Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 support other combined authorities and local councils to replicate the Liverpool City Region’s programme to decarbonise public buildings.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the essential role that local government, including combined authorities and local councils, play in accelerating to net zero. Support for local government includes funding to deliver net zero through their core settlement, grant funding schemes and strengthened collaboration such as through the Local Net Zero Delivery Group.
Over the period 2025-2028 more than £190 million in public sector decarbonisation funding is being invested in local authorities through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Over the same period £67.6 million is being invested on decarbonisation of public buildings through the Integrated Settlements with the West Midlands and Greater Manchester Combined Authorities.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate his Department has made of the carbon savings achieved by connecting buildings to district heating networks, such as the Mersey Heat network in Liverpool.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government's assessment of carbon emission savings associated with various policies is set out in its Carbon Budget Growth and Delivery Plan, most recently published in October 2025.
The policies specifically associated with heat networks are estimated to save 3.02 MtCO2e per annum on average over Carbon Budget 6, which is the 5-year period from 2033 to 2037.
Heat networks will also be expected to contribute to emissions savings from other policies aimed at decarbonising heat and buildings.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Clean Industry Bonus on driving private investment in British manufacturing including in coastal and industrial communities.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Industry Bonus will ensure public funding supports high quality jobs in offshore wind by requiring firms to sign a Fair Work Charter. The Fair Work Charter commits signatories to early implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, supporting access to trade unions across the sector. Additionally, it will commit signatories to strive for best practice health and safety at work.
The associated Impact Assessment highlights that the overall impact of changes to the Clean Industry Bonus are expected to be positive.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme for devolved Administrations and Scottish local authorities for low-carbon retrofit programmes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) provided grant funding to public sector organisations in England, and to bodies with reserved functions operating in the devolved administrations, to install heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures in public sector buildings. The scheme is closed to new applications with no further phases planned.
We encourage public sector bodies operating in the devolved administrations to check the respective devolved government websites for information on the support available to them.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the requirement for offshore wind firms to sign the Fair Work Charter on (a) trends in the level of private investment and (b) creating skilled secure jobs in Scotland’s coastal communities.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Industry Bonus will ensure public funding supports high quality jobs in offshore wind by requiring firms to sign a Fair Work Charter. The Fair Work Charter commits signatories to early implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, supporting access to trade unions across the sector. Additionally, it will commit signatories to strive for best practice health and safety at work.
The associated Impact Assessment highlights that the overall impact of changes to the Clean Industry Bonus are expected to be positive.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the requirement for offshore wind firms to sign the Fair Work Charter on trade union recognition and collective bargaining in the sector.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Industry Bonus will ensure public funding supports high quality jobs in offshore wind by requiring firms to sign a Fair Work Charter. The Fair Work Charter commits signatories to early implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, supporting access to trade unions across the sector. Additionally, it will commit signatories to strive for best practice health and safety at work.
The associated Impact Assessment highlights that the overall impact of changes to the Clean Industry Bonus are expected to be positive.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what rights and workplace standards will offshore wind workers receive under the Fair Work Charter.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Industry Bonus will ensure public funding supports high quality jobs in offshore wind by requiring firms to sign a Fair Work Charter. The Fair Work Charter commits signatories to early implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025, supporting access to trade unions across the sector. Additionally, it will commit signatories to strive for best practice health and safety at work.
The associated Impact Assessment highlights that the overall impact of changes to the Clean Industry Bonus are expected to be positive.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 ensure that the new skills funding pot required by 2027 will effectively (a) train and (b) transition oil and gas workers to careers in offshore renewables.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The skills investment fund will allow for a collaborative approach to skills development in offshore wind, enabling interventions that target industry-level challenges. The Government will work with the offshore wind industry and Devolved Governments in 2026 to implement the fund in 2027.
The Department is delivering a suite of measures to deliver a fair and prosperous transition for the oil and gas workforce. This includes up to £20 million from the UK and Scottish Governments to the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, which funds retraining to support their transition, as well as a new North Sea Jobs Service to provide end-to-end transition support.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 planning to take to (a) monitor and (b) enforce compliance with the Fair Work Charter among offshore wind developers participating in Contracts for Difference auctions.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Signing the fair work charter will be a condition of Clean Industry Bonus eligibility at the point of application. Enforcement during the delivery phase will be set out in the Charter’s governance chapter, which will be published later this month. It will set out the dispute resolution process agreed by industry and trade union representatives.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
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 ensure that Scotland is supported through the commitments made in the Hamburg Declaration and its associated Action Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State signed a clean energy security agreement, the Hamburg Declaration, with European energy ministers at the North Sea Summit to progress build out of renewable energy in the North Sea and incentivise further investment.
Scotland is at the very heart of our Clean Energy Superpower mission. And in preparation for the North Sea Summit, the Department has engaged with UK industry, including Scottish companies, who have also attended the Summit. Officials regularly engage with and involve the Scottish Government in all relevant work related to the Hamburg Declaration and associated documents.