Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which city GB Energy executive staff will be based.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Dan McGrail, the interim CEO, will work from Great British Energy’s (GBE) Aberdeen HQ, and we have recently launched the recruitment campaign for the permanent CEO, which is also advertised as Aberdeen-based.

The first recruitment campaigns for the senior team have been launched, and of the three permanent Director-level positions advertised up to this point, two will be based in Aberdeen.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has for his existing departmental offices in Aberdeen.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The plan for the Department’s offices in Aberdeen is to continue to provide value for money office space in the right location, which meets minimum standards to facilitate the activities that are located there. This includes the core Department 2^nd HQ, alongside arm's-length bodies: the North Sea Transition Authority HQ and the Great British (GB) Energy HQ. (GB Energy is expected to become an arm’s-length body of the Department in the future.)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) his Department had with the (i) Scotland Office and (ii) Department for Business and Trade on the application for an English Whisky geographical indication prior to the submission of that application.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The application to register English Whisky as a geographical indication was submitted in February 2022. There are no recorded discussions on the application held with other departments prior to that time.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has identified suitable locations in Aberdeen in which to house the headquarters of GB Energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great British Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, recognising the expertise, skilled workforce, and diversity of projects already in place.

As a Government Property Agency (GPA) onboarded department, DESNZ is pursuing property options through the GPA. Due to the commercial sensitivity of any lease negotiations, specific details cannot be provided at this time.

In the interim, Great British Energy is headquartered in DESNZ’s second headquarters in Aberdeen, Crimon Place, to ensure the organisation can get to work as quickly as possible, not least hosting Great British Energy’s first board meeting on 17 March 2025.

Found: Following the evidence session with the Minister, we wrote to Andrew Bowie MP, UK Government Minister