Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to implement resilience recommendations 3 and 4 within the Storm Arwen electricity distribution disruption review, published on 9 June 2022.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C), of which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is a member, is responsible for implementing actions set out in the Storm Arwen Review Final Report. This follows successful practice following previous reviews with cooperation with industry partners, as appropriate.
Oversight by officials of BEIS will be achieved through a newly established Storm Arwen Implementation Steering Group to ensure timely and effective delivery of these actions.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support companies to facilitate the creation of new civil nuclear power in Scotland.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government’s goal is to have a domestic nuclear market that maximises commercial opportunities in all parts of the UK including Scotland. The Government is committed to ensuring that all of the UK supply chain has the opportunity to compete for high-value contracts, that new nuclear developers share supply chain information with industry early, and to creating the right environment for UK companies to prepare to bid for these opportunities including Scotland. Companies from across the UK have an integral role to play in the creation of new nuclear power and the Government is focussed on supporting them to do so. Scotland has an excellent civil nuclear tradition, and the Government wants to see that continue.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding the Government (a) has provided and (b) is planning to allocate to offshore wind projects in Scotland.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK is a world leader in the deployment of offshore wind and development in Scottish waters, as supported through the Contracts for Difference Scheme and the Renewables Obligation Certificate. The Crown Estate Scotland’s recently announced “ScotWind” seabed leasing round, which released almost 25GW of additional capacity in Scottish waters, including 15GW of floating offshore wind. This places Scotland in a good position to continue benefitting from the growth of offshore wind into the 2030s and beyond.
To continue to capitalise on this booming sector, the Government is investing up to £160 million for new large-scale floating offshore wind ports and factories. This funding, boosted by private sector investment, will develop industrial capacity capable of mass-producing floating offshore wind turbines and installing them out at sea, creating thousands of new jobs in the UK’s industrial heartlands. This investment also presents huge opportunities for Scotland’s coastal communities as well as communities up and down the UK, and will build on Scotland's lead as a technology hub for offshore wind.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase network resiliency in response to Storm Arwen.
Answered by Greg Hands
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned a post-incident review into Storm Arwen to identify lessons and best practice for system resilience, consumer protection and additional response support. The terms of reference are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storm-arwen-electricity-distribution-disruption-review.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with the devolved Administrations on electricity network infrastructure in response to Storm Arwen.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engaged with the Scottish and Welsh Government throughout Storm Arwen.
The Scottish and Welsh Governments, as members of the Energy Emergencies Executive Committee, will be engaged in the post-incident review of Storm Arwen that has been commissioned by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the oil and gas sector on the inclusion of developing future technology in the oil and gas sector deal.
Answered by Claire Perry
Several sectors, including our vital offshore oil and gas industry, have expressed interest in a Sector Deal and we are considering seriously these credible industry-led proposals. We intend to progress with further Deals that best meet the expectations set out in the White Paper in due course.
I have met representatives of the offshore sector including Trevor Garlick, the Sector Deal Champion, on multiple occasions in both London and Aberdeen to discuss their proposal for a Sector Deal. These were wide-ranging discussions covering all aspects of the proposal including ideas for the development of transformational technology. My officials also have regular and ongoing contact with the industry’s sector deal team on this subject.
Technology is considered critical to the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry which is why this Government committed to support the establishment of the new Oil and Gas Technology Centre in Aberdeen as part of the City Region Deal.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the Scottish economy of developing carbon capture and storage infrastructure in the north east of Scotland.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government welcomes the development of carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) proposals from across the UK. We are investing in supporting the technology and have invested over £365 million in CCUS since 2011.
This includes supporting a potential CCUS project in the North East of Scotland, where Government has allocated £1.3 million in funding to Project Acorn in St. Fergus, Aberdeenshire, through the Accelerating Carbon Technologies Research Programme. In addition, the UK Government jointly funded, with the Scottish Government, the now completed feasibility work on the proposed Caledonia Clean Energy Project in Grangemouth, Scotland.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with representatives of the Scottish oil and gas industry on how that industry can benefit from the industrial strategy.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
I visited Aberdeen in late August and had detailed discussions with senior representatives from the oil and gas sector at the MER UK Forum and at the Oil & Gas UK Joint Council which included discussions on the modern industrial strategy. I also had a round-table discussion on the topic of the industrial strategy with the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce. BEIS officials remain in close contact with oil and gas industry representatives.