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 12 March 2026 to Question 118924, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the proportion of UK Emissions Trading Scheme costs in the maritime sector expected to be passed through to consumers and (b) how that estimate varies by subsector, including ferries and passenger services; and what international evidence underpins those assumptions.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Impact Assessment finds UK ETS compliance costs are modest relative to operators’ overall costs and does not identify significant consumer price impacts. This is expected to be consistent across maritime subsectors.
For ferries and passenger services, the Government has not undertaken route level modelling for the UK ETS domestic maritime expansion, as operators’ commercial decisions, vessel utilisation and fare structures vary widely.
The EU ETS, which includes some passenger ferries in scope, shows fare changes have generally been in the low single digit range. Early evidence from the EU scheme suggests short‑sea shipping routes and ferry fares increased by 3-11% under comparable carbon pricing.
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 10 March 2026 to Question 116783, on Energy: Housing, what assessment his Department has made of the aggregate impact on total household energy consumption of voltage reduction technologies installed in domestic properties, taking into account (a) the proportion of appliances that are power-controlled and resistive, and (b) likely behavioural responses by consumers to any reduction in appliance performance.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The lowering of voltage only reduces electricity consumption with resistive appliances. a)The relative proportion of appliances that are power-controlled vs resistive is moving in favour of power-controlled appliances due to changes in technology. For example, filament bulbs, electric bar fires, immersion heating and older white goods are resistive, but more efficient LED bulbs, heat pumps, EV chargers and modern white goods with asynchronous motors are power controlled. b) The department has not conducted studies of consumer responses to poorer performance from their resistive appliances due to lower voltages.
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 he has made of the potential impact of UK ETS compliance costs on ferry fares for passengers and businesses, particularly those in the hospitality sector using the Isle of Wight route.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Impact Assessment does not identify significant consumer price impacts and finds that compliance costs for domestic maritime operators are modest relative to their overall operating costs, with fuel and carbon costs forming only one part of total running costs. These findings are consistent with international evidence showing changes to ferry ticket prices in the low single digit range under equivalent carbon pricing.
The Government will review the maritime element of the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme in 2028 to ensure that its impacts remain accurate, proportionate and fully assessed as the sector continues to decarbonise.
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 he has made of the potential impact of current electricity costs on the rate of electric vehicle uptake; and what assessment he has made of the effect of electricity pricing mechanisms on those costs.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On electric vehicle uptake, the Department for Transport has not assessed the potential impact of current electricity costs on the rate of uptake, and it is too early to determine how changes in fuel and electricity prices may influence electric vehicle adoption. The Department for Transport will monitor closely and remains fully committed to the ZEV transition.
On energy pricing, Ofgem are reviewing how we could recover energy system costs from consumers (including consumers who own electric vehicles) in ways that are fairer and more efficient through their Cost Allocation and Recovery Review. DESNZ are working closely with the regulator on this.
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 his Department has considered implementing the measures suggested by the International Energy Agency following the global oil and gas supply issues resulting from Iranian efforts to impede oil and gas transfers via the straight of Hormuz.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department works closely with the International Energy Agency to monitor oil and gas markets, including risks arising from disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. The IEA has published a range of potential measures as advice to governments across the world. These are recommendations rather than requirements.
The Government has no current plans to implement the measures suggested and will continue to work with industry and international partners to safeguard energy security.
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 his Department is reviewing documents released to the media in March 2025 in relation to the employment tribunal involving the Drax whistleblower; and whether any findings from that material have been shared with the regulator.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ does not hold these documents, so is not reviewing them and has not shared them with Ofgem.
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, a) what services were provided under contract PS24098 awarded to Guidehouse Europe Limited titled “Consulting service for internal assurance of existing sustainability assurance arrangement”; b) which body within his Department or its arm’s-length bodies commissioned that contract; c) what the objectives and scope of the consultancy work were; d) what deliverables were produced under the contract between 5 August 2024 and 30 September 2024; and e) whether the Department plans to publish the outputs of that work.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Following a report published by the National Audit Office in January 2024, titled “the government’s support for biomass”, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero commissioned Guidehouse to review the robustness of the biomass sustainability assurance processes which were in place at the time. Guidehouse produced a report for the Department in September 2024. There are no plans to publish this report.
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 18 February 2026 to Question 112225, whether he has made an estimate of the level of passthrough to consumers as a (a) cost increase per passenger ticket and (b) percentage increase in fares.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Impact Assessment, any passthrough to consumers is expected to be modest. International evidence, including from the EU ETS, shows fare changes have generally been in the low single digit range.
The Government has not undertaken route level ferry fare or passenger ticket modelling for the UK ETS domestic maritime expansion, as operators’ commercial decisions, vessel utilisation and fare structures vary widely.
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 his Department has made of the impact of voltage reduction technologies installed in homes on household energy bills.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The effect of voltage reduction on consumer bills varies between appliances. For appliances that are power controlled (including most electronics, LED lighting, EV chargers and heat pumps), lowering the voltage does not reduce energy consumption and reduce consumer bills. For appliances that are resistive (electric heaters, filament lights), the devices work less well at lower voltages and the effect on consumer bills depends on the consumer’s response to this reduction in performance (e.g. by switching on more heating or lighting).
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 2 March 2026 to Question 114111, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of centrally collecting data on the procurement of retread and single-use imported tyres for heavy vehicle fleets for his Department and its arms length bodies; and if he will make it his policy to introduce arrangements to do so.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No such assessment has been made.