Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the University of York publication entitled Who are the fuel poor?, published on 21 March 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Fuel poverty is devolved. In England, the Government continues to work with the Committee on Fuel Poverty and other key stakeholders to understand the most effective ways of tackling fuel poverty, including through regular review of relevant academic research.
We are currently reviewing the fuel poverty strategy for England and will consult on our approach as part of the review.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2023 to Question 193032 onEnergy Charter Treaty, if he will publish all risk assessments held by his Department concerning the UK's membership of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is assessing the evolving situation regarding Energy Charter Treaty modernisation and is considering the views of stakeholders in business, civil society and Parliament. The Government will keep the House informed of relevant developments.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering free energy audits to all households.
Answered by Graham Stuart
We have no current plans to do so.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress his Department has made on increasing the rate of (a) loft and (b) cavity wall insulations.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. An additional £6 billion of new funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.
The recently announced Great British Insulation Scheme aims to upgrade up to 300,000 of the country’s least energy efficient homes as part of a £1 billion energy efficiency programme by March 2026.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department will respond to an email from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton, dated 30 May, on electricity and gas rates for people in social housing.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
I wrote to the hon. Member on 27 June about electricity and gas rates for people in social housing.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2023 to Question 191204 on Energy Charter Treaty, whether a formal risk assessment on the UK's membership of the Energy Charter Treaty is held by his Department.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has continued to assess the impact on relevant Government objectives throughout the Energy Charter Treaty modernisation process. It continues to assess the evolving situation and will keep the House informed of relevant developments.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate he has made of when all residential buildings will be at an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government set out an aspiration in the Clean Growth Strategy for as many homes as possible to reach EPC Band C by 2035 where cost-effective, affordable and practical.
There has been good progress improving the energy efficiency of households. 47% of homes in England have reached the Government’s 2035 target of achieving EPC C levels, up from 14% in 2010.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria his Department uses to determine investment in emerging energy technologies.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government set out the criteria it uses to prioritise investment in emerging net zero technologies in the UK Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework Delivery Plan. These are: i) Maximising UK strategic advantage and developing UK energy security – focusing on the highest potential for UK business opportunities and jobs; ii) Expected contributions to delivering the UK’s carbon budgets and major decarbonisation; iii) Retaining optionality of different net zero pathways – investing in a portfolio of solutions.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of lead times for connecting renewable energy projects to the grid.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)
Years of world-leading green investment has meant network operators have experienced record demand for connections to the electricity network. We have increased the amount of renewable energy connected to the grid more than sixfold since 2010.
Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to release network capacity and improve the connections process, to accelerate connections. Actions already underway by network companies are expected to see a reduction in transmission connection timescales of 2-10 years, for the majority of existing projects. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a joint action plan on accelerating connections this summer.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the adequacy of the planning system for building clean energy projects.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department has been working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on delivering the proposals in the published Action Plan for reforming and speeding up the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project planning process. An important part of these reforms involves updating and strengthening the National Policy Statements for energy. The consultation on the National Policy Statements closed on 23 June and the Government remains on track to present them to Parliament and bring them into effect by the end of 2023.