Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2026 to Question 30489, how the Tropical Forests Forever Facility will count as a loan rather than a grant given "Funds that flow from the TFFF to forest countries will not have to be repaid.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s is proposing to make a £400 million investment as a repayable investment to the Tropical Forest Investment Fund (TFIF), the investment arm of the TFFF. The TFIF will invest this capital, with the returns generated used to make payments to eligible tropical forest countries for protecting their forests. These payments to forest countries will not need to be repaid.
The detailed financial model is being developed by the Facility and its partners, and the UK’s investment is expected to be repaid with a return, subject to final terms, due diligence and the UK’s conditions being met.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, further to the No10 press release, Cheaper travel for millions with a third off fares, of 22 July 2026, which international climate finance projects will have their funding converted into loans to fund the £454 million; whether the borrowing will core on the PSBR; and over what period the loans will be paid back.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is switching £400 million of grant funding set aside for future international climate finance projects into loans, providing more flexible ways to meet our international climate objectives.
This will support Government’s intention to invest £400m of loan finance into the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a new global forests fund which aims to preserve tropical forests, support forest communities and protect critical global ecosystems. Funds that flow from the TFFF to forest countries will not have to be repaid.
As we are investing in the form of a repayable loan, it is not funded through additional borrowing. The terms of this loan is subject to the Funds finalisation, completions of our due diligence checks and our conditions being met, in line with normal value for money and Official Development Assistance requirements.
We are continuing to engage with HMT on savings.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2026 to Question 16609 on Aviation: UK Emissions Trading Scheme, if she will publish the (a) low, (b) central and (c) high scenarios modelled for the impact of UK ETS allowance prices on the cost of domestic flights between 2026 and 2050.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has not published and has no current plans to publish estimates of the impact of UK Emissions Trading Scheme allowance prices on the cost of UK domestic flights between 2026 and 2050.
As set out in the answer previously provided to the hon. Member, the Department publishes traded carbon values for modelling purposes, which provide scenario-based projections of future carbon prices rather than forecasts. Owing to the uncertainty associated with long-term carbon price projections and emissions, any estimates of future impacts on air fares would be subject to significant uncertainty.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2026 to Question 16636 on Department for Transport: Public Relations, how much was spent on 23rd's work on the Electric Vehicles campaign, and what services that expenditure covered.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The expenditure on 23red’s work for the Electric Vehicles campaign was met from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s budget for the Clean Energy Mission campaign. 23red is engaged primarily as a partnership agency supporting delivery of campaign partnerships and stakeholder engagement activity.
The Electric Vehicles campaign forms part of the wider cross-government Clean Energy communications programme to make the UK a clean energy superpower, which is led by DESNZ in partnership with the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2026 to Question 16636 on Department for Transport: Public Relations, from which Department's budget the expenditure on 23red's work for the Electric Vehicles campaign was met.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The expenditure on 23red’s work for the Electric Vehicles campaign was met from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s budget for the Clean Energy Mission campaign. 23red is engaged primarily as a partnership agency supporting delivery of campaign partnerships and stakeholder engagement activity.
The Electric Vehicles campaign forms part of the wider cross-government Clean Energy communications programme to make the UK a clean energy superpower, which is led by DESNZ in partnership with the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the extension of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to maritime on defence manufacturing businesses on the Isle of Wight.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme expanded to include maritime emissions earlier this year.
The Scheme applies to ship owners and operators, who are responsible for monitoring and reporting emissions from in-scope activities and surrendering allowances.
This expansion does not place obligations on manufacturing businesses, including those in the defence sector.
An Impact Assessment was published on 25 November 2025.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria her Department will use to determine whether Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage at Drax represents value for money.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No final decisions around the deployment of large-scale BECCS projects have been made. Any potential projects must go through due process in a CCUS allocation round including eligibility checks, assessment, and due diligence ahead of any project-specific decisions.
If government decides to explore a support agreement with any generator to enable its conversion to power BECCS, we will examine their costs and projected revenues in detail to determine what would be a proportionate and justified arrangement that provides value for money for consumers.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria she will use when considering requests by Drax Power Station to supply electricity directly to data centres under future support arrangements.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The low-carbon dispatchable Contract for Difference (LCD CfD) signed with Drax Power Station for the period 2027-31 contains a provision for the generator to request the ability to provide up to 500MW of power to a data centre via a private wire.
The Government, in conjunction with the Low Carbon Contracts Company as the CfD counterparty, will assess any such request against criteria that take account of energy security, affordability and sustainability, to ensure that any decision is in the interests of the consumer.
All power generated by Drax during this period – whether for the grid or a data centre – must use fuel which complies with the strengthened sustainability criteria set out in the LCD CfD.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether information arising from the Drax whistleblower case has informed the development of future biomass sustainability monitoring and reporting requirements.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government keeps arrangements for assuring compliance with biomass sustainability requirements under review and is committed to a process of continuous improvement in biomass sustainability standards, compliance, and verification.
This includes considering lessons from Ofgem’s extensive 2024 investigation into Drax’s sustainability reporting and the recently completed global audit of Drax’s biomass supply chain which Ofgem required Drax to conduct and fund. Reporting and verification arrangements have been strengthened under the new contract with Drax from 2027-31, including enhanced audit rights for the Low Carbon Contracts Company.
These lessons will also inform the forthcoming Common Biomass Sustainability Framework, which will strengthen sustainability criteria and ensure greater consistency across sectors in the longer term.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any review has been undertaken of biomass sustainability verification procedures following allegations raised in the Drax whistleblower case.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government keeps arrangements for assuring compliance with biomass sustainability requirements under review and is committed to a process of continuous improvement in biomass sustainability standards, compliance, and verification.
This includes considering lessons from Ofgem’s extensive 2024 investigation into Drax’s sustainability reporting and the recently completed global audit of Drax’s biomass supply chain which Ofgem required Drax to conduct and fund. Reporting and verification arrangements have been strengthened under the new contract with Drax from 2027-31, including enhanced audit rights for the Low Carbon Contracts Company.
These lessons will also inform the forthcoming Common Biomass Sustainability Framework, which will strengthen sustainability criteria and ensure greater consistency across sectors in the longer term.