Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of Question 25301, what the maximum temperatures recorded were in each week of June and July 2026 in the temperature monitoring data held by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit for animal accommodation at MBR Acres.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
During the period of hot weather, ASRU assessed temperature data provided by MBR Acres in June and July 2026, and found no evidence of adverse animal welfare impacts.
Establishments are required to undertake daily checks by competent persons to monitor animal welfare and environmental conditions, take prompt action where necessary, and report any actual or potential breach of licence conditions to the Home Office.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding schemes are available to local authorities for solar panel installations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local authorities can support solar panel installations through several government schemes.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is delivered through local authorities to low-income households in their areas, while local authorities that are social landlords can access the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund for eligible social homes. An additional £100 million for that Fund will support delivery of up to 57,000 solar installations across Wave 3. A total of £4.4 billion has been made available for grant schemes for low-income households up to 2030.
Great British Energy (GBE) supports public sector decarbonisation, and the GBE Solar programme is investing £255 million to fund around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites, and around 15 military sites to install solar panels across the country.
Great British Energy has launched the biggest public investment into community energy in UK history, £30m of backing as a first downpayment on up to £1bn, to help local places cut bills, grow wealth and act on climate.
Mayoral Strategic Authorities can also support renewable energy projects through Great British Energy’s £10 million Mayoral Renewables Fund, while eligible authorities receive devolved funding for home retrofit and public sector buildings through Integrated Settlements. Over 150 renewable projects have now switched-on for public buildings in England’s Mayoral Combined Authorities, with more to follow – which together could see up to £50 million in total energy bill savings reinvested in local services
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to working households who own their homes and wish to install solar panels but cannot afford the upfront cost.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history and includes support for solar panels, as well as batteries, insulation, and other low-carbon technologies.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment Tahoe has made of the value for money of public funding used to install solar panels on council-owned housing.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Solar panels have the potential to reduce household energy bills and carbon emissions, supporting the Government’s objectives to tackle fuel poverty, deliver clean power, and improve energy security.
The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund provides grant funding to local authorities and social housing landlords to upgrade social homes across England up to EPC Band C. This will support the installation of energy efficiency measures in social homes, including solar panels and batteries.
Throughout the delivery process, successful Grant Recipients must demonstrate that their proposed measures are appropriate for the homes being treated and represent good value for money.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the whole-life environmental impact of replacing existing petrol and diesel vehicles with new zero-emission vehicles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has set out its intention to phase out the sale of new pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and to phase out the sale of all new non-zero emission cars and vans from 2035. The Government has no plans to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles already in use or those sold before the phase out dates.
The Government has extensively assessed the impact of transitioning to zero emission vehicles and expects current petrol and diesel vehicle owners to benefit substantially from the lower running costs of switching to an electric vehicle, reduced air pollution, and reduced noise pollution.
The Department for Transport has published analysis of the whole-life environmental impact of electric vehicles available on GOV.UK. The analysis shows that, over their lifetime, electric cars are estimated to save at least 65% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to a petrol equivalent, and that this is likely to rise as renewable energy generation increases.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the affordability of transitioning from petrol and diesel vehicles to zero-emission vehicles for households unable to afford a new electric vehicle.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Widening access to zero emission vehicles is a priority for the Government. Many used zero emission vehicle models are now available at similar prices to equivalent petrol and diesel vehicles. Industry data suggests that one in five used electric cars is available at under £15,000 and 43% are priced at £20,000 or less. Drivers also benefit from tax incentives until at least 2030, while Government grants support home and workplace charging.
For those able to charge at home, electric vehicles can save up to £1,400 a year in running and maintenance costs. The Government is investing £25 million in pavement channels to expand access to cheaper domestic charging and reviewing public charging costs to improve affordability.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered providing financial support for the purchase of second-hand low-emission and zero-emission vehicles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Widening access to zero emission vehicles is a priority for the Government. Many used zero emission vehicle models are now available at similar prices to equivalent petrol and diesel vehicles. Industry data suggests that one in five used electric cars is available at under £15,000 and 43% are priced at £20,000 or less. Drivers also benefit from tax incentives until at least 2030, while Government grants support home and workplace charging.
For those able to charge at home, electric vehicles can save up to £1,400 a year in running and maintenance costs. The Government is investing £25 million in pavement channels to expand access to cheaper domestic charging and reviewing public charging costs to improve affordability.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce restrictions on the use of diesel vehicles beyond existing clean air and emissions schemes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has set out its intention to phase out the sale of new pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and to phase out the sale of all new non-zero emission cars and vans from 2035. The Government has no plans to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles already in use or those sold before the phase out dates.
The Government has extensively assessed the impact of transitioning to zero emission vehicles and expects current petrol and diesel vehicle owners to benefit substantially from the lower running costs of switching to an electric vehicle, reduced air pollution, and reduced noise pollution.
The Department for Transport has published analysis of the whole-life environmental impact of electric vehicles available on GOV.UK. The analysis shows that, over their lifetime, electric cars are estimated to save at least 65% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to a petrol equivalent, and that this is likely to rise as renewable energy generation increases.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 policies on net zero vehicles on petrol and diesel vehicles already in use.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has set out its intention to phase out the sale of new pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and to phase out the sale of all new non-zero emission cars and vans from 2035. The Government has no plans to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles already in use or those sold before the phase out dates.
The Government has extensively assessed the impact of transitioning to zero emission vehicles and expects current petrol and diesel vehicle owners to benefit substantially from the lower running costs of switching to an electric vehicle, reduced air pollution, and reduced noise pollution.
The Department for Transport has published analysis of the whole-life environmental impact of electric vehicles available on GOV.UK. The analysis shows that, over their lifetime, electric cars are estimated to save at least 65% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to a petrol equivalent, and that this is likely to rise as renewable energy generation increases.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Electric Vehicle Excise Duty on the resale values of older plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
As announced at Budget 2025, Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) will be introduced from April 2028. Electric cars will pay 3 pence per mile and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will pay a reduced rate of 1.5 pence per mile, reflecting that PHEVs will continue to pay fuel duty on the petrol or diesel they use. eVED will ensure that electric and PHEV motorists contribute their fair share for their road usage, in a similar way to drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles who pay fuel duty.
The Government also recognises that the large majority of EVs and PHEVs have in-built connectivity and will begin developing an opt-in version of eVED that could make use of these technologies to provide a quicker, easier-to-use and more flexible system for motorists.
The Government has published information on who is likely to be affected by eVED, including expected impacts on motorists, businesses and the wider economy, as part of the published Tax Information and Impact Note. (Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) - GOV.UK).