Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many community energy schemes in England are projected to make up the Local Power Plan's target of supporting over 1,000 local and community projects to 2030.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Backed by up to £1 billion, Great British Energy (GBE) has committed to support at least 1000 local and community energy projects by 2030. GBE will prioritise smaller projects across the country and the communities that benefit from them.
GBE will account for different levels of demand across regions when designing its funding offer.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the Local Power Plan funding will be directed to the GB Energy Community Fund.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently developing its schemes and projects for 2026/27 and beyond, which includes criteria for upcoming grants and loans.
GBE will set out further funding options in summer 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the Local Power Plan funding will be made up of concessions loans.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently developing its schemes and projects for 2026/27 and beyond, which includes criteria for upcoming grants and loans.
GBE will set out further funding options in summer 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how community energy organisations will be involved in the development of the Community Energy in a Box Toolkit.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In developing the Local Power Plan, DESNZ and Great British Energy (GBE) engaged with Local Government and the community energy sector. GBE will continue to use these existing forums and build their own relationships, such as through conferences, events, workshops.
GBE will produce a “community energy in a box” toolkit to support people – including those new to community energy – by providing guidance on awareness raising, project origination and project development support as well as standardised documents and templates.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the terms of the concessional loans to community energy organisations will be, as announced in the Local Power Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently developing its schemes and projects for 2026/27 and beyond, which includes criteria for upcoming grants and loans.
GBE will set out further funding options in summer 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to extend Awaab's Law to private rented sector housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025 published on 13 November 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Department is taking to help ensure that housing in the private rented sector is maintained to the appropriate standards.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Every tenant deserves to live in a decent, warm, and comfortable home.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector and introduce a Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes for the first time.
A summary of the measures in the Act which can be found on gov.uk here and a roadmap for implementation can be found on gov.uk here.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) already apply in the private rented sector, requiring landlords to ensure their properties meet at least an EPC rating of E. Local authorities have powers to enforce these standards. Under the updated PRS MEES framework, this minimum standard will rise to EPC C by 2030. This change will help tenants benefit from lower energy bills and warmer, healthier homes that are less prone to damp and mould, contributing to reduced fuel poverty.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expediting implementation of the Decent Homes Standard to improve maintenance practices in privately rented properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government consulted on both the content and implementation of a new, modernised Decent Homes Standard and has published a full impact assessment setting out the rationale for implementing the standard in 2035. The consultation outcome can be found on gov.uk here and the impact assessment on gov.uk here.
Private rented sector landlords should address non-decency wherever it exists. While we are giving landlords until 2035 to implement our new Decent Homes Standard, we have made clear they should not wait until 2035 to improve their properties.
We are also acting in other ways to ensure private tenants have safe, warm, and decent homes including introducing new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the sector; strengthening local authority enforcement in respect of unremedied hazards; and applying Awaab’s Law Act to the PRS through the relevant provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the careers advice in (a) schools, (b) further education settings and (c) higher education settings for young people wishing to pursue a career in the creative industries.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department grant funds the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support schools and colleges to deliver high quality careers programmes. CEC’s support includes training for school and college-based careers leaders, connecting employers to schools and colleges through 44 careers hubs and delivering this government’s commitment to offer two weeks of meaningful and varied workplace experiences throughout key stages 3 and 4. The careers hub network includes 96% of secondary schools and colleges, 400+ leading employers and over 3,500 business volunteers across all sectors including creative industries.
CEC continues to work with Discover Creative Careers and has produced a range of resources on careers in the creative sector including technical pathways into the sector. Higher education providers are autonomous institutions and are responsible for designing and delivering their own careers advice and employability support for students.