Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department have made of the level of additional energy storage capacity required to accommodate the increase in electricity generated as a result of the agreement.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Coordinating with our neighbours can cut costs, strengthen energy security and help build a more flexible system. Any future hybrid projects, combining interconnection with offshore wind, will be guided by the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) conducted by our National Energy System Operator (NESO), which will be consulted on in Q1 2027. The SSEP will take a whole systems approach, co-optimising electricity generation, interconnection and storage across GB out to 2050. This will ensure that our international ambitions are coherent with domestic needs.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the levels CO2 emissions caused by importing foreign steel for British manufacturing projects.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department estimates greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide) on a territorial basis, meaning emissions that occur within UK borders. This is the approach required by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UK’s Climate Change Act 2008. The latest estimates are published here: UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions statistics - GOV.UK
Defra publishes consumption-based emissions statistics, calculated by the University of Leeds, which include emissions associated with imported goods and services. The latest estimates are published here: UK and England's carbon footprint to 2022 - GOV.UK
Last year, the Department consulted on measures to accelerate the adoption of low carbon products, including low carbon steel. The consultation is published here: Growing the market for low carbon industrial products: policy framework - GOV.UK
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what criteria is used to assess the suitability of publicly-funded manufacturing contracts allocated to companies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Procurement Act sets out the process that contracting authorities follow when assessing the suitability of suppliers for public contracts, including their capacity and capability to deliver. This approach is supported by guidance in the Sourcing Playbook.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) resilience and (b) security risks associated with increased shared offshore energy infrastructure in the North Sea.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero works closely across Whitehall and with domestic and international partners to assess and manage the resilience and security risks associated with increased shared offshore energy infrastructure in the North Sea.
Through this cooperation, and in line with the commitments made under the Hamburg Declaration, the Department is ensuring that future offshore hybrid assets and interconnectors are designed, operated, and maintained with proportionate protections against natural hazards and reckless or malign threats.
The United Kingdom benefits from a resilient and diverse energy system, supported by rigorous security and resilience standards and close coordination across government, industry, and international counterparts.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what is the planned timetable for delivering the 100 GW of joint offshore wind projects agreed at the North Sea Summit.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Hamburg Declaration sets a collective ambition of 100 GW of offshore wind cooperation projects by 2050. Shorter term delivery targets will flow from strategic planning work such as NESO's Strategic Spatial Energy Plan due to be consulted on in Q1 2027.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, whether the Hamburg Declaration places financial obligations on the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Hamburg Declaration does not place financial obligations on the UK.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 support British manufacturing businesses in the production of new energy projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and deliver clean power by 2030 will accelerate deployment of wind, hydrogen, nuclear, CCUS, heat pumps, and related technologies across the UK.
The government’s Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan targets at least double current investment levels across our Clean Energy Industries to over £30 billion per year by 2035. These are the industries of the future that can create hundreds of thousands of jobs for engineers, technicians, mechanics, electricians, and welders in every corner of the country.
Additionally, the government will provided targeted support to businesses through The National Wealth Fund (NWF) and Great British Energy (GBE). The NWF will deploy £27.8 billion by 2030/31, including £5.8 billion for key clean industry sectors. Energy, Engineered in the UK (EEUK) is GBE’s flagship supply chain investment programme. It will deliver £1 billion of funding to increase UK manufacturing capacity, drive down technology costs, and create and support jobs across the UK.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, how much of the 100 GW of jointly delivered offshore wind capacity agreed under the Hamburg Declaration is expected to be located in UK waters.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Hamburg Declaration sets a collective ambition of 100 GW of offshore wind cooperation projects by 2050. National contributions were not specified. Future GB co-ordinated projects will be guided by domestic strategic energy planning conducted by our National Energy System Operator (NESO), which is due to be consulted on in Q1 2027.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of this pact on (a) domestic and (b) industrial energy prices in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There has not been a specific assessment of the impact of the pact on electricity prices, but it will support the buildout of Offshore Hybrid Assets, which combine offshore wind farms with interconnectors. Interconnection can provide GB access to cheaper electricity and reduce the cost of running our energy system. They can help dampen price spikes in GB by providing access to lower‑cost electricity from neighbouring markets when domestic prices rise, improving the system's resilience and reducing price volatility. We import when energy is cheaper than in GB, so domestic families and businesses pay lower prices for their energy.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled UK and Europe sign historic pact to drive clean energy future, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Hamburg Declaration on the number of people employed in offshore wind-related jobs in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has not made specific projections of the number of offshore wind jobs attributable to the Hamburg Declaration.
However, the UK is already leading the way in delivering the commitments set out in the Declaration. Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 secured 8.4GW of offshore wind – the biggest ever auction in European history – unlocking 7,000 jobs and driving £22 billion of private sector investment into UK factories and ports.
The Government estimates that the offshore wind sector could support up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Great Britain by 2030.