields in the West of Shetland is estimated by the North Sea Transition Authority to be around 52 million barrels. The North Sea Transition Authority does not make a specific estimate for the ‘East of Shetland’ as any such fields would be included in the ‘Northern North Sea’ area.


Written Question
Natural Gas and Oil: Shetland
Wednesday 20th July 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total output was in 2021 of natural gas from all the oil and gas fields in East and West Shetland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The total output in 2021 of natural gas from fields in the West of Shetland is estimated by the North Sea Transition Authority to be around 83 billion cubic feet. The North Sea Transition Authority does not make a specific estimate for the ‘East of Shetland’ as any such fields would be included in the ‘Northern North Sea’ area.


Written Question
Natural Gas and Oil: Shetland
Wednesday 20th July 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the latest estimate his Department has made of the total recoverable oil reserves remaining from the oil and gas fields in East and West Shetland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The “UK Oil and Gas Reserves and Resources” report, published by the North Sea Transition Authority in 2021, estimates that, from the end 2020, there are around one billion barrels of oil reserves remaining in the West of Shetland.

The report can be found at: www.nstauthority.co.uk/media/7764/rr-report_final-22-september-2021.pdf.

The report does not make a specific estimate for the ‘East of Shetland’, as any such fields would be included in the ‘Northern North Sea’ area.


Written Question
Natural Gas: Shetland
Wednesday 20th July 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the latest estimate is of the total recoverable natural gas reserves remaining from the oil and gas fields in East and West Shetland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The “UK Oil and Gas Reserves and Resources” report, published by the North Sea Transition Authority in 2021, estimates that, at the end 2020, there are around 284 billion cubic feet of gas reserves remaining in the West of Shetland.

The report can be found at: www.nstauthority.co.uk/media/7764/rr-report_final-22-september-2021.pdf.

The report does not make a specific estimate for the ‘East of Shetland’, as any such fields would be included in the ‘Northern North Sea’ area.


Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate
Friday 24th June 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether combined domestic and business electricity accounts will receive the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme grant.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

All domestic electricity customers who have a direct relationship with a licensed electricity supplier will be automatically eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/energy-bills-support-scheme-explainer


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Tuesday 25th January 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data is available on the smart meter installation rate in Scotland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The smart meter rollout is making good progress, with 26.4 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses across Great Britain as of the end of September 2021.

The Government’s official statistics on the rollout of smart meters are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics. These statistics are based on data from energy suppliers provided at Great Britain-level only.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Thursday 20th January 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland have had smart meters installed.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s official statistics on the rollout of smart meters are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics. These statistics are based on data from energy suppliers provided at Great Britain-level only.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Thursday 20th January 2022

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help improve access to smart meters in areas with low take-up.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government wants to ensure that households and small businesses in Great Britain can benefit from smart metering and has required energy suppliers to establish Smart Energy GB, which is responsible for consumer engagement. Smart Energy GB has objectives to drive consumer take-up and assist consumers who may face additional barriers in accessing smart metering.


Written Question
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: BGI
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department or its Arm's Length Bodies has a working relationship, including on (a) contractual or (b) commercial terms, with the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) or any of its subsidiaries.

Answered by George Freeman

BEIS does not have any contractual or commercial terms with Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) or any of its subsidiaries.