Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with Ofgem regarding the designation of Great British Energy as a supplier of last resort, to strengthen market stability and protect consumers from future supplier failures.
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: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 role of Great British Energy, including through a retail arm, in delivering a social tariff or national energy guarantee to support households facing high energy costs.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) as the government’s publicly owned energy development company is designed to deliver strategic, long-term investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure. GBE is a key part of the Government’s mission to deliver clean power by 2030 to protect billpayers from volatile international fossil fuel markets by increasing domestic energy production and bring down energy bills for good.
Whilst GBE has been set up to participate in the production, distribution, storage and supply of clean energy there are currently no plans for it to have a retail arm.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to provide support for rural households to switch renewable liquid heating fuels in the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For most off-grid properties, decarbonising heat will involve installing a heat pump. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants offer £7,500 for heat pumps, and £5,000 for biomass boilers in specific rural cases.
The government recognises that renewable liquid fuels (RLFs) could play a role in heating. We expect sustainable biomass, a limited resource, to be prioritised where there are fewer alternatives to decarbonisation. RLFs are also more expensive to use than other heating solutions. The government continues to review evidence on the affordability and availability of sustainable feedstocks for RLFs.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not offer paid time off work specifically for kinship care. However, the Department does offer unpaid carer’s leave and both paid and unpaid special leave for employees who have caring responsibilities for dependants, either family or friends, which can include kinship.