Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a 15-year government-backed low-interest loan scheme for household solar and battery storage where monthly loan repayments do not exceed average monthly energy bill savings.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises that upfront costs can be a barrier to households installing clean energy technologies. Through the Warm Homes Plan, we are introducing the Warm Homes Loan Scheme, a government-supported scheme designed to make affordable finance more accessible for eligible home energy improvements. The Scheme will enable participating lenders to offer lower-cost finance for technologies including solar PV and battery storage, helping households spread the upfront cost over time. Participating lenders will remain responsible for product design, lending decisions and affordability assessments. The Government continues to consider how green finance can support households to invest in measures that can reduce their energy bills.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure compliance with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations for legacy solar panels where the original equipment manufacturer or installer has ceased trading.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended) are a matter for my Rt Hon friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

As set out in the Solar Roadmap published in June 2025, the Government has committed to maximising the use of resources and reducing waste by moving to a circular economy, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has convened a taskforce of experts from across government, industry, academia and non-governmental organisations to develop a Circular Economy Strategy.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 26920 on Notice to Importers: imports from Israel into the United Kingdom, what estimate his Department has made of the number of illegal settlement expansions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 22 August 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government does not maintain our own separate estimate of the number of settlement expansions in the Palestinian Territories. We use a range of sources to assess settlement activity and expansions. On 8 September, the Foreign Secretary announced a new sanctions regime designed to stop UK economic activity supporting the expansion of illegal settlements, including a ban on imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements and new powers to target individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlement activity.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Question 26024 answered on the 1st September 2026, whether her Department has considered the potential benefits of issuing specific guidance for social housing providers on managing end-of-life solar photovoltaic panel disposal and recycling across large housing portfolios.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to her on 9 September 2026 to Question UIN 26024.

Legislation is in place to control the disposal of solar equipment at the end of its life, and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended) are a matter for my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Government will keep under review whether specific guidance for social housing providers managing large portfolios of solar panels would be beneficial.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Question 28731, whether his Department holds a formal policy assessment on the application of (a) Pillar 2 and (b) Pillar 3 of the UN Responsibility to Protect framework in relation to the human rights situation in Xinjiang.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 22 September to question 28731.

Found: King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH Email: [email protected] Sarah Champion

Found: Yours sincerely, Sarah Champion MP Chair of the International Development Committee

Found: OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Sarah Champion MP Chair

Found: @houseofcommons parliament.uk Restricted: For Committee use only Yours sincerely, Sarah Champion