Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to investigate reports of alleged wrongdoing by UK Trade Envoys.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Any reports of alleged wrongdoing in public office are taken seriously by the Government. The Government remains committed to meeting its statutory obligations on records management, disclosure, and cooperation with competent authorities, and any requests will be handled in accordance with established procedures.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legal protections preventing leaseholders from being pursued for (a) service-charge and (b) balancing-charge debts relating to periods before they acquired their property.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of potential buyers having the information they need to decide whether a home is right for them.
There is already a requirement under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 that any information that would help a prospective homebuyer to make an informed decision must not be hidden or omitted.
We would strongly advise prospective buyers and their legal representative to check that all relevant information has been provided. If this information was not provided at the time of purchase, a legal representative could advise on possible options.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, a) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 18-month rule under Section 20B of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 in protecting leaseholders from being billed for historic service-charge liabilities issued outside the statutory deadline, and b) whether his Department has considered the potential merits of improving enforcement mechanisms where managing agents fail to comply with that requirement.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has not made a specific assessment of the effectiveness of Section 20B. Under Section 20B of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 a landlord must notify leaseholders of service charge costs being incurred or demanded within 18 months of when the costs were incurred. If landlords miss this deadline, leaseholders are not liable to pay these costs unless the landlord sends a written notice within this period about the costs and their future responsibility to contribute. Leaseholders who consider that they received such a demand outside the time limit and without notification should seek advice, for example from the Leasehold Advisory Service. Leaseholders may challenge unreasonable charges at the First-tier Tribunal.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Local Power Plan on local jobs and supply chain opportunities for small businesses in the clean energy sector.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local ownership keeps economic benefits local, supporting local labour markets directly and indirectly. Community-led projects tend to create more local jobs due to local ownership and reinvestment of revenue.
More broadly, our Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan set out Government’s approach to creating investment, growth and jobs in clean energy industries, including supply chains.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps under the Local Power Plan to accelerate grid connections for small business-led renewable energy projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department continues to work closely with Ofgem, NESO and DNOs to ensure wider grid connections reforms benefit community and local energy projects, including: Ofgem starting to implement proposals in the End‑to‑End Review, a systematic review of Transmission Impact Assessment thresholds in Scotland, and ongoing work to explore remaining policy and regulatory issues.
Projects connecting to distribution networks in England and Wales (including the majority of community projects) have benefited from a Transmission Impact Assessment (TIA) threshold increase from 1MW to 5MW in May 2025, meaning more projects can now avoid the more complex, lengthy and costly transmission connection process.
The Department is committed to improving the grid connection experience for all connecting customers, including community and local energy projects.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are directly impacted by the Local Power Plan, including hosting renewable energy installations and participating in shared ownership models.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This year Government will consult on detailed plans for a possible mandatory shared ownership scheme and Great British Energy (GBE) will develop a Local Energy Platform to provide an end-to-end business solution for onsite renewable generation. This will be available to small and medium sized enterprises.
Great British Energy will set out further funding options in summer 2026. Projects are encouraged to engage early through the EOI form available at https://www.gbe.gov.uk/express-your-interest
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to bring forward reforms enabling local energy communities to sell clean power directly to nearby small businesses through local power purchase agreements.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Local Power Plan is a joint DESNZ‑GBE publication setting out the UK’s largest ever public investment in community energy.
The Department will deliver the policy and regulatory change working with Ofgem, NESO and others as appropriate. Great British Energy (GBE) will act as the principal delivery body for the Local Power Plan, providing funding and advisory support to eligible projects
DESNZ will continue to work across government and with the Community and Local Energy sector to demonstrate the value Power Purchase Agreements offer and develop models in line with accounting standards.
GBE’s capability and capacity support will create a knowledge hub with standardised templates for contracts, including PPAs.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Local Power Plan will help reduce energy costs for small businesses, particularly in rural areas with limited grid infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy will provide dedicated capacity and capability, and financial support to help local government and community energy groups deliver local clean energy projects.
Clean energy projects owned by local government and community energy groups can lower energy bills and bring in money for the people who own them, which can then be reinvested back into the community.
By generating electricity closer to where people use it, community and local projects help to reduce pressure on the national grid and reduce the need for expensive upgrades, when they are strategically placed and paired with flexible technology.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether Great British Energy will offer finance and guidance to help small businesses install on-site renewable generation and battery storage as part of the Local Power Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Backed by up to £1 billion, Great British Energy (GBE) aims to support at least 1,000 local and community energy projects by 2030.
GBE will do this through funding, and support including awareness raising, project origination and project development support and standardised documents and templates.
GBE will also provide dedicated capacity and capability support to help local government and wider public sector deliver local clean energy projects.
Asked by: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Local Power Plan will support small businesses in market towns and rural communities to access affordable, locally generated clean power.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy will provide dedicated capacity and capability, and financial support to help local government and community energy groups deliver local clean energy projects.
Clean energy projects owned by local government and community energy groups can lower energy bills and bring in money for the people who own them, which can then be reinvested back into the community.
By generating electricity closer to where people use it, community and local projects help to reduce pressure on the national grid and reduce the need for expensive upgrades, when they are strategically placed and paired with flexible technology.