Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Warm homes and cheaper bills as government accelerates Plan for Change, published on 7 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the upgrading of rented homes to Energy Performance Certificate C on housing supply.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030 and was accompanied by the Department’s impact assessment. The assessment makes clear that we are unable to quantify the extent to which this will impact the supply of properties, as landlords may take different approaches and the policy is not yet finalised. The consultation closed on the 2nd May and we are currently reviewing responses and supporting evidence. Following this, a government response and further impact assessment will be published.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43313 on Energy: Land Use, what definition he uses for the most appropriate areas, in that context.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 15th May 2025 NESO published their methodology for the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), which includes details of how they will identify optimal locations, types and quantities of energy generation and storage infrastructure.
This can be found on the NESO website https://www.neso.energy/news/milestone-reached-first-blueprint-great-britains-future-energy-infrastructure .
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46114 on Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme: Finance, what the projected decrease in the annual funding is in the next five years.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Funding arrangements for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in future financial years will be confirmed following the current Spending Review.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed East Park energy solar park on (a) local and (b) national energy bills.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The East Park Energy project is current at the pre-application stage and is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by September 2025: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010141. This stage of the planning process, including the pre-application consultation process, is developer led.
In taking the decision on any development consent application, I follow the relevant requirements in the Planning Act 2008 and have regard to all relevant matters.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, at what stage the nationally significant infrastructure project application for the East Park Energy Solar Park from Brockwell Storage and Solar is at.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The East Park Energy project is currently at the pre-application stage and is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by September 2025: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010141
Brockwell Storage and Solar recently consulted on their detailed plans for East Park Energy as part of a statutory consultation, which ran between 24 September and 29 October 2024: https://eastparkenergy.co.uk/our-proposals/
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the total acreage of land is within active applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects that are solar farms.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This information can be found on the Planning Inspectorate website.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many job vacancies were being advertised by Great British Energy as of 1 April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I can confirm that as of 1 April 2025 there were sixteen vacancies advertised by Great British Energy.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 48217 on Great British Energy: Staff, from which budget Great British Energy (a) staff and (b) non-executive directors are remunerated; and what their individual remuneration totals are.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) was allocated £11.1 million for 2024/25, and £25 million in 2025/26 for set up costs. Salaries are paid from these budgets which are managed by DESNZ whilst GBE is being established.
DESNZ senior and junior roles and salaries are published every quarter on data.gov.uk, including those assigned to GBE. The most recent publication was 28 April 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 48217 on Great British Energy: Staff, whether the employees listed were the only employees of Great British Energy as of 20 April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To ensure Great British Energy can begin delivering quickly once the parliamentary process has been completed, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has taken steps to assign resource including the appointment of Juergen Maier to the role of start-up chair for Great British Energy, Dan McGrail as interim CEO, and five start-up non-executive directors. Additional DESNZ resource has been assigned to Great British Energy, focusing on a small number of essential roles.
Once Great British Energy is formally established by the Bill, work will begin to fully resource Great British Energy.
DESNZ senior and junior roles are published every quarter on data.gov.uk, including those assigned to GBE. The most recent publication was 28 April 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the grid connections between the proposed new town at Tempsford and the Eaton Socon sub-station to facilitate a new town.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem regulates the network companies to ensure they are investing to operate, maintain and upgrade electricity infrastructure. For the next transmission and distribution network price controls, Ofgem has identified the need for significant investment in new capacity to transform Great Britain’s electricity networks to support clean power and economic growth. Ofgem published their Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) policy framework decision on 2 April and RESPs will feed into planning by Distribution Network Operators to guide network planning decisions and ensure strategic investment in capacity for local areas, like Tempsford.