Angus MacDonald

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17^th September 2024 to question 4955.

Seasonal businesses in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire can benefit from a range of British Business Bank programmes for example, through the Start Up Loans programme, in addition, the Investment Fund for Scotland also provides debt and equity funding to businesses across Scotland to help them grow and invest.

The BBB's website hosts a 3-step Finance Finder that can help businesses understand the options available to them, while Help to Grow: Management provides practical training to enhance small business productivity and growth.

This government regularly engages with stakeholders including the Federation of Small Businesses to discuss the potential impacts of relevant policies.

In taking difficult decisions to address issues with public finances, the Government increased employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) while lowering the per-employee threshold. Government has protected small businesses by raising the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. Consequently, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs this year, and over half will gain or see no change. While addressing fiscal challenges, the measure will help to alleviate the burden on the smaller businesses.

The UK continues to support the protection of human rights in Colombia, including by improving access to justice, protecting human rights defenders and promoting media freedom.

The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) includes binding investment protection provisions which protect both UK and Colombian investors against unfair and discriminatory treatment, and expropriation without adequate compensation. These commitments do not remove a government’s right to regulate in the public interest, nor its obligations to comply with other commitments, including with respect to human rights.

Products containing ethylene glycol can only be placed on the market if they are safe. This includes meeting any legal requirements on the concentration within that product so that it is at a level that is safe for both humans and the environment. I have not held, and do not plan to hold, specific discussions with manufacturers at this time.

The Government funds the Citizens Advice Consumer Service in England and Wales, providing impartial advice on a range of consumer issues, including buying online. In Scotland, where consumer advice and advocacy are devolved, a similar service is provided by Advice Direct Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government.

The Government does not hold this information centrally.

As tariffs are a commercial matter for suppliers, the Government is unable to comment on individual tariffs offered by energy suppliers.

Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable tariffs for their customers, and to ensure that they inform affected customers of any changes to the cost of their energy. The Department and Ofgem have been clear with suppliers that we expect consumers to be switched to a similar or equivalent tariff and should not face detriment due to switching from an RTS meter.

Ofgem has consulted on plans to ensure that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide a similar energy tariff to their customers once their RTS meter is replaced. Ofgem will make further announcements on this in due course.

Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable tariffs for their customers, and to ensure that they inform affected customers of any changes to the cost of their energy. The Department and Ofgem have been clear with suppliers that we expect consumers to be switched to a similar or equivalent tariff and should not face detriment due to switching from an RTS meter.

Ofgem has consulted on plans to ensure that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide a similar energy tariff to their customers once their RTS meter is replaced. Ofgem will make further announcements on this in due course.

The Government published an impact assessment in early 2024 as part of the consultation on proposed support options for large scale biomass generators, including Drax.

This assessment was consistent with the views of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which recognise that bioenergy can play a significant role in decarbonising economies, provided that policies are in place to mitigate the use of unsustainable biomass.

The Government only provides support for biomass sourced from sustainably managed forests, and biomass generators must comply with local air quality requirements as part of their environmental permits.

On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The government recognises that community benefit funding from renewable energy infrastructure creates opportunities for long term investment into host communities, and the government believes that funding packages will have the most impact if they can be tailored to the community’s preferences and priorities. The working paper intends to gather insight on how prescriptive the government should be on how funds can be used, and any other factors that should be considered in order to maximise their impact.

At present, the provision of community benefits in Great Britain is voluntary . In Scotland, developers are strongly encouraged to provide community benefits in line with the Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles.

The government is, currently exploring mandating community benefits as we believe that where communities host this low carbon infrastructure they should benefit and the proposals were set out in the working paper the government published on 21 May.

Under voluntary or mandatory schemes, the process should be community led and the fund tailored to local priorities so that the impact can be maximized.

Communities close to clean energy infrastructure should benefit from it. Offshore wind developers have established community benefit packages, and via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government has published guidance on community funds and direct benefits in the form of bill discounts.

The Government has recently asked for views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain and will respond in due course.

