First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Allow transgender people to self-identify their legal gender.
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 19 Mar 2025 Debated on - 19 May 2025 View Pippa Heylings's petition debate contributionsWe believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
These initiatives were driven by Pippa Heylings, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Pippa Heylings has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Pippa Heylings has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Energy (Social Tariff) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Polly Billington (Lab)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of the government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that any consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with varied stakeholders.
The EHRC’s interim update provides a perspective on how the judgment and Equality Act are practically applied in some areas. It is a snapshot reflection, rather than full guidance. The EHRC has already committed to supporting service providers with its updated statutory Code of Practice; we will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that the consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with varied stakeholders.
The Government expects them to do this widely and broadly, listening to diverse voices.
The Government understands people with those conditions to have Variations in Sex Characteristics, but we do not hold central definitions of the biological sex of people who have these conditions, nor do we keep any records.
The Government has set out our expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The EHRC’s interim update provides a perspective on how the judgment and Equality Act are practically applied in some areas. The EHRC has already committed to supporting service providers with its updated statutory Code of Practice following consultation; we will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.
This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse. Such practices have no place in society and must be stopped. In the King’s Speech, the Government committed to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.
Previous administrations failed to deliver on this issue and allowed the debate to become ever more toxic and divided.
We are committed to bringing forward legislation to finally ban these abusive practices, starting with publishing our draft Bill later this session.
We want everyone to have fair access to high quality care, which is respectful, inclusive and supports choice, control, and independence.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sets out clinical guidelines for the provision of IVF services. NICE is currently reviewing its guidelines. In the light of broader pressures on the NHS and on-going changes within NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care is looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to services and fairness for all affected couples.
The EHRC recently concluded their consultation on the draft updated Code of Practice where they sought a wide range of views. The Government will consider the EHRC's final draft Code once submitted, ensuring that it clarifies the Equality Act’s single-sex exceptions which we have committed to uphold. The Office for Equality and Opportunity listens to a wide range of stakeholders’ diverse perspectives as it carries out its policy work.
The delivery of compensation payments, including the application process, is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA made its first payments to a small cohort of eligible infected people in December 2024, and has steadily increased the number of people invited to claim. This “test and learn” approach of trialling a system with a small number of people is to make sure it works properly, before increasing the number of users. The Government expects payments to eligible affected people to begin this year. Both the Government and IBCA remain committed to ensuring payments are made as soon as possible.
In the Autumn budget, the Government announced £11.8 billion of funding to compensate eligible infected and affected people. Each eligible person will get the compensation they are due.
Those affected by their relationship to an eligible individual infected with Hepatitis B will be able to claim via the compensation scheme. This may include partners, parents, children, and siblings of an eligible infected person, as well as some people who acted as a carer for an infected person. The delivery of compensation payments is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. The Government expects payments to eligible affected people to begin this year, following a second set of regulations that I will be laying in Parliament in the coming weeks.
We have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef – with UK farmers given a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports at a very low tariff rate.
The deal does not change Britain’s high animal welfare and environmental standards. Imports of hormone treated beef or chlorinated chicken remain illegal. Our approach to this trade deal has ensured that agricultural imports coming into the UK meet the highest food standards.
This is a major opportunity for British farmers to increase their exports to the world's largest consumer market, helping them to grow their businesses.
Sector Plans are being designed in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions and other stakeholders, through bespoke arrangements tailored to each sector. This will vary by sector, but some may include Sector Councils, such as the well-established Life Sciences Council.
There will not be formal reporting structures between Sector Councils and the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council. However, we expect there to be close collaboration including through information sharing and joint-working as part of their role advising government on the delivery of the Industrial Strategy. The Council will continue a programme to engage widely across government.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting small businesses grow and export. UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.
DBT is also piloting an enhanced partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, taking a targeted place-based approach to accelerate small business growth through exporting across the region. This will be rolled out to other regions across England over the next 12 months.
We will bring forward further measures in due course.
Growing the economy is a key mission for the Government, and we recognise the importance of boosting UK exports in achieving this. We are working hard to ensure that UK businesses, including those that sell e-bikes and pedal cycles, have the support they need to sell to the world and grow.
As part of our work on a new trade strategy and a small business strategy, we are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses, including those that sell e-bikes and pedal cycles, export more.
UK bicycle manufacturers will benefit from the Secretary of State's vision to support all businesses as outlined in the Government’s Industrial and Trade Strategies. These strategies aim to boost scale-ups, grow the co-operative economy, create thriving high streets, make it easier to access finance, open up overseas and domestic markets, build capabilities, and provide a strong business environment. Recently, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service (BGS) to streamline the process for businesses across the UK to access the support they need to grow. The Department will continue to engage with the industry on key issues moving forward.
No formal assessment has been completed; however, the Department has engaged with key industry brands on issues and will continue to do so moving forward. The industry has recently faced significant headwinds, impacting growth and profitability. Despite this, the industry is stabilising with some retailers reporting positive financial performance. There are signs of recovery and potential growth in key high-demand areas such as Road, Gravel, and Electric Mountain Bikes.
Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.
This support is available to all UK businesses including those that sell and wish to export bicycles.
The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including development consents) under the Petroleum Act 1998. The NSTA requires Secretary of State’s agreement under relevant environmental regulations prior to granting any licence, consent or authorisation.
The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including development consents) under the Petroleum Act 1998. The NSTA requires Secretary of State’s agreement under relevant environmental regulations prior to granting any licence, consent or authorisation.
We value the CCC’s independent advice and expertise on progress against our targets. We will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all the sectors in due course. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our NDC commitments on a pathway to net zero. Government will consider CCC’s already published independent advice on Carbon Budgets as well as annual progress reports to Government ahead of publishing the new Plan.
The KPMG report is an internal fact-finding document, commissioned by Drax to review their biomass supply chain against the sustainability requirements of existing arrangements. Whilst DESNZ Officials were granted time limited access to view the report, we do not hold a copy. We therefore have no means or rights to share the report.
NESO published a summary of its advice to DESNZ (here). Given the focus of this analysis is on specific companies, it is commercially sensitive and cannot be shared publicly. This is the right approach to ensure security of our electricity system at a fair price for consumers.
The Government has agreed Heads of Terms with Drax for time-limited support from 2027 to 2031. The National Energy System Operator advised that without Drax we would face increased security of supply risks from 2027 to 2031. No decisions have been made on Drax’s future after 2031.
Over the next decade, more and more of our ageing gas and nuclear assets will retire. Government is bringing forward options for low carbon dispatchable power such as hydrogen and gas with carbon capture. But energy security is essential and we will retain existing assets where it is in the country’s interest to do so.
Drax sources the vast majority of its supply of biomass pellets from the US, with a small percentage from Canada, and elsewhere. It transports pellets to the UK by shipping them on bulk carriers, unloading at ports including Immingham, Liverpool and Port of Tyne before final transport to the Drax site by rail. Bulk transport of biomass pellets can be a highly carbon-efficient way of moving material across large distances.
Under the new arrangements agreed with Drax we have strengthened the supply chain emissions threshold in line with European standards.
The new CfD arrangement caps the volume of supported generation to an annual load factor of 27% compared to Drax’s current 65%. This incentivises dispatchable biomass generation only when the system needs it, ensuring consumers can benefit from cheaper wind and solar power at other times.
The new arrangement is estimated to halve subsidies to Drax, saving around £6 per household per year compared to current arrangements. The strike price for the new CfD is £113 (2012 prices) compared to £100 MWh currently. This modest increase reflects that Drax’s fixed operating costs will be spread over fewer units of generation, but consumers get more valuable power for lower overall subsidy.
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. With this, the Government is also committed to ensuring a fair and affordable transition to Net Zero while considering the impact of policy costs on all energy consumers.
NESO’s advice in their Clean Power 2030 Report on the impact of clean power on energy bills finds that a 2030 clean power system can be cheaper for the consumer than the one we have today.
Policy costs, or levies, fund essential schemes that have delivered significant benefits, including increasing renewable generation capacity and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The Department keeps the aggregate impact of these policies under review.
The Government’s main mechanism to invest in new renewables capacity are our Contracts for Difference. We have consulted on reforms to the Contracts for Difference, which are intended to ensure we secure the capacity needed to deliver Clean Power by 2030, whilst minimising the costs to consumers. The Government will publish a response with a view to implementing any changes in time for Allocation Round 7 to open in summer 2025.
As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency.
Government energy efficiency schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation, Great British Insulation Scheme, Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant are targeted at low-income households to fund energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating for those eligible.
Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
The Government only provides support for biomass sourced from forests which are sustainably managed.
Under the agreed Heads of Terms for short term support from 2027-2031, Drax must source 100% of its biomass from sustainable sources, and must exclude primary forest to receive support. Drax will be supported at a 27% load factor and we do not anticipate they will be incentivised to generate further, without subsidies.
Nevertheless, we are considering further options through the new contract and the consultation on the Common Biomass Sustainability Framework to provide additional protection for primary forests.
