Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to visit Aberdeen to meet representatives of the oil and gas sector.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
The Secretary of State visited Aberdeen on the 23rd of July as one of her first engagements.
Aberdeen remains central to the UK's home-grown energy sector and North Sea oil and gas will continue to play an important role in the UK's energy mix for years to come.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her policy is on the future licensing of new oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth and the UK's energy security. We have always been clear that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, alongside renewables, nuclear and other low-carbon technologies.
The Government stands by the commitment in its manifesto not to issue new licences to explore new fields.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she met with representatives of the UK oil and gas sector during the summer recess.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
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 economic impact of changes in North Sea oil and gas activity on the north-east of Scotland.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The North Sea basin is mature and in long-term decline, with oil and gas production falling by around 75% between 1999 and 2024. This has affected employment and investment in oil and gas, particularly in north-east Scotland.
Britain is well-placed to mobilise our natural advantage, using the skills and expertise of our offshore workforce and supply chain to get ahead in the global race for new jobs and industries.
The North Sea Future Plan sets out how the government will deliver end to end support, including North Sea Jobs Service, helping workers, communities and businesses benefit from clean energy opportunities.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
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 impact of government policy on employment in Scotland's offshore oil and gas sector since July 2024.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The North Sea is a mature basin, and production has been in natural decline for many years. Employment in oil and gas has therefore been declining over a prolonged period. Office for National Statistics data shows direct oil and gas employment fell by around a third between 2014 and 2024.
Since 2024, the Government has set out measures to support workers and communities through the transition, including through the North Sea Jobs Service and the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which of his Departmental projects will be (a) reduced and (b) ended due to departmental funding being reallocated to the defence budget; and how much they will be reduced by.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The savings are a small part of DESNZ’s overall budget, which saw a significant uplift at Spending Review.
Our aim is for a large proportion of the savings to be found through efficiencies. We will set out more details in due course.
The UK clean energy economy is booming, with over £100bn of private sector investment announced since July 2024 thanks to the government’s clean energy mission.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has been made, through Great British Energy – Nuclear’s siting study into new nuclear development in Scotland, of Scotland’s suitability to host both Small Modular Reactors and gigawatt-scale nuclear reactors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In autumn 2025, Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) was commissioned by Department Ministers to assess Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power, whilst the government has also tasked GBE-N with identifying suitable sites that could host a potential large-scale new nuclear project.
The government believes that areas of Scotland that have previously hosted nuclear power stations will have many positive attributes for new nuclear.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the target of 600,000 annual heat pump installations by 2028 will be met.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The target of installing 600,000 annual heat pump installations by 2028 was set by the previous government.
This Government has put in place a package of policies – outlined in the Warm Homes Plan which was published earlier this year – that will help ensure that over 450,000 heat pumps are installed each year by 2030.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2026 to Question 128930 relating to Great British Energy staff numbers, how many people working for Great British Energy are employed as (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contingent labour staff from other public sector roles.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
(a) There are currently 30 permanent staff assigned to Great British Energy (GBE).
(b) There are 37 temporarily assigned staff from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, with 21 staff on loan to GBE from other departments across government and 12 secondments from various government departments and external organisations
(c) There are 23 contingent staff assigned to GBE.
GBE has had its Workforce Pay Case agreed and we expect it to significantly ramp up recruitment of permanent roles over the next financial year.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many a) FTE roles there are at GB Energy b) GB Energy roles are permanently located in Aberdeen c) roles are solely GB Energy employees rather than seconded or equivalent from another Government or public sector departments and d) GB Energy employees previously worked in the oil and gas sector.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are currently over 120 people working for Great British Energy (GBE), including permanent, temporary and contingent labour staff. GBE is expected to recruit significantly more permanent roles in Aberdeen over the next financial year.
GBE’s Aberdeen HQ will host GBE's main corporate functions, supply chain activities, and major development projects including ambitions in deep-water offshore wind.