Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 extension of ECO4 being limited to December 2026 on insulation installers and the supply chain.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises the closure of the supplier obligation schemes may present challenges for companies in the supply chain. The government is committed to supporting businesses to transition to new opportunities in the sector. The Warm Homes Plan sets out government’s plans to invest nearly £15 billion in home upgrades. The number of UK jobs supported in clean energy industries and their supply chains is estimated to increase from around 440,000 today to around 860,000 by 2030 and we are working closely with the sector to support its growth.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the Warm Homes Agency's scope will be; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that agency working within local authorities on the (a) impartiality, (b) independence and (c) trust in that service.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is currently refining the Agency’s scope, specifically exploring how to work with local partners to maximise the impact of place-based delivery. Maintaining impartiality, independence, and public trust is fundamental to the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan. These principles are central to the ongoing work to finalise the Agency’s core functions and operational specifications.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the potential impact of the United States leaving the Paris Climate Agreement on the global, collective effort to lower fossil fuel emissions and tackle climate change.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Decisions on participation in the Paris Agreement are for individual countries to make. The UK supports the UNFCCC and wants to see as many countries as possible participate.
The UK will continue to work with all countries to tackle the urgency of the climate crisis, and will pursue an energy policy that gives us energy security and helps get bills down for good.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Warm Homes Plan, published on 21 January 2026, what proportion of consumer loans will be zero-interest.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will set out further detail on the consumer loan offer in due course. Engagement with the lending industry is ongoing to support the development of a range of options suitable for different consumers and different technologies. Interest rates will vary across different types of products, all significantly discounted from market rates. This will ensure households have meaningful choice while keeping costs as low as possible. The Government's priority is to make these technologies affordable for households so that every family can access them and benefit from the associated bill savings.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 potential merits of publishing a call for evidence for the independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Decisions made about the Rycroft Review, within the scope of its terms of reference, are a matter for the independent reviewer and his team.
The review team’s email address is published online alongside the terms of reference here.
The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that the consultation process for the independent review into foreign interference in UK politics remains (i) transparent and (ii) accessible to people outside major political parties.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Decisions made about the Rycroft Review, within the scope of its terms of reference, are a matter for the independent reviewer and his team.
The review team’s email address is published online alongside the terms of reference here.
The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department plans to tackle skills shortages in retrofitting and home decarbonisation.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will create good jobs across the country, with 180,000 additional high-quality, well-paid, future-proofed jobs in energy efficiency and clean heating by 2030. We are investing £15 billion to upgrade up to five million homes by 2030; the biggest ever public investment to upgrade British homes. This demonstrates our commitment to ramp up retrofit delivery. Chapter Six of the plan outlines the actions that the Government will be taking to support and facilitate growth, jobs and innovation, including establishing a new Workforce Taskforce in partnership with the Trade Unions Congress.
The Plan will unlock £38 billion in total investment across the Parliament, and with additional funding for skills, innovation and UK manufacturing, we will ensure that British workers and businesses reap the benefits.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her timeline is for rolling out the data sharing project between her Department, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs; and what impact that project will have on energy bills.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I am pleased to say that we have been working on this project since September and are currently conducting a three-month discovery exercise to inform the development of potential data solutions. Depending on the solutions identified, we intend to commence a pilot phase in the spring. Once a suitable solution is developed and tested, we will work with departments to explore the potential to integrate improved household income data into new and existing energy bill and other support schemes. Better data will allow government to target energy bills support more accurately, allowing us to reduce the bills of those who most need help.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the points-based immigration system in the recruitment and retention of UK-trained newly qualified doctors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recent specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the points-based immigration system in the recruitment and retention of United Kingdom-trained newly qualified doctors.
However, the number of applications to foundation and speciality training has increased over recent years, both from people graduating from UK medical schools, UK medical graduates, and from graduates of international medical schools, international medical graduates.
For specialty training, the number of international medical graduates applying for places has significantly increased since 2020. Data from the General Medical Council (GMC) shows that the number of non-UK trained doctors applying for Core Training Year One and Specialty Training Year One places has increased from 5,326 in 2019 to 18,857 in 2024, a 254% increase. Over the same period, the number of UK trained applicants increased from 8,836 to 11,319, a 28% increase.
Internationally trained doctors may also be seeking employment outside of medical specialty training posts and GMC data shows that the proportion of doctors taking up or returning to a GMC licence to practice who were trained outside of the UK was 57% in 2019, which has increased to 66% in 2024.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the review of the Carr-Hill formula will conclude; and when he plans to publish its findings.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The review of the Carr-Hill formula has been commissioned through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and commenced in October 2025. The first phase of the review is expected to conclude in March 2026. Subject to ministerial decision, further work would be undertaken to technically develop and model any proposed changes to the formula.
Findings from the review will be published in due course by the NIHR. Members of Parliament will be updated once the review findings are available.
Implementation of any new funding approach would be subject to ministerial decision and consultation with the General Practice Committee of England, of the British Medical Association, in the context of the available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the General Medical Services Contract within this Parliament.