Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people with disabilities were employed in his Department on 2 September 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of employees who have declared they are disabled as of 31 August 2025 in the department is 535.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps their Department is taking to implement the guidance entitled The government’s approach to rural proofing 2025, published on 15 May 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.
Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.
Rural proofing is important because rural communities are an important part of the economy. Rural areas are home to around one-fifth of England’s population and half a million registered businesses.
Policy outcomes in rural areas can be affected by economies of scale, distance, sparsity and demography. That is why it is important that government policies consider how they can be delivered in rural areas. Rural proofing ensures that these areas receive fair and equitable policy outcomes.
Our department takes its obligation to rural proofing seriously and is committed to ensuring there is a suitable low-carbon heat solution for every home, including rural properties, through the Warm Homes Plan. The government recognises that heat pumps may not be the best solution for all buildings. Other low carbon heating technologies are available, and the government offers grants of £5,000 for biomass boilers in off-gas-grid rural homes under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The department has recently consulted on expanding BUS to support other low carbon heating technologies.
The government is offering energy efficiency upgrades to rural low-income homeowners through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, with support available until 2028.
The Local Net Zero Delivery Group convenes Government Ministers and local government leaders, including from rural areas, to discuss net zero strategy, policy and delivery, this provides a forum which supports rural proofing.
Great British Energy, the new publicly owned energy company, will be supporting community energy schemes, including in rural communities, as it delivers its mission to accelerate clean power deployment.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how MEES (minimum energy efficiency standards) took into account properties which are not occupied for less than half of the period between 1 October 2024 and 30 April 2025.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As of April 2020, privately rented homes in England and Wales are required to meet the minimum standard of Energy Performance Certificate E before they can be let, unless a valid exemption applies. The regulations are applicable if a property is let on an assured tenancy, regulated tenancy, or domestic agricultural tenancy, and legally required to have an EPC. There is more information and guidance on the requirement to have an EPC available on gov.uk.
For non-domestic rented buildings, minimum energy efficiency standards only apply where the property is leased on a term certain of 6 months to 99 years.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how minimum energy efficiency standards take into account properties which are not occupied for less than half of the period between 1 October and 30 April.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As of April 2020, privately rented homes in England and Wales are required to meet the minimum standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) E before they can be let, unless a valid exemption applies. The regulations are applicable if a property is let on an assured tenancy, regulated tenancy, or domestic agricultural tenancy, and legally required to have an EPC. There is more information and guidance on the requirement to have an EPC available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing solar panels on the roofs of (a) car parks, (b) warehouses and (c) council-owned buildings in Norfolk.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will assess the potential to drive the construction of solar canopies on outdoor carparks over a certain size through a call for evidence this year.
New standards will be introduced this year which will amend the energy efficiency standards in the Building Regulations in England. This will ensure all new homes and buildings, including warehouses and council-owned buildings, in England are zero-carbon ready.
Further details about how the Government will increase the deployment of solar panels will be set out in the forthcoming Solar Roadmap.