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.
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 his Department has made of potential excess profits in the energy sector.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
In the retail energy sector Ofgem has designed the energy price cap on household default tariffs so that retail prices include a modest allowance for profit. The non-domestic supply sector doesn’t have a price cap as there has been no evidence to date of excessive profits, and prices are determined based on individual supply contracts. Ofgem is carrying out a review of the business energy supply market.
The Energy Profits Levy is a temporary 35% surcharge on exceptional profits and comes on top of 40% headline tax rate applied to profits from UK oil and gas production, bringing the overall combined tax rate to 75%.
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 20 December 2022 to Question 105545 on Energy Charter Treaty, whether his Department has undertaken a risk assessment on the UK's membership of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK has been an advocate for modernising the Energy Charter Treaty, recognising the need to align it with modern energy priorities, international treaty practice and commitments on climate change.
Since the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty has been postponed, the Government has been assessing the situation in order to respond appropriately, and will keep the House informed of 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, whether his Department plans to review the UK's membership of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is assessing the situation regarding Energy Charter Treaty modernisation and will keep the House informed of 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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a universal basic energy allowance.
Answered by Graham Stuart
No assessments have been made. The Energy Price Guarantee is providing support to households by reducing the amount charged per unit of gas or electricity until the end of June 2023 to an equivalent of £2,500 per year for a typical household, then increasing to £3,000 per year for a typical household until March 2024. In addition, with the Energy Bills Support Scheme the Government has covered nearly half a typical household’s energy bill with a typical household saving around £1,500.
The Government has committed to consult on a new approach as it explores possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024.
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, how many locations in the North Sea which the UK has licensed for oil and gas (a) exploration and (b) extraction overlap with (i) Marine Protected Areas and (ii) the Arctic region as defined by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The environmental impact of proposed offshore oil and gas developments is subject to rigorous regulatory assessment by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), including a full environmental impact assessment and consultation with statutory nature protection bodies and the public.
The North Sea Transition Authority has published an interactive map of where oil and gas licences are on the UK Continental Shelf which can be found here.
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 he has made of the potential impact of allowing new oil and gas (a) licenses and (b) developments on the (i) health of Marine Protected Areas and (ii) target to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has undertaken an Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (OESEA4) of a draft plan for licensing and leasing areas for future offshore energy developments including offshore oil and gas, in relevant waters of the UK Continental Shelf. In advance of any licence award, a further Habitats Regulations and Marine Protected Area/Marine Conservation Zone Assessment will be undertaken.
Development proposals for offshore oil and gas are dealt with by the relevant regulators; the North Sea Transition Authority and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED). As part of the regulatory process, OPRED considers the Environmental Impact Assessment for development proposals to ensure the impact on the environment, including marine protected areas is taken into account.
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 it is his policy to join the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK is not a member and has no plans to join the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.
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 steps he is taking to (a) enable and (b) promote community energy projects.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government’s approach to community energy is set out in the Net Zero Strategy. This includes re-establishing the Community Energy Contact Group to provide a dedicated forum to discuss the role that community energy can play in the delivery of net zero with the sector. The approach also includes support for community energy projects from Ofgem, which welcomes applications from the sector to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.
The Government is supporting local authorities and community energy groups to work together to develop projects within UK Growth Funding schemes.
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 27 April 2023 to Question 182401 on Students: Cost of Living, if he will make an estimate of the number of landlords in the private rented sector who passed on energy price support to tenants.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
No such estimate has been made. Landlords who pay for their tenants’ energy costs must pass on the financial discount they have received from the Government’s energy support schemes, for example, where a landlord charges their tenant an all-inclusive monthly payment that consists of rent and energy costs.