The government believes community fund packages will have the most impact if they can be tailored to the community’s preferences and priorities. The process should be community led and decisions on how community benefit funds are spent should rest with the community. This may include, for example, new school clubs, new bus routes, investment in biodiversity or local insulation.

In developing the government’s policy on community benefits, we have undertaken a review of international best practices to ensure our approach is effective and well-informed. This has included consideration of the Offshore Renewable Energy Support Scheme/Renewable Electricity Support Scheme in Ireland and other international examples.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK

The Department does not hold data on the value of community benefits payments made by onshore and offshore renewables across Great Britain. Community benefit schemes are administered by the projects themselves and provided voluntarily. We have however, recently publishing a Working Paper on mandatory community benefits and responses to this will help inform our evidence base.

On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would require developers to contribute a set amount to a community fund. The working paper intends to gather insight into what level of benefit is appropriate and how best this is calculated. The government will need to consider the impact on operational costs for developers of infrastructure, impacts on bills, and meaningful level of benefit for communities.

The government maintains regular engagement with key industry and community stakeholders across the country, which continues to inform policy development.

On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would require developers to contribute a set amount to a community fund. The working paper intends to gather insight into what level of benefit is appropriate and how best this is calculated. The government will need to consider the impact on operational costs for developers of infrastructure, impacts on bills, and meaningful level of benefit for communities.

The government maintains regular engagement with key industry and community stakeholders across the country, which continues to inform policy development.

On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would require developers to contribute a set amount to a community fund. The working paper intends to gather insight into what level of benefit is appropriate and how best this is calculated. The government will need to consider the impact on operational costs for developers of infrastructure, impacts on bills, and meaningful level of benefit for communities.

The government maintains regular engagement with key industry and community stakeholders across the country, which continues to inform policy development.

On 21 May, the government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The paper seeks views on the proposed introduction of a mandatory community benefit scheme in Great Britain, which would require developers to contribute a set amount to a community fund. The working paper intends to gather insight into what level of benefit is appropriate and how best this is calculated. The government will need to consider the impact on operational costs for developers of infrastructure, impacts on bills, and meaningful level of benefit for communities.

The government maintains regular engagement with key industry and community stakeholders across the country, which continues to inform policy development.

The Government’s 'minded to' position of bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years for those living up to 500m from new and significantly upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure aims to ensure communities are recognised for living within proximity of new infrastructure.

Heat policy is devolved to Scotland, the Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. We will partner with devolved governments to roll out this plan.

Further support for energy efficiency measures and clean heating systems, including heat pumps, in Scotland is available on the Home Energy Scotland webpage [https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/].

DESNZ has stepped in to ensure there will be a managed and more controlled start of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) phase out from 30 June. People with an RTS meter will not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water at the end of the month.

We urge any customers yet to arrange a replacement for their RTS meter to get in touch with their supplier as soon as possible.

The Department and Ofgem have been clear that they expect energy suppliers to promptly arrange suitable replacement metering solutions for their remaining RTS customers.

Suppliers should sufficiently resource themselves to ensure they have installer workforce capacity to replace RTS meters in rural and remote areas including Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire. This could involve measures such as deploying roaming teams of installers in areas with low installer capacity.

Ofgem has consulted on plans to ensure that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide an energy tariff that leaves all their customers ‘no worse off’ than before once their RTS meter is replaced.

Ofgem and the Department have been clear that they expect suppliers to arrange a suitable replacement metering solution for their RTS customers in a timely manner ahead of the switch off.

In the few circumstances where a Wide Area Network (WAN) connection cannot currently be established, pre-configured smart meters can be installed in households with RTS meters. A pre-configured smart meter operates in a similar way to an analogue meter, recording energy usage accurately, and can provide a similar service to what former RTS customers are used to, including delivering electricity tariffs such as Economy 7 or Economy 10.

The Department and Ofgem have been clear that they expect energy suppliers to promptly arrange suitable replacement metering solutions for their remaining RTS customers.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is examining options for premises not currently able to get smart metering network coverage as part of its Future Connectivity strategy, which includes a range of technical solutions.

