Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the VAT registration threshold on the UK’s obligations under the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland as amended by the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT policy, including the VAT registration threshold, applies on a UK-wide basis and operates in Northern Ireland in line with the UK’s international obligations under the Windsor Framework.
The VAT registration threshold is consistent with the operation of the Framework.
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 guidance Ofgem provides to electricity network operators on timescales for rectifying infrastructure found to be operating above permitted noise levels.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Noise from electricity network infrastructure is not regulated by Ofgem. Ofgem’s remit covers the economic regulation of network operators and the protection of consumers.
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 discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on the enforcement of noise standards for electricity transmission infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Noise from electricity network infrastructure is not regulated by Ofgem. Ofgem’s remit covers the economic regulation of network operators and the protection of consumers.
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 guidance his Department provides on escalation mechanisms available to communities where an electricity network operator has acknowledged non-compliance with permitted noise levels but remediation has not been delivered.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For operational infrastructure, in England and Wales any noise concerns should be raised to local planning authorities in line with the Environmental Protection Act 1990. You can report an noise nuisance via: Report a noise nuisance to your council - GOV.UK. For Scotland, powers in this act relating to noise and statutory nuisance are devolved to Scottish Government.
In England and Wales where a project meets the threshold for an Environmental Impact Assessment, developers are required to assess and mitigate noise impacts. They are similarly required to do so at the planning stage in accordance with the National Policy Statement EN‑5 and the National Planning Policy Framework.
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 his Department has had with the Scottish Government on its public consultation on Community Benefits which ended in April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government engages regularly with the Scottish Government regarding community benefits.
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 discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on community benefit expectations for renewable energy developments, including the real-terms value of the £5,000 per installed megawatt per year figure referenced in Scottish Government guidance published in 2014.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As the government explores options for community benefits, we have engaged with stakeholders across Great Britain, including the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
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 progress his Department has made since the publication of the working paper Community benefits and shared ownership for low carbon energy infrastructure on 21 May 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is in the process of reviewing responses and intends to publish a response setting out our next steps in due course.
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, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of energy suppliers holding large aggregate customer credit balances on household finances.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The level of customer credit balances held by energy suppliers is a matter for Ofgem, as the independent regulator.
Energy suppliers use credit balances as a way to smooth customer direct debit payments over a year, accounting for seasonal variations in usage. If a customer has concerns about their direct debit or the level of credit balance they should contact their energy supplier.
Under the terms of Ofgem’s Standard Licence Conditions, customers may challenge increased direct debit payment amounts with their supplier and ask the supplier to justify how amounts have been calculated. Suppliers must explain clearly how they reached the figure they want to charge and give the meter readings used.
Customers can ask their supplier to lower monthly direct debit payments to reflect the energy use more accurately and if a customer is concerned about the size of a credit balance on their energy account, they can ask their supplier to refund it.
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 energy suppliers requesting increases to Direct Debit payments from customers who are already in credit on those customers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The level of customer credit balances held by energy suppliers is a matter for Ofgem, as the independent regulator.
Energy suppliers use credit balances as a way to smooth customer direct debit payments over a year, accounting for seasonal variations in usage. If a customer has concerns about their direct debit or the level of credit balance they should contact their energy supplier.
Under the terms of Ofgem’s Standard Licence Conditions, customers may challenge increased direct debit payment amounts with their supplier and ask the supplier to justify how amounts have been calculated. Suppliers must explain clearly how they reached the figure they want to charge and give the meter readings used.
Customers can ask their supplier to lower monthly direct debit payments to reflect the energy use more accurately and if a customer is concerned about the size of a credit balance on their energy account, they can ask their supplier to refund it.
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 discussions his Department has had on the potential impact of debit card payments on levels of customer credit balances.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The level of customer credit balances held by energy suppliers is a matter for Ofgem, as the independent regulator.
Energy suppliers use credit balances as a way to smooth customer direct debit payments over a year, accounting for seasonal variations in usage. If a customer has concerns about their direct debit or the level of credit balance they should contact their energy supplier.
Under the terms of Ofgem’s Standard Licence Conditions, customers may challenge increased direct debit payment amounts with their supplier and ask the supplier to justify how amounts have been calculated. Suppliers must explain clearly how they reached the figure they want to charge and give the meter readings used.
Customers can ask their supplier to lower monthly direct debit payments to reflect the energy use more accurately and if a customer is concerned about the size of a credit balance on their energy account, they can ask their supplier to refund it.