Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason employment and wage costs have increased at the Nuclear Decommisioning Authority since April 2017.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The NDAs mission involves complex and hazardous nuclear decommissioning, requiring advanced technical engineering and project management skills. These roles command higher than average salaries due to scarcity and competition for nuclear expertise.
Since 2017 the NDA receive funding from HMG each year which reflects the NDAs mission. This funding has led to operations to accelerate hazard reduction at sites like Sellafield and Dounreay. This acceleration has meant an increase in employment and wages at the NDA who continually review how they operate to ensure value for money to the taxpayer whilst keeping the UK safe and secure.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the drivers of and reasons for the more than doubling of the wage and salary costs of the Mining Remediation Authority since April 2017.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Forecast headcount at the Mining Remediation Authority for the end of March 2026 is c460 full time equivalent posts which has increased since April 2017 in line with the growth in the complexity and number of 24/7 incidents. Pay cases submitted by the Mining Remediation Authority during the period have been considered by the Department alongside Civil Service pay remit guidance.
More information about the Mining Remediation Authority’s funding and programmes can be found in its latest Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason wage and salary costs have increased at the Committee on Climate Change since April 2017.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Pay arrangements for the CCC’s permanent staff are governed by the Cabinet Office pay remit guidance and process. The CCC has a vital role providing independent, expert advice on reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change, and staff numbers have risen to manage the increased demands from the CCC's work programme.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason wage and salary costs have increased at Ofgem since April 2017.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem is governed by its Board (the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority - GEMA) and is directly accountable to Parliament for the performance of its functions and duties. Operational decisions regarding wage and salary costs are a matter for Ofgem.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absence exceeded departmental triggers.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The current AWDL for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is 3.8.
The department does not have any Arms length’s bodies that are requested to submit AWDL figures.
The requested data is not held centrally in a reportable format.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The table below summarises numbers and proportion of DESNZ staff in the top performance category for the most recent performance year as reported at end March 2025:
Grade | Number | Percentage |
AO | 5 | 14% |
EO | 25 | 10% |
HEO | 99 | 13% |
SEO | 192 | 13% |
G7 | 285 | 16% |
G6 | 119 | 21% |
SCS1 | 25 | 15% |
SCS2 | 6 | 14% |
Any sample sizes below five are not reported.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year broken down by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (ii) grade.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department or Energy Security and Net Zero does not promote in-grade.
Performance markings are not held centrally.
Table 1 Grade (No. and %) between April 2024 and March 2025
Grade | No. Promoted | % of those still in dept who were promoted |
AO |
| 0.0% |
EO | 31 | 17% |
HEO | 134 | 24% |
FASTSTREAM | <=30 | <=30 |
SEO | 105 | 9% |
G7 | 53 | 3 % |
G6 | <=30 | <=30 |
SCS 1 | <=30 | <=30 |
Total | 347 | 8% |
Numbers of 30 or fewer employees have been redacted.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the total cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For the last financial year, the total cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) of payments associated with settlement agreements and special severance payments was £60,000.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) the Department and (b) its agencies in the past twelve months, broken down by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegation related to (A) performance and (B) conduct.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There were 24 concluded disciplinary cases recorded in the past twelve months in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Data is not held centrally for Departmental Agencies and ALBs.
Broken down by outcome (i):*
Primary allegation (ii)
*Volumes which are five or fewer have been redacted to avoid potential identification of individuals.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people were employed by the (a) Office of Gas and Electricity Market, (b) Office for Nuclear Regulation and (c) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in each year since 2005.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and NDA are directly accountable to Parliament. The information requested is published in Ofgem’s and NDA's annual report and accounts, which are laid before the House and publicly available
Whilst ONR’s government sponsor is DWP, we can confirm that the information requested can be found in ONR’s annual report and accounts, which is laid in Parliament. The first date that their annual report and accounts is available from is 2014-15 as ONR was not made a public corporation until 2013 under the Energy Act of that year.