Where an RTS household does not currently receive coverage, energy suppliers can provide pre-configured smart meters, which operate like analogue meters, until a WAN connection can be established.

The Department and Ofgem have been clear that they expect energy suppliers to promptly arrange suitable replacement metering solutions for their remaining RTS customers.

Suppliers should sufficiently resource themselves to ensure they have installer workforce capacity to replace RTS meters in rural and remote areas. This could involve measures such as deploying roaming teams of installers in areas with low installer capacity.

Ofgem has consulted on new licence conditions which will seek to ensure consumers are treated fairly and have an alternative metering arrangement following the cessation of RTS.

The Department attends the Industry Taskforce on the Radio Teleswitch Service, which was convened by Ofgem last year and is led by Energy UK. The Taskforce’s Call to Action in October 2024 highlighted that energy suppliers should fast-track meter upgrades to RTS customers, particularly prioritising vulnerable customers, ahead of the switch-off.

Ofgem has also consulted on plans to introduce new RTS specific licence conditions for energy suppliers. These propose that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide an energy tariff that leaves all their customers ‘no worse off’ than before once their RTS meter is replaced.

The Government is determined to cut bills as far and as fast as we can.

In October 2023, independent experts modelled the effect of a clean power system on electricity bills. Based on the latest renewable generation costs available at the time, they found electricity bills could be up to £300 cheaper by 2030 when compared with the cost of electricity in July-September 2023, which was higher than today’s levels.

The independent NESO set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and confirmed it was deliverable, more secure, and could see a lower cost of electricity, and lower bills.

The Government is supportive of electricity suppliers offering tariffs which incentivise consumers, including electric vehicle owners, to consume energy at off peak times, as this benefits all consumers by reducing the need for additional grid capacity.

The Government continues to work with Ofgem to ensure that tariffs, such as Economy 7 tariffs used by households with storage heaters, are priced fairly. This includes ensuring there is an appropriate price cap for Economy 7 tariffs.

Government is committed to ensuring that communities who live near clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits. This includes publishing guidance on community funds this quarter, which will set out government’s expectations for communities living near to electricity transmission network infrastructure.

The guidance aims to balance the need for consistency without being overly prescriptive and unintentionally omitting projects or infrastructure where communities should be entitled to benefits.

We aim to publish this guidance in due course.

As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels (RLHF) are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions

However, the Government recognise that RLHFs could play a limited role in decarbonising heat off the gas grid.

The Energy Company Obligation delivers household energy efficiency retrofits across Great Britain. Subject to eligibility, these retrofits may include measures such as heating controls, insulation, or improvements to legacy heating systems.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme supports property owners in England and Wales with grants up to £7,500, to replace fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps and biomass boilers, with property owners in Scotland supported via the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme.

The Home Upgrade Grant supports lower-income households off the gas grid, and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant, support social housing providers and tenants, and lower-income homeowners.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. As of 1^st of January 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 73,334 publicly available charging devices (including 14,448 rapid charging devices).

The matter is devolved to the Scottish Government. In England, the Government is also delivering the £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund which supports local authorities to work with industry to significantly transform the availability of affordable public chargepoints across the country, including in rural and remote areas. At least 100,000 new public charging points are planned to be installed in England by local authorities under the fund.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is required to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of communications network coverage for Great Britain beyond its currently provisioned minimum level of 99.25%. To enable the DCC to increase network coverage, the Department has recently consulted upon and indicated its intention to proceed with changes to the regulatory framework that will support implementation of the DCC’s Virtual Wide Area Network solution. The necessary funding for this, including in rural areas, is provided for by the energy industry, as is the case with other smart metering costs.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does not collect data on the potential impact of levels of fuel poverty on levels of excess deaths.

The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS.

DESNZ has multiple targeted schemes delivering energy efficiency measures to low-income and fuel poor households and provides bill support to eligible low-income households through the Warm Home Discount.