Brian Leishman

The UK government considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and is clear that goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from tariff and trade preferences under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. This will not change with an updated UK-Israel FTA. We advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering, as is our commitment to international law. We respect the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are carefully considering the Court’s advisory opinion.

The Government does not comment on future sanctions measures, as to do so would reduce their impact.

The UK government considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from tariff and trade preferences under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer. We routinely update our guidance to British businesses on the Overseas Business Risk website and advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region.

The Government is committed to the protection of workers’ rights and is delivering an ambitious set of reforms to ensure workplace rights are fit for a modern economy, empower working people, and contribute to economic growth. Whether workers are covered by UK employment law is dependent upon the worker establishing a sufficient connection to Great Britain. The Government will give further consideration to the issue raised in due course.

UK Export Finance’s (UKEF’s) support for the INEOS Project One plant secures new export opportunities for the UK by enabling an overseas buyer to finance the purchase of goods, services and/or intangibles from UK suppliers.

As the UK’s export credit agency, UKEF’s mission is to advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer.

Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers, and other chemical hydrogen storage, is a nascent technology that the Government has previously supported through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

As the Government considers geological storage to be the most strategic value to the hydrogen economy in the near-term, this will be the focus of the Hydrogen Storage Business Model. The Government will however continue to review technological developments and in the long-term, a mix of storage technologies with complementary characteristics may be required to support the development of the hydrogen economy.

Whilst chemical storage technologies such as liquid organic hydrogen carriers may have a role to play, such as for users with limited access to large-scale storage, there are no plans to include this type of storage in the initial allocation of the storage business model.

The business model focus on large-scale geological storage is because we consider this type of storage essential to establishing the UK’s first regional hydrogen network as it can provide greater storage capacity and best support energy security. This type of storage is unlikely to be built without government support.

Government continues to develop its evidence base on the costs of hydrogen storage and consider the potential role of using hydrogen storage across the hydrogen value chain. The previous Government’s Hydrogen Transport and Storage Cost Report (2023) includes a comparative assessment of the expected levelised cost of above ground and geological storage. The International Energy Agency’s Global Hydrogen Review (2023) includes an assessment of the potential levelised cost of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers used for international trade.

Government continues to consider a range of potential hydrogen carriers, including Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs), and their role in the transport, storage and trade of hydrogen. While we cannot comment on the contents of the Hydrogen Strategy ahead of its publication, we welcome further evidence and engagement from stakeholders on the strategic potential of LOHCs.

The extension of the Grangemouth Training Guarantee to support INEOS Olefins & Polymers shared services employees directly affected by the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery builds on support put in place earlier this year for Grangemouth refinery workers. This brings the total projected investment in the Grangemouth Training Guarantee from UK and Scottish Governments up to £2 million. The Grangemouth Training Guarantee is a joint project between UK and Scottish Governments and both governments will provide equal funding.

We are working closely with Forth Valley College who will mapping workers skills and qualifications, and training needs to identify and deliver re/upskilling support and training. UK and Scottish Governments will use the findings of the Training Need Analysis to fund the delivery of training. Final costs are dependent on the outcome of the Training Need Analysis.

We do not expect a substantial impact as Grangemouth already imported more than 90% of its crude oil in 2023.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

We intend to manage the North Sea in a way that ensures a fair, orderly and prosperous transition, with no community left behind. We have already launched Great British Energy, begun the biggest ever investment in offshore wind, and are moving ahead with new North Sea industries like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen. The UK has a highly skilled oil and gas workforce, with high transferability of skills to these new roles. We have also created the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to ensure that clean energy jobs are abundant, high-quality, fairly paid, and have good working conditions.

Petroineos is a private company – a joint venture between PetroChina and INEOS. We have worked closely with the company and with the Scottish Government to understand the financial challenges facing the Grangemouth refinery. Petroineos’ shareholders have invested more than $1.2bn since 2011 to maintain the refinery’s safe operation, recording losses in excess of $775m during the same period. The Government pushed the company to continue refining for as long as possible however the company made clear that there was no viable commercial future for the refinery operation, which it will now convert to an import terminal.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Grangemouth refinery is a private business owned by Petroineos. Petroineos stated that its shareholders have invested more than $1.2bn since 2011 to maintain the refinery’s safe operation, recording losses in excess of $775m during the same period. The company made clear that there was no viable commercial future for the refinery operation at Grangemouth.

