Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has held any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on (a) offshore oil and gas exploration in the waters around the Falkland Islands and (b) the Foreign Secretary’s statutory consent role for petroleum licences in the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers engage regularly across the Government on a range of issues.
The UK Government maintains a consistent position on the right of the Falkland Islands to develop their natural resources. This is integral to their right of self-determination, which is grounded in international law. UK oil and gas licensing policy does not apply in the Falkland Islands.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has provided advice to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the granting of future petroleum exploration licences in the Falkland Islands, in the context of the Foreign Secretary’s statutory consent role in the last five years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers engage regularly across the Government on a range of issues.
The UK Government maintains a consistent position on the right of the Falkland Islands to develop their natural resources. This is integral to their right of self-determination, which is grounded in international law. UK oil and gas licensing policy does not apply in the Falkland Islands.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has held any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination in decisions relating to offshore oil and gas exploration.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers engage regularly across the Government on a range of issues.
The UK Government maintains a consistent position on the right of the Falkland Islands to develop their natural resources. This is integral to their right of self-determination, which is grounded in international law. UK oil and gas licensing policy does not apply in the Falkland Islands.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 promote the Fuel Finder scheme to Motorists.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is promoting Fuel Finder primarily by making fuel price data openly available to third parties, allowing it to be incorporated directly into motorists’ commonly used apps and services.
Ministers have promoted Fuel Finder including references in speeches and through social media, highlighting the scheme’s benefits to motorists. Other communications on Fuel Finder have been delivered through the Department for Energy Security’s social channels and a factsheet published on GOV.UK.
Further communications are planned for later in the year to support continued awareness of Fuel Finder data.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 merits of introducing a national advertising strategy to promote the Fuel Finder scheme to Motorists.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is promoting Fuel Finder primarily by making fuel price data openly available to third parties, allowing it to be incorporated directly into motorists’ commonly used apps and services.
Ministers have promoted Fuel Finder including references in speeches and through social media, highlighting the scheme’s benefits to motorists. Other communications on Fuel Finder have been delivered through the Department for Energy Security’s social channels and a factsheet published on GOV.UK.
Further communications are planned for later in the year to support continued awareness of Fuel Finder data.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what is the frequency of the updates that he is receiving from the Fuel Distribution Association about challenges in the supply chain of heating oil for [i] domestic and [ii] business customers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is in frequent communication with the UK and Ireland Fuel Distribution Association (UKIFDA) to monitor heating oil supply and pricing. We are aware that some customers are experiencing delays or difficulties in receiving heating oil deliveries; this was due to an increase in demand. This has now reduced, and industry are reporting that demand has returned to the normal level expected for this time of year.
The Prime Minister confirmed £53 million of immediate support for those most exposed to changing heating oil prices on Monday 16 March.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when will he receive the next update from the Fuel Distribution Association about the work of heating oil providers to ensure that customers have flexibility on delivery size.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Energy Minister has been in contact with the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) and continues to work with them and other suppliers to ensure vulnerable households are treated fairly, including in relation to delivery sizes. DESNZ has held regular discussions with UKIFDA to emphasise that members should follow the industry Code of Practice to provide their customers with flexibility on delivery size.
On Monday 16 March the Government announced the intention to regulate the heating oil sector to introduce new customer protections along-side securing agreements with industry to quickly improve customer experience and ensure households are better protected. In this context the Energy Secretary welcomes the Competition and Market Authority’s comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 quality assure information on the Fuel Finder Website.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) regulations 2025, the appointed aggregator is responsible for managing the registration information and providing real-time fuel price information. The Department also requires the aggregator to implement data quality assurance processes to ensure all information published through the Fuel Finder service meets agreed standards. This includes validating price submissions at the point of entry and implementing continuous data quality monitoring to maintain accuracy and reliability.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to monitor the take up of the Fuel Finder Website by motorists.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Motorists will primarily access Fuel Finder data indirectly through third-party navigation apps and price comparison websites. Fuel Finder will track who is accessing the data as an indicator of overall usage.
The service will also undergo a statutory evaluation which will as a minimum assess the likely effects for existing and future customers.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish the Fuel Finder Website.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Fuel Finder scheme is now live, with registration open to petrol stations. From 2 February, petrol stations will be required to report their fuel prices within 30 minutes of a change. This data will be made freely available on the Fuel Finder website and integrated into mapping software and price comparison apps, enabling consumers to compare prices easily and make informed decisions on where to buy their fuel.