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 effectiveness of the Contracts for Difference scheme in decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility for household consumers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
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 steps his Department is taking to identify alternative financing models for flexible gas generation that ensure price stability for households and businesses as the grid decarbonises.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
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 he has made an assessment of the potential impacts of different market models on decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of marginal electricity pricing on the Consumer Prices Index since July 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Forecasting the economy, including the impact of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR has not published a specific estimate of the impact of marginal electricity pricing on Consumer Price Index inflation.
The electricity market operates on the principle of marginal cost pricing, where gas-fired generation frequently sets the wholesale price, meaning electricity prices have closely tracked gas prices. This is link is already weakening as more renewable energy comes online. The Government is taking further steps to reduce this link: we will set out plans for legacy low-carbon generators to move onto fixed-price arrangements from 2027, and the Electricity Generator Levy's rate has been increased, and it will be extended beyond its scheduled end date. Further details on these measures will be provided in due course. As reliance on gas falls, electricity prices are expected to be set increasingly by lower-cost generation, including renewables.
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 impact of the marginal pricing mechanism on the revenues of renewable and nuclear electricity generators.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We will bring forward plans later this year to offer legacy low carbon generators the option of fixed price arrangements, with an intention to run an allocation process in 2027. Government will only offer contracts to electricity generators where it represents clear value for money for consumers. Further details will be set out in due course, with plans to consult later this year.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 25% administration reduction target set out in the Regulation Action Plan on the baseline annual compliance costs of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have established a baseline of the annual administrative burden of regulation on UK businesses, including SMEs. As set out in the technical annex to the policy paper ‘A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, we used a pragmatic, top-down approach, building on the previous Administrative Burden Reduction Programme (2005-10), which was based on detailed feedback from businesses, including SMEs, in individual sectors.
Our approach was also informed by DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey, which draws from a large, representative sample of businesses across sectors and sizes to ensure our reforms are targeted effectively.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of sector-specific administrative cost baselines on measuring the 25% reduction in business compliance costs targeted under the Regulation Action Plan.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have established a baseline of the annual administrative burden of regulation on UK businesses, including SMEs. As set out in the technical annex to the policy paper ‘A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, we used a pragmatic, top-down approach, building on the previous Administrative Burden Reduction Programme (2005-10), which was based on detailed feedback from businesses, including SMEs, in individual sectors.
Our approach was also informed by DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey, which draws from a large, representative sample of businesses across sectors and sizes to ensure our reforms are targeted effectively.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking through the Regulation Action Plan to align regulatory frameworks with the Modern Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Industrial Strategy sets out how targeted regulatory reform will support key sectors to unlock investment and increase productivity. This is reinforced by the Regulation Action Plan which aims to tackle the regulatory burden and complexity; reduce uncertainty and challenge risk aversion to drive growth.
This is supported by targeted regulatory reviews in growth-driving sectors. For example, DBT is working with Defra and the Regulatory Innovation Office on a regulatory review of agri-tech as a frontier industry, to help SMEs navigate the regulatory landscape and support farmer adoption. This approach ensures regulation supports innovation and investment while maintaining essential protections.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of autonomous vehicle use on journey times for emergency services and buses, and the level of congestion on hospital access routes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) has regular meetings with the National Police Chiefs Council, Association for Ambulance Chief Executives and the National Fire Chiefs Council alongside frontline officers. This work aims to support the development of processes and protocols to ensure emergency services interacting with automated vehicles are able to perform their duties safely and effectively.
Any impact on local bus or hospital access routes would be a consideration during an application for an Automated Passenger Service (APS) permit and assessed on a case-by-case basis by the local traffic authority.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will set out what support is available to small businesses to strengthen cybersecurity to prevent economic disruption.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Improving the cyber security of our nation's small businesses is critical to the resilience of our wider economy. We recognise many small businesses lack the resources to invest in their cyber security. As such, the government has developed a wide range of free tools, guidance and training to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implement cyber security measures, including the Cyber Action Toolkit which provides SMEs with tailored advice on protecting their business.
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)-certified Cyber Advisors are available to provide advice and guidance on commercial terms and SMEs are eligible for a free 30- minute consultation. Additionally, the government's Cyber Essentials scheme helps all organisations, including SMEs, implement critical cyber security controls, protecting them from most common cyber attacks and provides them with free insurance. All of this information is available on the NCSC website.
More broadly across government, the Home Office funds a network of Cyber Resilience Centres which provide free resources, guidance and training to SMEs to strengthen their cyber security.