Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that electricity pricing structures support private sector investment in zero-emission transport infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Our announcement on Reformed National Pricing in the summer set out a package of reforms that will deliver a more strategic and coordinated approach to the energy system, provide stronger signals for efficient siting of new assets and improve overall operation efficiency. This will support increased investment by industry in the coming years by encouraging market stability, reducing transitional burdens on industry and transport, and providing certainty for investors.
We will continue to work with stakeholders across industry through the development and delivery of these reforms, ensuring that any associated costs with changes to processes are kept to a minimum.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the (a) dates and (b) locations are of each of the radio teleswitch service switch-off phases.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Radio Teleswitch (RTS) signal has been switched off in some carefully targeted localised areas, where suppliers have the capacity to respond quickly in case of any issues.
Industry’s phase out plan is flexible and subject to change, as suppliers must demonstrate to Ofgem and Government that they are sufficiently prepared before they can proceed further.
Suppliers are continuing to contact households with RTS meters to arrange appointments to have them replaced in advance of any switch offs, but are also encouraging consumers to not wait, with over a quarter of a million meters having already been replaced across GB this year. Ofgem has also been contacting local authorities and members of parliament to inform them of planned activity in their area ahead of any switch offs.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
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 a just transition for climate policies on (a) rural areas and (b) Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The transition to net zero is the economic and industrial opportunity of the century. The government's approach is built on fairness and it is committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access the benefits. The upcoming publication of the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan and the Clean Energy Workforce Strategy will outline this approach further. This includes ongoing work supporting both rural and urban communities and working with Devolved Governments to ensure a prosperous and fair transition for all.
In particular, the Clean Energy Workforce Strategy which will set out our approach to upskilling and reskilling the workforce into clean energy roles through initiatives including the Energy Skills Passport, in collaboration with industry. The skills system is delivering training for existing workers looking to retrain or upskill into clean energy.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that climate policies support a just transition for (a) workers and (b) communities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The transition to net zero is the economic and industrial opportunity of the century. The government's approach is built on fairness and it is committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access the benefits. The upcoming publication of the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan and the Clean Energy Workforce Strategy will outline this approach further. This includes ongoing work supporting both rural and urban communities and working with Devolved Governments to ensure a prosperous and fair transition for all.
In particular, the Clean Energy Workforce Strategy which will set out our approach to upskilling and reskilling the workforce into clean energy roles through initiatives including the Energy Skills Passport, in collaboration with industry. The skills system is delivering training for existing workers looking to retrain or upskill into clean energy.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
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 implications for its policies of the Climate Change Committee’s report entitled "Progress in reducing emissions – 2025 report to Parliament”, published on 25 June 2025.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We thank the Climate Change Committee for their report which highlights the significant progress this Government has made to reduce emissions over the past year. We are now considering their recommendations and will respond by October.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts in preparation for COP30.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero engages regularly with his international counterparts on a range of departmental priorities and interests, including on COP30. During London Climate Action Week, for example, he met with counterparts from a range of countries, and he will meet others in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to alert householders of the potential dangers from spray foam insulation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the conditions of government energy efficiency schemes the government does not specify which types of insulation are appropriate for a particular property. They require that each must be assessed individually by a qualified professional to establish what is best on a property-by-property basis.
Any measures fitted under government schemes must be fitted to the highest standards with issues promptly and properly rectified. Installations of any insulation under current Government schemes must be installed in accordance with the PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 standards.
In any instance where insulation is installed improperly under a government-backed scheme, consumers may be entitled to remediation by their installer or, failing that, the insurance-backed guarantee.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
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 people to remove spray foam insulation from their homes.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Any measures fitted under government schemes must be fitted to the highest standards with issues promptly and properly rectified. Consumers are entitled to repair work by the original installer or, failing that, they can use their guarantee provided on installation. TrustMark can support them through this process.
The Government recognises that the consumer protection system that we inherited needs reform, we will press ahead with a sweeping overhaul through the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the total value of community benefit payments from renewable energy infrastructure to communities in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) the Highland Council area in 2024.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
The Scottish Government maintains a public register of projects that includes detailed information on community benefit schemes operating across Scotland.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of biomass generation at Drax Power Station on the environment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.