Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the insulation of housing.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future.
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. In 2025-2026 alone, we will be upgrading up to 300,000 homes, using around £1 billion of Warm Homes Plan money, social housing provider co-funding, and further support through the Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme.
We will set out further details on the Warm Homes Plan in due course.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 taking steps to help develop deep geothermal energy resources.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We know that to achieve net zero, we must look at how we can accelerate the potential of all low carbon technologies including geothermal. The Government understands that geothermal can play a role in our decarbonisation ambitions. The Green Heat Network Fund is able to support applications for heat network investments utilising deep geothermal heat, and geothermal technologies that generate electricity are eligible for the Contracts for Difference scheme. We have also commissioned research into unlocking geothermal heat in the UK and will use this to understand how the government can support the sector to achieve its potential.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 made an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) construction and (b) operational phases of solar parks on (i) traffic and (ii) communities whose main transport routes are single track highways .
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are established routes in the planning system, such as the National Policy Statements, which consider the transportation impacts of solar projects throughout their construction and operation.
The main traffic impacts are likely to be during construction, however, solar farms are generally comprised of small structures, transported in smaller vehicles before being constructed on-site. Once operational, traffic movements are usually very light, mainly for site maintenance.
Developers are also required to consider the suitability of access routes as part of their application. They may need to modify existing or construct new roads where current infrastructure is unsuitable.