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 funding his Department provides to the Office for Nuclear Regulation to support collaboration and increased alignment with international regulators.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department provides funding to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to support collaboration and increased alignment with international regulators, through engagement in international fora and directly with regulators in other countries. This activity is funded through a programme to maintain the ONR’s capability and capacity to regulate Advanced Nuclear Technologies. The Department also provides funding to the ONR for their work under the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy to explore streamlining regulation and accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors across UK and US markets.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what level of direct grant funding he provides to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP as the sponsoring body for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), provided a £3.640m grant in 2024/25 to cover activities ONR are not permitted to recover from industry such as fire safety and aspects of transport regulation.
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 Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Scottish stakeholders regarding the Joint Declaration of Intent on the development of an interconnected offshore renewable energy grid.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
In preparation for the North Sea Summit, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero engaged with the UK energy industry, including Scottish companies, on the development of agreements and deliverables. Scottish Power and SSE were amongst the UK companies that attended the Summit in Hamburg on 26 January, where the Joint Declaration was signed.
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.