Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the press release entitled Supporting Grangemouth workers, published on 26 August 2025, how much additional funding has been allocated; and how much and what proportion of that funding has been provided by the (a) UK and (b) Scottish Government.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral contribution, Volume 768, column 142 of 2 June 2025, what is the programme relating to the £120 million worth of military licenses for Israel issued in 2024 for components to support exports of military items from Israeli companies to a single programme for a NATO ally.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have released extensive information on export licences involving Israel, including those that cover components for products for onward export from Israel. This can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel/israel-export-control-licensing-data-31-july-2025. The government does not provide further detailed commentary as individual licences contain commercial and other sensitive information.
Values included on export licence applications represent the maximum value of exports permitted rather than the actual exports under these licences, which may be lower.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Prime Minister discussed the proscription of Palestine Action with President Trump on (a) 10 and (b) 30 March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the read-outs of the discussion with President Trump on 10 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-president-trump-of-the-united-states-10-march-2025) and 30 March (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-president-trump-of-the-united-states-30-march-2025) published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact that the Principles of Process Safety Leadership for the offshore UK Continental Shelf energy industry agreed between the Health and Safety Executive and offshore oil and gas industry representatives on the management of safety critical maintenance programmes at contractor level.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Principles of Process Safety Leadership programme for the offshore UK Continental Shelf energy industry was focused on improving process safety leadership for offshore oil and gas installation operators. Safety critical maintenance programmes at contractor level are managed by these oil and gas operators.
There has been sustained focus on offshore oil and gas operators since the pandemic including an annual request to report to Health and Safety Executive, their overall maintenance backlog position, including deferred workscopes. There has been an improving trend in these backlog numbers over the past four years. An agreed set of industry KPIs is now in place and a Maintenance Backlog Task/Finish Group was established to address the challenges including sharing good practice in the delivery of maintenance work.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which oil and gas (a) duty holders and (b) installations on the UK Continental Shelf were subject to enforcement action by the Health and Safety Executive in relation to the management of safety critical maintenance work in each year between 2022-23 and 2024-25.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As a result of the review of maintenance backlog data and targeted offshore installation and HQ interventions over the recent years Improvement Notices have been served on the following installation operators (for both single and multiple installations). These are accessible on Health and Safety Executives’s enforcement database:
For 2022/23:
Ithaca Alba
Eni Douglas
CNR multiple installations
Perenco multiple installations
Total Gryphon
Harbour Armada
For 2023/24:
Repsol Auk
Total Dunbar
Apache multiple installations
For 2024/25:
Total Culzean
Dana Triton
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
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 replacing domestically refined oil with imported oil at Grangemouth on the UK's balance of payments.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We do not expect a substantial impact as Grangemouth already imported more than 90% of its crude oil in 2023.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with Ineos on the country of origin of the crude oil it intends to import into the Grangemouth refinery.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister 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.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the oil and gas industry on the effectiveness of the industry's processes for developing safety standards for offshore oil and gas workers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister 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.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the oil and gas industry on the effectiveness of the industry's checks for valid safety certification among prospective offshore workers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister 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.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Independent - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what process his Department has for (a) storing and (b) otherwise retaining surveillance footage taken by Royal Air Force planes over Gaza since December 2023.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has policies and protocols which provide direction for the storage and retention of operational intelligence. I am unable to comment further due to operational security.