Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 key workers can reach their place of employment in the event of a fuel shortage.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is monitoring developments in relation to the Middle East closely. The UK benefits from a diverse and resilient supply chain. Around 90% of crude oil refined in the UK is imported, and approximately 1%,comes from the Middle East. This diverse supply means that the Government assesses that fuel supply is stable and remains accessible to those who need it.
Government routinely reviews and exercises its preparedness arrangements for a range of scenarios, including through the National Emergency Plan for Fuel (NEP-F). This is a long-standing, precautionary framework designed to ensure that, in the unlikely event of a severe and sustained disruption, fuel can be prioritised for those who need it most.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 support individuals with high domestic power bills arising from complex medical needs, particularly in light of recent fluctuations in energy prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From April, households will benefit from reduction energy bills thanks to the action that the Government took in the Budget, with the price cap falling by £117, giving households certainty on their bills until July.
The government have also announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. Funding is being delivered by local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
They may also be eligible for support such as the Warm Home Discount and I would urge anyone in such a challenging situation to contact their energy supplier or Citizens Advice to see what further support is available. Vulnerable consumers who need extra support are also able to sign up for the Priority Services Register for free.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 support individuals with high domestic power bills arising from complex medical needs.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From April, households will benefit from reduction energy bills thanks to the action that the Government took in the Budget, with the price cap falling by £117, giving households certainty on their bills until July.
The government have also announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. Funding is being delivered by local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
They may also be eligible for support such as the Warm Home Discount and I would urge anyone in such a challenging situation to contact their energy supplier or Citizens Advice to see what further support is available. Vulnerable consumers who need extra support are also able to sign up for the Priority Services Register for free.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Department has considered expanding the remit of the Warm Homes programme to provide impartial and reliable guidance on electric vehicle adoption and associated technologies, similar to the support provided by the Home Energy Scotland service for energy efficiency and heating.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
One of the main objectives of the Warm Homes Agency is to provide reliable, impartial advice to support consumers through their home decarbonisation journey and the Government will be taking learnings from other trusted sources to aid its design of the Agency. The full scope of the Agency, including the design and contents of its advisory function, is being finalised and will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to provide financial incentives to support the adoption of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is committed to supporting the rapid development and adoption of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as it has the potential to reduce the cost of electric vehicle (EV) ownership whilst supporting the rapid decarbonisation of our energy system and lowering energy bills for all.
The 2025 Clean Flexibility Roadmap highlights actions that government, Ofgem and NESO are taking to support the roll out of V2G beyond innovation investments to date. This includes steps to make it more financially rewarding for EV drivers to utilise V2G through introducing legislation when parliamentary time allows to remove levies from being charged on electricity exported back to the grid. We are also considering incentivising vehicles with V2G capability, such as using innovative credit models within the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered international policy frameworks that distribute responsibility for emissions reductions to account for historic and present inequalities between high-emitting and low-emitting nations.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Paris Agreement, 194 parties have committed to act to limit global warming.
It is right that developed countries should take the lead by undertaking economy-wide absolute emission reduction targets.
However, every country must accelerate action to tackle climate change this decade, recognising different national circumstances and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.
Countries on the front lines of the climate crisis face barriers to investment and increasing costs of dealing with the current and future impacts. The UK is committed to supporting them build resilience to current and future climate impacts.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he Department has made of the potential merits of Ofgem’s pay flexibility business case.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem is a non-Ministerial Government Department, not an agency or office of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, so DESNZ Ministers do not determine Ofgem’s pay flexibility business case.
However, the Secretary of State has given his consent to the business case being sent to the Cabinet Office and HMT Treasury, who are currently considering whether it is consistent with Civil Service pay policies, is value for money, and affordable.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with the Chief Executive of Ofgem regarding a) the ongoing pay dispute, as well as b) job security at Ofgem.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the mine water geothermal heat project recently piloted in Gateshead, what steps his Department is taking to support the development and rollout of low-cost, ecological, alternative carbon heating systems using geothermal energy from flooded coal mines or sewer systems.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To achieve net zero at lowest cost, we are accelerating low-carbon technologies, including geothermal. Water from coal mines and sewer systems offers strong potential for heat networks. Projects can apply to the Green Heat Network Fund for support. DESNZ promotes sewer heat recovery as a reliable urban heat source, given its stable temperatures and alignment with demand. To ensure sustainable deployment, DESNZ issued Exclusion Zone Guidance to protect sewer thermal integrity and avoid conflicts between abstraction points, giving developers and water companies confidence in performance and investment. The Mining Remediation Authority has also published opportunity maps.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 with the Scottish Government to ensure that businesses can increase the supply of apprenticeships in response to increases in levels of regional demand for green jobs.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Young people in all UK regions and nations will benefit from the good jobs that the clean energy economy can bring. In Scotland, we estimate up to 40,000 additional clean energy jobs by 2030.
Skills policy is devolved, but the UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government as we train up the next generation.
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper outlines our vision for a world-class skills system, giving students better opportunities, skills, and pathways to success, while meeting employer needs.
The Growth and Skills Offer, with apprenticeships at its heart, will deliver greater flexibility for employers.