Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has been made of the potential effect on the domestic fuel industry of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
If the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement, supplies of crude oil, fuel, and important chemicals for refineries are expected to remain available through the UK’s diverse supply chains from Europe and the rest of the world.
The Government has been working closely with the fuel industry to minimise the risks from leaving the EU on fuel supplies. The Government also has a long-standing fuel supply contingency programme that includes measures that can be deployed in support of industry to maintain supplies.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when she will publish Government analysis of the potential effect on UK refineries of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government is engaging extensively with the fuel supply industry, as it is with other sectors, to ensure we fully understand and respond to the potential impacts of a Brexit without a withdrawal agreement on the sector. These discussions contain sensitive commercial information that the companies have provided to the Government in confidence and therefore it would not be appropriate to make this information public.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has been made of the potential effect on the domestic fuel industry of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to ensure that the decarbonisation of the power sector continues in line with the UK’s long term climate change targets.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
This Government has been successful in decarbonising the power sector, as demonstrated by the fact that low-carbon technologies now provide over 50% of our power. As a result, the carbon intensity of the power sector has nearly halved over recent years, from 450g CO2/kWh in 2010 to 230g CO2/kWh in 2017.
The Clean Growth Strategy set out our plans to build on our progress in decarbonising the power sector, while looking further across the whole of the economy and the country. It includes ambitious proposals on housing, business, transport, the natural environment and green finance, with actions for departments across Whitehall. We have also we placed Clean Growth at the heart of our Industrial Strategy and made it one of four Grand Challenges to show our commitment to reduce our emissions whilst driving cleaner economic growth.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a coordinated response across Government on tackling climate change.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today, and tackling it is a cross-government priority.
The Clean Growth Inter-Ministerial Group, which brings together ministers from across government, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Clean Growth Strategy and driving ambitious clean growth, decarbonisation and wider environmental policies.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic benefits of a large-scale investment programme to improve the energy efficiency of domestic buildings.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Investment in energy efficiency brings a wide range of economic benefits to households, businesses, society and the energy system as a whole. More efficient homes mean lower energy bills and increased comfort for occupants, the annual running costs of a Band C rated home are £270 lower than the average Band D rated home and £650 lower than the average Band E rated home. There are also benefits through the improved occupant health, the Building Research Establishment has estimated that the cost of cold and damp homes to the NHS is approximately £760 million per year. The energy efficiency industry forms the largest group within the low carbon and renewable energy sector and the UK’s energy efficient product group has a turnover of over £20.7 billion and employs over 140,000 full time equivalents. Energy efficiency can also play a crucial role in meeting our carbon targets at least cost, by helping reduce pressure on energy system as we move towards low carbon electricity and heat. This is why, in the Clean Growth Strategy, we set out our aspiration that as many homes as possible should be Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) delays to and (b) cancellations of nuclear power station developments does not affect the Government's ability to meet its 2050 climate change targets.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
On 27 June, a new, legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 came into force. This will require ambitious action across the economy building on our Clean Growth Strategy. Whether it is through our global offshore wind industry, our leadership on green finance, or our unrivalled research base leading the charge on electric vehicles, we are showing the economic benefits of how cutting emissions can help to grow our economy.
In the power sector, this will mean significant expansion in low carbon electricity generation, with important roles for renewables, carbon capture usage and storage, and nuclear power. We are already taking action to deliver this through the offshore wind sector deal, a commitment to bi-annual allocation of Contracts for Difference for renewable electricity generation with the third allocation round launched on 29 May, the nuclear sector deal, our review of the viability of a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) funding model for new nuclear power stations, and the CCUS action plan. The planned Energy White Paper will set out more detail on the policy framework that supports our ambitions.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental committee to implement the transition to a net zero economy.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today, and tackling it is a cross-government priority.
The Clean Growth Inter-Ministerial Group, which brings together ministers from across government, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Clean Growth Strategy and driving ambitious clean growth, decarbonisation and wider environmental policies.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on (a) finalising the Smart Export Guarantee and (b) providing support for community energy as referred to in the consultation on that guarantee.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
On 10 June we launched the Smart Export Guarantee, which will ensure that small-scale low-carbon generators are paid for the power they export to the grid. The SEG provides space for innovative market solutions to come forward, and supports the uptake of flexible technologies such as batteries - reinforcing our smart energy agenda.
BEIS also supports communities through the Rural Community Energy Fund. This re-opened at the end of May to support communities seeking to develop a wide range of low carbon activities. The £10m fund provides grants to communities for feasibility studies to scope out ideas, and where projects are viable, another grant to help develop the project to investment readiness.
Eligible community projects will be able to benefit from the SEG, however we recognise that it may be more suitable for some projects than others. We are continuing to consider what measures we could take to support the efforts of communities that wish to invest in low-carbon community energy.
Asked by: Antoinette Sandbach (Liberal Democrat - Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of (a) gas meters and (b) smart meters; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Gas meters used for billing must be of an approved design and be accurate. Accuracy limits for smart and ‘traditional’, non-smart meters are identical and set out in legislation.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards manages an annual in-service testing regime to test the accuracy of gas meter types. Testing is undertaken on the basis of sampling and to date all gas meter types sampled have passed.
In the event of a dispute over the accuracy of a meter, the law gives all consumers the right to have their gas meter independently checked and tested. The vast majority of meters tested as a result of consumer dispute are found to be accurate.