Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate her Department has made of the number of industrial electrification projects that are abandoned before they reach a formal grid connection application.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that addressing barriers to electrification is critical to ensuring electrification is commercially viable and investable at scale.
We continue to engage with viable industrial electrification projects and understand that the grid connection process itself presents a barrier for some sites obtaining a formal grid connection.
Ofgem has initiated an end-to-end review, a comprehensive regulatory overhaul designed to improve the UK's electricity grid connections process. DESNZ continues to engage with Ofgem on the end-to-end as well as NESO on its Connections Reform work, to improve the grid connection process for industrial users.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she plans to take to ensure that distribution network operators provide an estimate of grid connection costs before a business spends time or money on the formal application process.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Businesses can access information on estimated connection costs, ahead of submitting a connection application, either via a Budget Estimate or ‘self-serve’ online tools. Information is available on distribution network operator websites for example AutoDesign | Northern Powergrid.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to (a) incorporate the potential for industrial electrification into its industrial strategy to (i) protect jobs and (ii) support economic growth, and (b) ensure that the grid connection process does not act as a barrier to these goals.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government is committed to supporting UK industry, including to take advantage of new opportunities that can promote competitiveness, economic growth and resilience. Clean energy is at the heart of this transition, and decarbonising via electrification will unlock investment, reduce industry’s reliance on volatile fossil fuels and protect thousands of jobs in regions across the UK.
The Government recognises that addressing key barriers to electrification is critical to ensuring it is commercially viable and investable at scale. This includes grid constraints and connection delays, which can weaken the investment case for electrification
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is the independent, publicly owned body responsible for planning and operating Great Britain's electricity and gas transmission systems. We are working closely with Ofgem, the Electricity System Operator and network companies to accelerate network connections.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the difference between upfront grid connection costs in the UK and equivalent sites in other European countries on industrial investment decisions.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government is committed to supporting industrial investment in Great Britain, although responsibility for the connection charging regulatory framework falls to Ofgem. To reduce barriers to investment, Ofgem recently consulted on proposals to move away from the current securities regime for demand users, which requires all transmission costs to be securitised up front, to a milestones-based regime. Ofgem will publish its decision on this in due course.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the proposed timeline is for the implementation of the Warm Homes Plan, and what steps are being taken to ensure collaboration with local authorities, industry stakeholders, and consumer groups in its delivery.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government remains committed to delivering the Warm Homes Plan which will be published soon. At the Autumn Budget 2024 the Chancellor announced an additional £1.5 billion of funding for the Warm Homes Plan, bringing total capital investment to almost £15 billion. This exceeds the manifesto commitment of £13.2 billion.
As part of the development of the Plan, this department has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders through a variety of different fora to ensure a wide range of views are considered.
This includes working with local authorities and social housing providers, who in March last year were allocated £1.8 billion to install energy saving measures across the country through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Local Grant.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will set out the detailed allocation plan for the additional £1.5 billion funding for the Energy Company Obligation, including the timeline for disbursement and the criteria for prioritising households.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
ECO4 has played a part in delivering clean heat technologies; however, issues identified by the NAO and PAC support a shift to a more direct, publicly-funded approach focused on technologies that cut bills and accelerate the transition to clean heat such as heat pumps, solar PV and batteries. The government is providing an additional £1.5 billion—taking planned capital investment to almost £15 billion—to upgrade low‑income homes and scale clean home‑energy technologies. Deployment will be further supported through wider policies and details of this will be set out soon in the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures are being introduced to protect and support small and medium-sized enterprises in the retrofit supply chain under the Energy Company Obligation and related schemes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
ECO4 has played a part in delivering clean heat technologies; however, issues identified by the NAO and PAC support a shift to a more direct, publicly-funded approach focused on technologies that cut bills and accelerate the transition to clean heat such as heat pumps, solar PV and batteries. The government is providing an additional £1.5 billion—taking planned capital investment to almost £15 billion—to upgrade low‑income homes and scale clean home‑energy technologies. Deployment will be further supported through wider policies and details of this will be set out soon in the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason the investment reserves for the (a) Mineworkers Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme were not transferred to members at the same time.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The transfer of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme investment reserve was a manifesto commitment which the Government has fulfilled. The BCSSS scheme has some differences to the MPS, but we are working with the BCSSS Trustees to consider their proposals.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
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 transparency data entitled DESNZ ministerial travel, January to March 2023, published on 20 July 2023, what meetings took place during the visit to India by the then Secretary of State from 9 to 23 March 2023; and how much was spent on (a) overnight accommodation, (b) plane tickets and (c) other expenses.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The then Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero visited Mumbai and New Delhi from 19-22 March 2023. During the visit, he opened the new British International Investment office in Mumbai and met India’s Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh. He also met India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant. He held engagements with a range of representatives from businesses and the third sector, including green investors. The total cost of the Secretary of State’s flights and accommodation was £9,346.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, to which (a) businesses and (b) locations his Department provided funding through the Offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme fund, SeAH Wind received £17 million to build an XXL monopile foundation manufacturing facility in Teesside; JDR Cable Systems received £14 million to build a subsea cable factory in Northumberland; Smulders received £7 million to enable the manufacture of transition pieces at their facility in Wallsend and South Tees Development Corporation received £20 million for work at the Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre.