Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 20 December 2023 to Question 6782 on Maritime and Coastguard Agency: EU Emissions Trading Scheme, what her Department's timetable is for publishing the next consultation on the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
In July 2023, the UK ETS Authority published its response to the 2022 Developing the UK ETS Consultation. In this, the Authority committed to expanding the UK ETS to cover emissions from domestic maritime from 2026, as well as energy from waste and waste incineration from 2028 preceded by a 2-year MRV only period. The Authority committed to consulting further on technical details of implementation of the UK ETS, and this will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to her Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) was established in February 2023 as a result of the Machinery of Government changes, so records only exist for one year.
The following table includes the number of lost or stolen ministerial red boxes from DESNZ for 2023.
| 2023 |
Lost | 0 |
Stolen | 0 |
The Departmental Security Unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in her Department in each of the last two years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department was created on 7 February 2023, and following this its ministers moved into a new Government Property Agency (GPA) Hub building at 55 Whitehall, London. GPA refurbished the ministerial office space in 55 Whitehall ahead of the Department's moving into the building.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many settlement payments her Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero did not exist as a separate Department for the time period between 2019-20 and 2022-23 so does not hold separate records for this period.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether there have been any power cuts on their Department's property in each of the last three years.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department does not keep an official record of the occurrence of power cuts.
The Government Property Agency (GPA) is responsible for managing the Department’s office estate, including the provision of utilities and maintenance of the building. The Department’s Estates Team officials work closely with GPA to ensure that any power supply issues that do occur are quickly addressed.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) total cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external hard drives that have been (A) lost and (B) stolen in the last year.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Between 7th February 2023, when the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) was formed, to 10th November 2023, records show the following devices were reported lost or stolen.
| (A) Lost | (B) Stolen | Replacement Cost |
(i) Laptop | 14 | 8 | £19,250 (£875 unit) |
(ii) Mobile Phone | 76 | 6 | £29,110 (£355 unit) |
DESNZ has a policy for the controlled use of memory sticks and external hard drives. These are only permitted with a valid and approved business case and using authorised, hardware encrypted devices. Once approved, individual Directorates are responsible for controlling the memory sticks and external hard drives, therefore no figures on loss are held centrally.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she will make it her Department's policy to end renewable subsidies for tree burning in power stations.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has no plans to remove support for biomass generating stations that are already supported under the Renewables Obligation (RO) and the Contract for Difference (CfD) schemes. Such generators undertook their investments in establishing their stations under these schemes and have a statutory right to their existing support.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Gypsies and Travellers living on roadside camps and (b) itinerant liveaboard Boaters can access the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Officials are still working to determine if there is a robust method for Gypsies and Travellers and itinerant liveaboard boaters to provide proof that their caravan or boat is their main or sole residence. This is necessary so they can receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding support whilst protecting public funds from fraud. The Government is working to resolve this issue and will communicate any decision with stakeholder associations who represent these households when it has been made.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of competition in the retail energy market.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government does hold this information.
Ofgem monitors the retail energy market for gas and electricity and these data are published regularly on the Ofgem website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/retail-market-indicators.
The number of consumers switching contracts is a key metric indicating the level of competition. Ofgem’s data show that switching remains significantly below that seen before the gas price crisis started. However, the most recent figures for February 2023 show that the total number of switches was up 41% relative to January 2023, and 58% above the level observed in February 2022.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have applied to receive Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding as of 4 May 2023; and what proportion of those applications have been processed.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Figures on the number of households who have applied for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will be published on GOV.UK on 11 May. This will include the number of applications which have been approved for payment or paid.