Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy that no offshore energy development projects will take place in the most sensitive marine habitats.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided.
The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the the creation of offshore energy does not harm marine habitats and ecosystems.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided.
The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) The Crown Estate to help ensure that the deployment of offshore energy does not negatively impact the marine environment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided.
The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to consult with sea users on the development of offshore energy projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature.
Through the cross-government Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme (MSPri) we are engaging across government and with marine users to improve our understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location.
The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for marine sectors, to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed as we develop future offshore wind.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to balance the needs of different sea users, in the context of offshore energy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature.
Through the cross-government Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme (MSPri), the Department is engaging across government and with marine users to improve its understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location.
The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for marine sectors, to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed as we develop future offshore wind.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure keeps pace with the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government continues to provide funding to local authorities, small businesses, schools and residential properties to support the installations of tens of thousands of public and domestic electric vehicle chargepoints.
The Government is also making it easier, quicker and cheaper to install chargepoints. In December the Government announced: further changes to planning legislation to facilitate off-street chargepoint installations and to allow the use of street works permits for quicker charger deployment; guidance to help local authorities with cross-pavement charging solutions; and guidance to address common issues around EV infrastructure and grid connections.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 address regional disparities in access to public electric vehicle charging points to ensure equitable access across the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking.
The funding, backed by substantial private investment, will support the installation of tens of thousands of local chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers in every part of the country.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 heat pumps are a viable option for homes and businesses currently off the gas grid.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We expect most off-grid properties will ultimately transition to heat pumps as these are a proven technology.
We are supporting deployment through a range of other policies including supporting growth in the supply chain through the reformed Clean Heat Market Mechanism, investing in new heat pump manufacturing capacity through the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator, and helping installers train up through the Heat Training Grant.
Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme also offers consumers £7,500 in grant funding for a heat pump, enabling consumers to purchase a heat pump at an increasingly comparable price to a gas boiler.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will commission an independent review of alternative renewable energy technologies.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State does not intend to commission a separate independent review of alternative renewable energy technologies. DESNZ monitors new developments through the Net Zero Innovation Programme.
Additionally, since 2012 the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund has received proposals for alternative technologies, which are reviewed independently.
The link to more of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-entrepeneurs-fund
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 oil and gas companies on renewables policy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.