Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the financial resources of an unrelated co-tenant has any bearing on a vulnerable individual's entitlement to energy bill assistance.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Warm Home Discount provides eligible low-income households with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. In England and Wales, eligible households must receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance and they (or their partner) must be named on the electricity account. The financial resources of an unrelated co-tenant are not taken into account. Eligibility rules for other Government support schemes may differ from those for the Warm Home Discount, and entitlement is determined in accordance with the specific criteria established for each scheme.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will commission an independent feasibility study into alternative ownership models for water companies.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is considering a range of options to improve how the water sector serves customers and the environment. We will set out plans for stronger public control and wider sector reform in our 10-year plan later this year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to introduce an automatic or preventative protection from energy prices rises for severely disabled and medically vulnerable households.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is very aware of the cost-of-living pressures faced by households. The Government has removed VAT from electricity bills to give households immediate breathing space. This is in addition to removing £150 of costs off energy bills since April, and the extension of the Warm Home Discount, which benefits around 6 million households each winter, through to 2030/2031. The Government is also investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan, the largest home-upgrade programme in British history, to improve homes, reduce energy costs and help lift one million families out of fuel poverty by 2030

The Government recognises some households face additional specific challenges, such as medical needs.

As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government is exploring how to enable referrals from the health sector to prescribe a warmer home for those who need it.

One of the biggest practical barriers to providing more targeted support is the availability of the right data. The National Data Library Kickstarter is a valuable addition to this work.

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 Competition and Markets Authority's document entitled Heating oil market study: Final report, published on 15 July 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the permanent regulation of the domestic heating-oil market, including protections for vulnerable customers.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October, and plans to strengthen regulations in the market for the first time, making sure households who use heating oil are treated fairly.

This will include developing options for a proportionate regulatory regime for the heating oil market, which will take time to get right, to ensure the best outcomes for all consumers, including the most vulnerable households. In the meantime, we will work with industry to strengthen consumer protection measures in existing Codes of Conduct, which set rules for the sector.

This is a clear indication of government’s commitment to create a fairer, more resilient and trusted heating oil market, which delivers stronger protections including those for vulnerable consumer, while preserving competition and security of supply.

A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has considered the potential merits of a vulnerable-customer scheme for heating-oil users to identify and protect people with significant disability or medical vulnerability before an emergency occurs.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is keeping a range of options for targeted energy cost support under review as part of its contingency planning, including for households in vulnerable circumstances who rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat.

The Government has provided £27 million of targeted support for low-income households in England who heat their homes with oil, through the Crisis and Resilience Fund and delivered via local authorities. Vulnerable households facing immediate financial difficulty should contact their local authority to see what support may be available.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also found clear gaps in protections for heating oil users, including support for vulnerable consumers. The Government is considering the CMA’s recommendations carefully and will continue to engage with industry, consumer bodies and devolved administrations to ensure heating oil customers are treated fairly.

The Government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13^th October’ and add the relevant links A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mechanisms in the consumer heating oil market, including price protection and price-smoothing, to limit the potential impact of extreme short-term price increases caused by international conflicts on consumers.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This government is determined to ensure consumers reliant on heating oil are treated fairly and better protected, including during times of international volatility.

The CMA found that recent increases in heating oil prices were largely driven by higher wholesale costs rather than a lack of competition or excessive profits.

The government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October, confirming it will take forward proposals to introduce stronger regulations for the first time, and agreeing with the CMA that we will not be replicating the gas and electricity price cap. Instead, we will focus on a programme of reform to strengthening consumer protections.

However, this government does recognise the impact that heating oil price increases has had on households, which is why we took action to introduce over £50m of support to help with costs. Households can access immediate support from their local authority through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK

For those considering alternatives to oil heating, the Government is supporting the installation of low-carbon heating through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. A time-limited higher grant of £9,000 is available to the end of March 2027 for eligible off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or LPG heating systems, helping households and small businesses most exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices to switch to low-carbon heating.

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Improvements to and funding for Hertfordshire’s SEND service

Found: : transitional provisions HC 1629 6th Influencing Code of Conduct investigations HC 1571 5th Charlie Maynard

The Committee are launching an inquiry into the UK export support system. The inquiry examines whether the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade alongside UK Export Finance:

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Entrepreneurs are vital to driving growth, innovation, competition, productivity and job creation, across the country and across communities.