Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Green and Graham Stuart

Tuesday 16th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Graham Stuart]

I agree with my hon. Friend and the Prime Minister on the importance of Bacton, which, like all gas terminals across the country, has the potential to play a crucial role in our energy security. The decarbonisation of these terminals is vital to delivering both economic growth and net zero. The Hewett field, 20 km offshore from Bacton, was awarded a licence for carbon sea storage by the North Sea Transition Authority in 2023. I hear his loud voice—it will be heard on the Government Benches—about its potential to be a hydrogen hub as well.

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

T2. Data released last year suggests that Britain has one of the largest queues in Europe of wind and solar capacity waiting to be connected to the grid. Will the Minister provide an update on what steps the Department is taking to reduce those waiting times?

[Graham Stuart]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight that issue. At the autumn statement, we announced plans to halve the time it takes to build new critical powerlines as well as reducing average delays from five years to no more than six months. The connection action plan at the more local level will release more than 100 GW of capacity and give powers to the system operator to terminate stalled projects. We are seeking across multiple Departments—led by this one—to deal with the issues that she rightly raised.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Green and Graham Stuart

Tuesday 29th November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Graham Stuart]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, and for his close interest in this field and knowledge of it. I look forward to sharing with the House further thoughts on how we can deliver precisely that more dynamic situation going forward. As he rightly says, there are provisions in the Energy Bill, which I am delighted to announce is resuming its passage through Parliament.

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

6. What steps his Department is taking to support off-grid households with their energy bills.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Minister for Climate (Graham Stuart)]

The Government have doubled support to £200 for alternatively fuelled households in recognition of the pressures caused by rising fuel costs. We are committed to delivering that payment to households as soon as possible this winter, and will announce further information on the delivery and timing of those payments in due course.

[Sarah Green]

People living in park homes are concerned that they have had no further information on when support will be available to them, or how they will access it. One representative of the company managing a park home site in my constituency first raised this issue with me in August, yet months on we still have no further information. Can the Minister provide some reassurance that people living in park homes will not slip through the cracks, and give some clarity as to when they will receive the £400 of support that they have been promised?