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.

Yes, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does provide subsidies and other financial assistance to types of energy production in the UK.

It is deeply disappointing to learn that Petroineos has confirmed its previous decision to close the oil refining operation at Grangemouth. All of my thoughts are with the workers and their families and the wider Grangemouth community.

The Grangemouth site will now convert to an import terminal. Imports are already part of the UK’s diverse and resilient energy mix. Since 2013, the UK has been a net importer of refined products, with imports accounting for 51% of UK demand for all petroleum products in 2023. Grangemouth refinery already imported almost all of its crude oil supply: it only received 13% of its crude oil supply from the North Sea via the Forties Pipeline in 2022.

Scotland already imports fuel via other sites, which is sold at competitive prices, so we do not expect imports via the Grangemouth site to impact road fuel prices in Scotland nor across the UK.

The import, acquisition, supply and delivery of Russian oil and oil products into the UK has been banned since 5 December 2022, with the last cargo of primary oils arriving from Russia in October 2022 and finished products in November 2022. (Energy Trends Table 3.14). All importers of oil and oil products into the UK must provide proof of origin to demonstrate that goods are not of Russian origin to enforcement authorities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that third countries are not used by Russia to evade sanctions and will continue to keep sanctions under review.

As per my answer of 8 October, since taking office, the Secretary of State and I have taken joint action with the Scottish Government to urgently engage with the company and its shareholders. This included discussions with PetroChina and INEOS, the shareholders.

It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos confirmed its previous decision to close the oil refining operation at Grangemouth. We stand with the workers at this difficult time and worked closely with the Scottish Government to announce a joint £100 million investment plan to support the Falkirk and Grangemouth community.

Grangemouth is important to the fuel supply of Scotland, and Petroineos will now convert the refinery into an import terminal to continue to provide a secure and flexible fuel supply. Alongside the Scottish Government, we have also invested £1.5 million into Project Willow to find a viable long-term future for the site in clean energy.

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the changes to the level of emissions from shipping.

It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos confirmed its previous decision to close the oil refining operation at Grangemouth. We stand with the workers at this difficult time and worked closely with the Scottish Government to announce a joint £100 million investment plan to support the Falkirk and Grangemouth community.

Grangemouth is important to the fuel supply of Scotland, and Petroineos will now convert the refinery into an import terminal to continue to provide a secure and flexible fuel supply. Alongside the Scottish Government, we have also invested £1.5 million into Project Willow to find a viable long-term future for the site in clean energy.

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the changes to the level of emissions from shipping.

It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos confirmed its previous decision to close the oil refining operation at Grangemouth. We stand with the workers at this difficult time and worked closely with the Scottish Government to announce a joint £100 million investment plan to support the Falkirk and Grangemouth community.

Grangemouth is important to the fuel supply of Scotland, and Petroineos will now convert the refinery into an import terminal to continue to provide a secure and flexible fuel supply. Alongside the Scottish Government, we have also invested £1.5 million into Project Willow to find a viable long-term future for the site in clean energy.

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the changes to the level of emissions from shipping.

It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos confirmed its previous decision to close the oil refining operation at Grangemouth. We stand with the workers at this difficult time and worked closely with the Scottish Government to announce a joint £100 million investment plan to support the Falkirk and Grangemouth community.

Grangemouth is important to the fuel supply of Scotland, and Petroineos will now convert the refinery into an import terminal to continue to provide a secure and flexible fuel supply. Alongside the Scottish Government, we have also invested £1.5 million into Project Willow to find a viable long-term future for the site in clean energy.

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the changes to the level of emissions from shipping.

It was deeply disappointing that Petroineos confirmed its previous decision to close the oil refining operation at Grangemouth.

Since taking office, the Secretary of State and I have taken joint action with the Scottish Government to urgently engage with the company and its shareholders, leaving no stone unturned to find an industrial future for the site.

In response to the company’s decision, the UK and Scottish Governments announced a joint £100 million investment package for Falkirk and Grangemouth; immediate career support to help the workforce; and a joint-funded £1.5 million project to find viable long-term options for the site, with potential for future support from the National Wealth Fund.