The Clean Power Action Plan (CPAP) sets out regional capacities for solar and battery storage required to achieve Clean Power by 2030. Regional capacities out to 2035 are also included to provide a 10-year time horizon for connections offers.
2035 capacities are based on the top of the range of NESO's Future Energy Scenarios. NESO analysis suggests that projects allocated to the 2031-35 period may be able to connect pre-2030 where there is spare network capacity or if needed to deal with attrition. However, the reformed queue to 2030 will already contain additional capacity beyond the amount needed to achieve Clean Power by 2030.
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues. We also both engage with Mayoral Strategic Authority leaders on the delivery of net zero regularly, including through roundtables.
As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, including £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes.
There are multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures to low income and fuel poor households. Current schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). The Government recently announced Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund to support social housing providers and tenants, and the new Warm Homes: Local Grant to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy performance upgrades and cleaner heating. Both schemes are expected to deliver in 2025.
Support is also available through the Warm Home Discount schemes which provide eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill.
Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to her on Question UIN 32430:
The Government is committed to supporting the growth and scaling-up of green technologies, including through the creation of GB Energy, as part of its Clean Energy Superpower Mission. A combined total of £1.3 billion has been committed through the 2021-25 Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) to accelerate the commercialisation of green technologies supporting around 5,500 jobs and leveraging £750 million in private investment. The Government will set out its full approach to seizing the growth opportunities from clean energy industries in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.
Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. As part of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating. This includes engaging with the finance sector on the potential for low interest loans.
The Government is now consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation sets out proposals on the maximum spend required from landlords and the exemptions regime to manage the cost burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market. We are considering how we can best support landlords to meet the new standards and welcome responses from landlords to the consultation.
The Warm Homes Plan will help cut household bills for families and slash fuel poverty. The Government has committed £3.4 billion towards the Warm Homes Plan over the next three years. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
Future funding towards decarbonisation and to tackle fuel poverty will be considered as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude in late Spring 2025.
By investing in the electrification of heat in buildings, the Warm Homes Plan will help to protect families and businesses from the volatile costs of the international fossil fuel market and make us more secure from the actions of foreign powers.
The data presented in the oil spill map overstates the number of permit breaches associated with oil or chemicals discharged to sea as a number of these report duplicate discharges while some relate to administrative failures to comply with permit conditions, such as sampling and late reporting. The UK has a comprehensive environmental regulatory regime for the offshore oil and gas sector which ensures that provisions are in place to minimise the chances of and, if required, respond to oil and chemical spills. Oil and chemical spills from offshore oil operations are of significant concern to OPRED which is why there is no minimum quantity for reporting. The number of oil and chemical spills reported to OPRED has almost halved since 2018 and the amount of oil and chemical spilled in 2023 is at a historic low. Every spill is investigated by OPRED proportionately and OPRED can take enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of fines or referral for criminal prosecution. OPRED continues to work with industry to improve their performance and further reduce the occurrence of oil and chemical spills.
The data presented in the oil spill map overstates the number of permit breaches associated with oil or chemicals discharged to sea as a number of these report duplicate discharges while some relate to administrative failures to comply with permit conditions, such as sampling and late reporting. The UK has a comprehensive environmental regulatory regime for the offshore oil and gas sector which ensures that provisions are in place to minimise the chances of and, if required, respond to oil and chemical spills. Oil and chemical spills from offshore oil operations are of significant concern to OPRED which is why there is no minimum quantity for reporting. The number of oil and chemical spills reported to OPRED has almost halved since 2018 and the amount of oil and chemical spilled in 2023 is at a historic low. Every spill is investigated by OPRED proportionately and OPRED can take enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of fines or referral for criminal prosecution. OPRED continues to work with industry to improve their performance and further reduce the occurrence of oil and chemical spills.
The Government has launched the ‘Warm and Fuzzy’ campaign to promote the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The campaign seeks to build consumer awareness and understanding of heat pumps, as well as publicising the £7,500 government grant which is available to homeowners, including landlords.
The Government continues to provide advice and support for home upgrades, including the GOV.UK webpage ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in Your Home’ (https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) and the GOV.UK Heat Pump Suitability tool (https://www.gov.uk/check-heat-pump) which landlords can access.
All heat pump installations are expected to comply with Building Regulations. Heat Pumps installed under Government schemes are required to be installed by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified installer.
As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements or ‘REMA’ we are continuing to assess reforms for sending more efficient locational signals in the electricity market. This includes robustly assessing the costs and benefits of both locational (or zonal) pricing against improvements to locational signals in a reformed national pricing market. This will feed into the cost-benefit assessment of REMA reforms.
