Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
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 ending the ECO scheme on energy efficiency sector workers and businesses.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. The Government will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, including new regulations for renters and new builds treating millions of homes, and the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, the Government will use the procurement regime to support local supply chains and small businesses, working closely with the retrofit sector, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are working with the Department for Business and Trade to develop support for employees and companies in the construction sector.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on establishing the Warm Homes Plan workforce.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will create high-quality jobs and boost innovation to deliver economic growth. The government, in partnership with the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has established the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce to facilitate the transition, creation and growth of a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce for existing workers and new entrants. The Taskforce held its inaugural meeting in January this year. The Taskforce supports the government’s ambition to make sure the additional 180,000 jobs in energy efficiency and clean heating, created by the Warm Homes Plan, will be high-quality, well-paid and future-proofed.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of SMEs and microbusinesses in the energy efficiency sector and wider supply chains that are dependent on ECO scheme funding.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. The Government will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, including new regulations for renters and new builds treating millions of homes, and the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, the Government will use the procurement regime to support local supply chains and small businesses, working closely with the retrofit sector, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are working with the Department for Business and Trade to develop support for employees and companies in the construction sector.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
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 provide support to energy efficiency (a) SMEs and (b) microbusinesses dependent on ECO scheme funding.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. The Government will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, including new regulations for renters and new builds treating millions of homes, and the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, the Government will use the procurement regime to support local supply chains and small businesses, working closely with the retrofit sector, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are working with the Department for Business and Trade to develop support for employees and companies in the construction sector.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on establishing the Warm Homes Agency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Following the announcement of the Warm Homes Agency, officials have been working with relevant stakeholders, including Ofgem, Salix, devolved governments and local authorities, to develop the design, scope and functions of the Agency. We will further develop the specifications for the functions that the Agency will deliver during 2026, with the Warm Homes Agency beginning initial operations in 2027.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding is currently available for energy efficiency retrofitting of insulation for low-income households; and what funding will be available through the (a) Warm Homes Plan and (b) other scheme after December 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The £15 billion investment in the Warm Homes Plan includes £5 billion allocated to low-income households, delivered initially through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG).
These continue to provide fabric measures, alongside clean heat, solar panels and other bill saving measures for low-income households and those in social housing, to improve thermal comfort, cut bills and reduce fuel poverty.
From 2027/28, we intend to integrate the WH:SHF and WH:LG into a single low-income capital scheme which will shift toward area-based delivery. We will say more about the evolution of low-income schemes by Spring 2026.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to correspondence from the hon. Member for Salford of 11 September 2025 on the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The letter in question was transferred to this Department and issues raised were addressed in a response issued on 15 October.
The 15 October letter was a response to correspondence received from my hon Friend on 11 September 2025 and 17 September on the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
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 report by Key Cities Innovation Network entitled Civic partners in Net Zero, published in April 2024, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of local civic partnerships with universities in achieving net zero targets.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government recognises that both local organisations and universities can, and do, play an important role in driving local action on net zero and is supportive of them working together to do so. We provide a range of support for Local areas to decarbonise, for example through our Local Net Zero Hubs which support local authorities to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment.