Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Katie White]

I assure my hon. Friend and investors that nature-based solutions are central to our response to this issue. London is the centre of carbon markets, and we want to protect that. We have been focusing on the coalition to grow carbon markets, which we will work on at London Climate Action Week, but I would love to work with her to make sure that we give reassurance, act with integrity and come forward with the necessary proposals.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Does the Minister plan to allow clean community energy companies to sell power directly to households and businesses?

[Katie White]

We are pursuing that through the local power plan, and we intend for that to happen.

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department is taking to reduce household energy bills.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

11. What steps he is taking to help reduce household energy bills.

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)]

Bills are too high and the cost of living crisis is the biggest issue facing the country. That is why, at the last Budget, we took decisions to raise taxes on the wealthiest, which will enable us to take an average of £150 in costs off household energy bills from April. That builds on the fact that the price cap and average energy bills were lower in real terms in 2025 than in 2024.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

We were promised a reduction in bills of £300, but they have actually gone up by just shy of £200. The impact assessment of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026, which we passed last week, states:

“we estimate that cost-pass through for most sectors could feasibly be at 80-90%”.

That is a euphemism for even higher bills, isn’t it?

[Ed Miliband]

I am afraid that the right hon. Gentleman’s first point is wrong; he is taking one quarter—summer 2024 —and comparing it with today. If we look across 2025, bills are lower than in 2024. Actually, I had hoped that he would support the £150 that we have taken off energy bills, but the Opposition oppose all the measures making that possible.

North Sea Oil and Gas Workers: Transitional Support

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd April 2025 Westminster Hall

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Sir Desmond Swayne (in the Chair)]

Order. There will now be a five-minute limit.

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 4th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones]

I would of course be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to talk about this great project, Silicon Sands, which will bring jobs and be really innovative for his area. The wider point is really important—for too long, our coastal and industrial communities have not had the job opportunities they deserve. We are determined to change that.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Can the Minister assure the House that her ambitions for renewable energy can be achieved without Chinese slave labour?

[Sarah Jones]

Yes—of course, we ensure that the highest standards are kept in all these things. The Government’s position is to make sure that we are very careful about them. The right hon. Gentleman may be referring to solar, which is a particular issue that people have raised. We have a solar taskforce, which has been set up exactly to look at those points.

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 12th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Michael Shanks]

The hon. Lady and I have had a number of conversations, and I recognise her commitment on this issue. We have committed in the local power plan to delivering investment in community energy across the country. Importantly, we want not only to invest in schemes, but to deliver across Government the mechanisms needed to make it more possible for communities to deliver such schemes. That will build capacity in communities so that we can see more community energy.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

What is the beef behind the Government’s reluctance to embrace with enthusiasm locally generated community energy? Why did they vote against the amendment tabled to the Great British Energy Bill by the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse)?

[Michael Shanks]

I think the right hon. Gentleman thinks that was a “gotcha” question, but, of course, the Conservative party did not vote for the Bill at all. Amendment or not, I do not think he can really speak about what Great British Energy might deliver, because, despite it being one of the most popular policies at the last election, the Conservatives failed to bother to vote for it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 8th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

We have been working flat out with energy suppliers to ensure that they are providing additional support to families who will struggle with bills this winter. In August, I met all the suppliers, and there was a shared commitment to do everything we can to support vulnerable households. We have been working with them, the industry body, Ofgem and Citizens Advice to ensure that there is a proper package of support in place this winter so that we can support families who we know are struggling with their bills.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Would it not have been better to put that proper package of support in place before the Government withdrew the winter fuel allowance from so many pensioners?

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 21st May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Amanda Solloway]

That is absolutely not the case. We stand here incredibly proudly as Ministers in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and we have made a commitment. We are doing more than has ever been done on renewables and offshore wind, and we have done more to help people with the affordability of their bills.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

6. What steps she is taking to help improve energy efficiency in social housing.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Amanda Solloway)]

The social housing decarbonisation fund is upgrading to EPC C a significant amount of the social housing stock that is currently below that standard. We have already committed over £1 billion of Government funding, with a further £1.25 billion already committed for 2025 to 2028.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

By how much has the Minister increased the level of insulation, and what significance does she attach to it?

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 16th April 2024 Commons Chamber

[Selaine Saxby (North Devon) (Con)]

1. What steps her Department is taking to support floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic sea.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

14. What plans she has to support floating offshore wind farms.

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Claire Coutinho)]

Britain is a pioneer of floating offshore wind. We are working with the Crown Estate to lease 4.5 GW of seabed capacity for floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea, and we are supporting emerging technologies with a separate funding pot in allocation round 6.

--- Later in debate ---

[Claire Coutinho]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is a doughty campaigner for floating offshore wind. I am unable to comment on any specific concerns about a particular planning decision, but I am sure the relevant Minister will be happy to meet her to discuss how the Government can provide better guidance on compensation. People whose land is acquired compulsorily should not be left worse off financially, and compensation should be offered in line with the statutory compensation code.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

What assistance can be had for those fast-growing enterprises principally reliant on equity?

[Claire Coutinho]

I thank my right hon. Friend for a typically pithy question. We are doing an enormous amount to support the landscape for investments in this country that rely on equity, whether that is through full capital expensing, or, in my area of responsibility, the green industries growth accelerator.

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 19th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Amanda Solloway]

My hon. Friend makes a really important point on skills. In fact, we have invested £15 million in subsidised training over the past three years and have provided 16,800 training opportunities. We will continue to support this important industry.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

10. Whether she plans to issue guidance to people with oil-fired heating on replacement of boilers.

[The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero (Graham Stuart)]

The Government have created an online advice service to help consumers in replacing fossil fuel heating systems, including oil boilers, with a heat pump. We are also providing funding through the boiler upgrade scheme.

[Mr Speaker]

This will be helpful.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Absolutely, Mr Speaker. There is a panic now in Germany as its premature ban on gas-fired boilers approaches. The Minister will want to avoid a similar panic as we approach our own premature ban on oil-fired boilers, won’t he?

[Graham Stuart]

As ever, I thank my right hon. Friend. We are listening. As the Prime Minister set out, we will reduce our emissions in line with our obligations but do so in a way that recognises the challenges that families face. Off-grid households will be supported through the transition, and we will respond to the consultation in due course.

Offshore Wind Contracts

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 12th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Graham Stuart]

The hon. Gentleman and his party never fail to trash this country—[Interruption.] He can heckle all he wishes. I will be meeting industry representatives this afternoon and, as I have said, we will be announcing in two months’ time the price ceiling for the next round—[Interruption.] I am getting heckling, not least from His Majesty’s Opposition, who left us in that parlous situation. We are the world leader in so many of these technologies and we are going to continue to be. If the hon. Member for Angus (Dave Doogan) were to recognise the need to attract investment to this country and not talk it down, he might find that Scottish jobs would be even stronger in the pipeline than they are already.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

If any, how much of the completed wind capacity still requires connection to the national grid?

[Graham Stuart]

Until wind capacity is constructed, it is not normally connected to the grid. That which has not been connected to the grid will need to be connected to the grid.