Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 enable community energy schemes to sell their power directly to households and businesses in nearby communities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the role of community energy in delivering net zero and is working with Ofgem to address regulatory barriers, including routes to market. Through delivering on commitments in the Local Power Plan, we are working with Great British Energy to explore measures to make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.
The department, Ofgem and wider energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy. This includes work on rule P441, standardising the classification of local energy sites to provide a regulatory footing that will clarify the rules of setting them up. Further updates and outcomes from this work will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his department will take legislative steps to increase the £50,000 cap on fines for oil spills during oil and gas operations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government expects offshore oil and gas operators to meet the highest environmental standards and supports appropriate enforcement action where non-compliance occurs. A range of enforcement powers is already available in respect of breaches of offshore environmental requirements, including civil sanctions and, where appropriate, prosecution. The Government keeps the operation of the regulatory regime under review to ensure that it remains effective, proportionate and capable of protecting the marine environment. The priority is to ensure that the existing regime operates as an effective deterrent and secures compliance with relevant offshore environmental obligations.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 new Energy Transitional Certificates uphold high environmental standards to protect UK seas from oil and gas operations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Any activities undertaken under a Transitional Energy Certificate will remain subject to the UK’s robust environmental regulatory regime. Developers will be required to secure all relevant consents and comply fully with offshore environmental impact assessment legislation and associated guidance before operations can proceed.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his department will take legislative steps to increase the £50,000 cap on fines for oil spills during oil and gas operations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 new Energy Transitional Certificates uphold high environmental standards to protect UK seas from oil and gas operations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment was he has made of the potential risks of granting Tesla permission to supply electricity to households and businesses.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Supply licence applications are a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator.
Applications for supply licences are considered by Ofgem based on their merits and assessed in line with published guidance, which is available here: Ofgem Licencing Guidance. Companies granted licences are required to comply with all conditions contained within them and the Government and Ofgem take action to address any non-compliance.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his proposed timeline is for implementing community energy generation and storage across the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is hugely ambitious about the role that local and community energy will play in achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
On 10 February 2026, Great British Energy and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero published the Local Power Plan which sets out the UK’s largest ever public investment in community energy.
Backed by up to £1 billion, GBE aims to support more than 1,000 local and community energy projects by 2030.
DESNZ will issue a Call for Evidence in 2026 to assess the role of community batteries in the transition and identify measures to scale deployment.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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) promote and (b) enforce the new EN-1 and EN-3 requirements associated with incinerators.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) govern planning requirements for larger-scale incinerators (50MW+) that fall under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime. Applications for Development Consent of NSIPs, including larger-scale incinerators, are determined by the Secretary of State under these policy frameworks. In 2025 these documents were updated to reflect current policy, including removal of Critical National Priority policy presumption from Energy from Waste proposals. Updates were subject to public consultation, and the revised energy National Policy Statements were published and came into effect in January 2026.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 suitability of Ithaca Energy developing on Rosebank oil field.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The NSTA is responsible for suitability checks of license-holders, including their technical and financial capability.
The Secretary of State is responsible for determining whether to agree to the grant of consent for development of the project under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations for offshore oil and gas, and will make a decision in due course.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the proposal to retrofit solar panels and heat pumps in the Warm Homes Plan will apply to Housing Association properties.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Our vision is for every household in Britain to have the opportunity to benefit from clean energy technology in their home.
Housing association tenants and low-income households are already having these technologies installed through the Warm Homes: Social Housing fund and Local Grant schemes. The Warm Homes Plan will ensure low-income and fuel poor households, including those in housing association properties in the social rented sector, will benefit from an investment of around £5 billion to 2030 in measures including solar panels and heat pumps.