Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Department of Business and Trade and (b) the Cabinet office on ensuring its supply chains do not involve forced labour.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Modern slavery is a serious human rights violation depriving individuals of their freedom and dignity while inflicting immeasurable harm on families, communities, and society as-a-whole. DESNZ is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.
The Government will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools that are emerging to ensure we can effectively tackle forced labour in supply chains. Government’s Responsible Business Conduct Review will be a primary lever for delivering this as a cross-departmental endeavour to review and address UK’s policy regime and voluntary due diligence requirements for forced labour. Additionally, the Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan committed to embedding ethical supply chain standards into DESNZ public spend; and Great British Energy confirmed it will follow strict ethical standards to help ensure solar supply chains are free from exploitation.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department have had with (a) businesses and (b) landlords on levels of preparedness for meeting the EPC Grade B requirement by 2030; and what steps his Department is taking to support those businesses that will be required to meet that standard.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Department officials have held several meetings and industry workshops over several years with businesses and landlords. These have included discussions on the implementation of the policy and the design of the policy, where the opinions of stakeholders have been taken into account.
The Government is providing grants to encourage both domestic and non-domestic property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. We continue to assess scenarios where additional support may be necessary for landlords facing unique challenges that could affect compliance.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to implement Phase 2 of the non-domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government consulted on strengthening the non-domestic PRS minimum energy efficiency standards to EPC C by 1 April 2027, and EPC B by 1 April 2030. We are currently reviewing the policy design to ensure that it remains fair and proportionate for landlords and tenants alike. We plan to publish a response to the consultation as early as possible.
We recognise the delay has caused uncertainty within industry and are working hard to deliver this policy at the earliest possible date, whilst ensuring we are providing sufficient lead-in time for property owners and the wider supply chain.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating the installation of solar panels on commercial and industrial roofs.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government incentivises commercial/industrial rooftop solar in various ways, including permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee.
Although we have no plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on commercial roofs, the recently published Solar Roadmap set out that rooftop solar will, where appropriate, play an important role in the Future Buildings Standard for new build non-domestic buildings which is due to be introduced later this year.
We are also working to unlock the potential for solar deployment in the non-domestic retrofit space, for example by exploring innovative financing models with the National Wealth Fund, and the upcoming Solar Council will monitor progress and drive delivery of this and other actions in the Roadmap.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to encourage (a) commercial and (b) industrial property owners to install solar panels on roofs.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government incentivises commercial/industrial rooftop solar in various ways, including permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee.
Although we have no plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on commercial roofs, the recently published Solar Roadmap set out that rooftop solar will, where appropriate, play an important role in the Future Buildings Standard for new build non-domestic buildings which is due to be introduced later this year.
We are also working to unlock the potential for solar deployment in the non-domestic retrofit space, for example by exploring innovative financing models with the National Wealth Fund, and the upcoming Solar Council will monitor progress and drive delivery of this and other actions in the Roadmap.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with industry stakeholders on the potential impact of proposals for energy efficiency targets for non-domestic properties on levels of planned investment in non-domestic properties.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Department officials have worked closely with industry on the implementation and design of the policy to ensure the policy is fair and proportionate for landlords and tenants alike. This includes multiple workshops this year with these stakeholders to update the policy to significantly reduce complexity and administrative burdens. We received feedback that the policy has the potential to unlock a significant investment in retrofit of commercial buildings.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 (a) encourage and (b) incentivise the installation of solar panels on (i) commercial and (ii) industrial roofs; and whether he plans to prioritise the use of those spaces over agricultural land for renewable energy projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government incentivises commercial/industrial rooftop solar in various ways, including permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee.
Solar is an important part of our strategy for improving energy performance of buildings. New building standards will ensure new buildings are fit for a Net Zero future. The Warm Homes Plan will set out pathways for decarbonisation of all buildings, including non-domestic ones. Further details will be set out by October.
Achieving our ambitious clean power mission will require rapid deployment across rooftops and ground-mounted solar farms. However, planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, solar developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed land.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 incentivise the installation of solar panels on (a) commercial and (b) industrial roofs; and whether he has plans to prioritise the use of these spaces over agricultural land for renewable energy projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government incentivises commercial/industrial rooftop solar in various ways, including permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee.
Solar is an important part of our strategy for improving energy performance of buildings. New building standards will ensure new buildings are fit for a Net Zero future. The Warm Homes Plan will set out pathways for decarbonisation of all buildings, including non-domestic ones. Further details will be set out by October.
Achieving our ambitious clean power mission will require rapid deployment across rooftops and ground-mounted solar farms. However, planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, solar developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed land.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK solar-panel imports sourced from Xinjiang-based polysilicon manufacturers sanctioned by the United States; and whether he plans to introduce a full import ban on such products.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring UK businesses are not complicit in forced labour and human rights violations.
In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of its approach to responsible business conduct policy. The review will consider the effectiveness of the UK’s current Responsible Business Conduct measures and alternative policy options to support responsible business practices.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the expanded Warm Homes Plan on average annual household spending.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The recently announced expansion of the Warm Home Discount means all households where a person or their partner is named on the energy bill and is on a qualifying means tested benefit will be eligible for the £150 Discount. This will bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that will receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million.
We have not assessed the impact on average household spending. Further information on impacts can be found in the published Impact Assessment.