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Written Question
Energy Bills Rebate
Friday 3rd February 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he expects to issue guidance on the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding to local authorities to enable them to administer the scheme; for what reason that guidance has not been provided to date; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding is due to be launched in February, and local authorities will be provided with guidance ahead of this launch. Based on feedback from the pilot scheme, the Government has taken the decision to extend the pilot phase to ensure that it makes the scheme as robust and effective as possible, and that this is reflected in our guidance to local authorities.


Written Question
UK Infrastructure Bank
Friday 3rd February 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 114600 on UK Infrastructure Bank, what recent discussions his Department has had with the UK Infrastructure Bank on the introduction of concessional loans similar to those made by the German KfW bank to help create a retrofit mass-market.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

BEIS officials have discussed a range of green finance models for retrofit with the UK Infrastructure Bank in recent months. This has included discussion of the concessional loans model delivered by KfW.


Written Question
Energy: Conservation
Friday 3rd February 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2023 to Question 114599 on Energy: Conservation, what his planned timetable is for announcing how the additional £6 billion of new funding for energy efficiency will be allocated.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Almost £3bn is already allocated for Financial Years 2023/24 and 2024/25 on energy efficiency.

This provides funding certainty to the sector ahead of the next Spending Review.

Further details on allocation of the additional funding will follow in due course.


Written Question
Energy Efficiency Taskforce
Friday 13th January 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he will publish further details regarding (a) the Energy Efficiency Taskforce and (b) the 2030 Energy Demand Reduction target, announced in the Autumn Statement.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

More details on the scope and membership of the Taskforce, and also on the Energy Demand Reduction target, will be announced in due course.


Written Question
Energy Charter Treaty
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

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 impact of his proposals for the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty on the transition to a fully decarbonised power sector over the next decade.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The modernised Energy Charter Treaty reaffirms and strengthens Contracting Parties' right to introduce measures for legitimate policy objectives, including to mitigate climate change. It extends the Treaty scope to protect investments in green technologies required for the global energy transition and allow Contracting Parties to phase-out their investment protection for fossil fuels, which the UK opted to do in line with our decarbonisation target.

At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK will continue to monitor the situation surrounding the modernisation process, including positions taken by other Contracting Parties.


Written Question
Energy Charter Treaty
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the press release by his Department entitled UK strengthens protections for taxpayers in energy treaty negotiations, published on 24 June 2022, whether it is his policy to leave the Energy Charter Treaty if the modernisation process is not concluded.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK has been a strong advocate for ECT modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. In light of this, the UK is monitoring developments, including the positions of other Contracting Parties.


Written Question
Energy: Conservation
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the need to establish dedicated apprenticeship opportunities for energy efficiency.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) has convened a Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel to work with employers to align apprenticeships to net zero objectives. A new Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship has been developed and will be available shortly.

Developing a new dedicated apprenticeship for energy efficiency will require an industry Trailblazer Group to work with IFATE. Officials in the Department have had discussions with key bodies from within the insulation industry to understand the appetite to take this forward and will work with any Trailblazer group that is established.


Written Question
Energy: Conservation
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to para 5.6 of the Autumn Statement 2022, published on 17 November 2022, CP 751, what energy efficiency schemes he plans to allocate the £6 billion of new funding to.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s Autumn Statement announced that £6 billion of new funding will be allocated to energy efficiency schemes to make sure homes are warmer and cheaper to heat. Further details on allocation of additional funding will follow in due course.


Written Question
UK Infrastructure Bank
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

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 is taking to help the UK Infrastructure Bank support the development of a market for retrofits.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department has engaged with UK Infrastructure Bank officials over the past 18 months to ensure they are fully appraised of current policy on energy efficiency, and to explore options for how the Bank can play a role in supporting retrofit activity at scale. This includes in the SME, domestic, social housing, and public sectors. Further engagement is scheduled for 2023 to support the Bank’s planning.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Thursday 29th December 2022

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Ofgem regarding enforcing supplier License Conditions when it comes to supporting vulnerable smart meter customers.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

There are clear regulatory obligations on energy suppliers regarding the treatment of vulnerable customers, or those in payment difficulty.

The Government works closely with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure vulnerable customers are protected and supports the steps Ofgem is taking to ensure energy supplier compliance with their obligations, including in response to its Market Compliance Review into customers struggling to with bills.

The energy regulator Ofgem is responsible for ensuring energy suppliers comply with their regulatory obligations.