We have not made any decisions yet and aim to take a decision by around mid-2025.
The Department has been undertaking work to explore how the future role of local energy planning might support net zero, clean power 2030 and efficient network planning. This includes engaging with Ofgem on Regional Energy Strategic Plans, as well as working closely with Innovate UK and the Local Net Zero Hubs.
Additionally, Great British Energy will partner with, and provide funding and support to, local and combined authorities, as well as community energy groups, to roll out a pipeline of local renewable energy projects and develop up to 8GW of cleaner power.
Enforcement is a critical aspect of the policy and is something we are working to address. Government will be increasing our engagement with local authorities to understand the impact and burden of the proposed policy to enable us to take steps to mitigate the impact and support local authorities. The development of the PRS Database in England and Rent Smart Wales will also greatly increase availability and ease of access to information for local authorities.
The electricity market in GB operates on the principle of marginal pricing, whereby the price of electricity is set by the last technology needed to meet overall demand. In the current market, gas prices often set the wholesale electricity price because it is typically the last source of supply to meet demand.
Decarbonising the power system will increase energy security by reducing dependence on imported oil and gas, which will in turn reduce the exposure of consumer bills to volatile international prices. The ever-increasing participation of renewables in the wholesale market means that over time, cheaper electricity produced by renewable technologies will determine the price more often and gas will play a much more limited role in setting the wholesale market price.
Increasing the number of renewables on Contracts for Difference (CfDs) has already made a tangible difference. When wholesale electricity prices spiked in the winter of 2022/23, the CfD delivered the equivalent of an £18 saving on a typical annual household bill.
Expanding the CfD scheme to enable more renewables in the wholesale market will help to rapidly decouple electricity from gas prices without the need for more complex arrangements.
The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme is considering what further steps can be taken to shield consumers from the impacts of potential price spikes.
The second REMA consultation sought views on some specific proposals, including retaining marginal pricing across the wholesale market alongside futureproofing the CfD scheme as the best tool to decouple gas and electricity prices.
Standing charges are a commercial matter for suppliers, and are regulated by Ofgem, but we know that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on them. The Government has worked constructively with the regulator on the issue of standing charges, and we are committed to lowering the cost of them.
Ofgem’s recently published update on reform of standing charges outlines how it will look to make standing charges fairer for consumers. Ofgem has also committed to consider whether these regional differences should remain or whether there is a different option that would better protect consumers overall.
The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) is considering a range of reforms to unlock renewable investment and pass through the benefits of cheaper renewables to consumers. REMA’s Autumn Update, published on 13 December, detailed the progress of policy development in the assessment of options. The Government is aiming to conclude the policy development phase of the REMA programme by mid-2025, after which the final decisions and timetable for implementation will be announced.
The Government is committed to working with the pensions sector to transition to net zero. DESNZ collaborates with DWP and others in Government on this.
Pension schemes in scope of DWP’s requirements must produce an annual Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures report. In the manifesto, we committed to mandate listed companies, financial institutions and pension funds to develop and implement credible transition plans that align with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. The Government will consult in the first half of this year on how best to take this forward.
The Government is also exploring ways to unlock the investment potential of the Local Government Pensions Scheme, through asset pooling for investment into climate-related projects.
The Government is committed to supporting the growth and scaling-up of green technologies, including through the creation of GB Energy, as part of its Clean Energy Superpower Mission. A combined total of £1.3 billion has been committed through the 2021-25 Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) to accelerate the commercialisation of green technologies supporting around 5,500 jobs and leveraging £750 million in private investment. The Government will set out its full approach to seizing the growth opportunities from clean energy industries in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.
The Government is committed to expanding the electricity network to support its Clean Energy Superpower mission and is working closely with Ofgem and industry to mobilise the required investment. Under the most recent price control for electricity distribution, covering 2023-2028, Ofgem has allowed £22.2bn for upfront network investment, of which £3.1bn is set aside for network upgrades to ready the grid for low carbon technologies.
The National Infrastructure Commission published recommendations on 21 February [1] on making the electricity distribution network fit for net zero. We will review the study with our key delivery partners and will publish a formal response this spring.
[1] https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/Electricity-Distribution-Networks-report-21-Feb-2025.pdf
The National Infrastructure Commission published recommendations on 21 February1 on making the electricity distribution network fit for net zero. Their modelling demonstrates that nationally, £37-50 billion of investment in the distribution network could be needed to meet net zero targets by 2050, taking into account expected increases in electricity demand. We are reviewing the study with our key delivery partners and will publish a formal response this spring.
1 https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/Electricity-Distribution-Networks-report-21-Feb-2025.pdf