Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the alignment between the new timings for Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round and statutory planning decisions for large renewable projects key on the delivery of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the revised Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round timetable on large solar projects that are unable to bid into the pre-qualification window for that round, including those projects that are well advanced and strategically aligned.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 revised timeline for the Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round, what steps his Department is taking to support large solar projects that have begun planning for construction but may not be able to bid in the pre-qualification window under the revised timeline.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board last met; and whether the minutes from previous meetings in the last 10 years will be published.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The NLFAB last met on 27 November 2025. Due to commercial sensitivities the NLFAB minutes are not published. However, the full NLFAB report and supplementary Annexes which were issued to the Secretary of State to inform his decision on the Sizewell C Funded Decommissioning Programme has been published on Gov.uk - www.gov.uk/government/publications/sizewell-c-funded-decommissioning-programme-fdp
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Ofgem’s RIIO-3 draft determinations for the electricity transmission, gas distribution and gas transmission sectors on energy bills from April 2026.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem, as the independent regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission, and gas distribution networks through its RIIO-3 price control process. Final Determinations for RIIO-3 will be confirmed by Ofgem in December.
Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.
Following the energy crisis, Ofgem introduced capital adequacy rules to strengthen the financial resilience of suppliers and the stability of the retail market.
The Department will continue engaging with Ofgem to ensure RIIO-3 delivers the investment needed to maintain energy security through this period.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will publish modelling undertaken by Ofgem on how suppliers may respond to projected Transmission Use of System charge increases over the 2026-31 price control period.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem, as the independent regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission, and gas distribution networks through its RIIO-3 price control process. Final Determinations for RIIO-3 will be confirmed by Ofgem in December.
Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.
Following the energy crisis, Ofgem introduced capital adequacy rules to strengthen the financial resilience of suppliers and the stability of the retail market.
The Department will continue engaging with Ofgem to ensure RIIO-3 delivers the investment needed to maintain energy security through this period.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Ofgem’s RIIO-3 draft determinations for the electricity transmission, gas distribution and gas transmission sectors on the (a) financial resilience of energy suppliers and (b) risk of market disruption.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem, as the independent regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission, and gas distribution networks through its RIIO-3 price control process. Final Determinations for RIIO-3 will be confirmed by Ofgem in December.
Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.
Following the energy crisis, Ofgem introduced capital adequacy rules to strengthen the financial resilience of suppliers and the stability of the retail market.
The Department will continue engaging with Ofgem to ensure RIIO-3 delivers the investment needed to maintain energy security through this period.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether they have made an assessment of the adequacy of the four-month notice period given to suppliers to recover additional costs under RIIO-3.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem, as the independent regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission, and gas distribution networks through its RIIO-3 price control process. Final Determinations for RIIO-3 will be confirmed by Ofgem in December.
Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.
Following the energy crisis, Ofgem introduced capital adequacy rules to strengthen the financial resilience of suppliers and the stability of the retail market.
The Department will continue engaging with Ofgem to ensure RIIO-3 delivers the investment needed to maintain energy security through this period.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 has taken to ensure that participants in the Contracts for Difference auction process do not source solar panels or components linked to forced labour in the Uyghur Region.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to tackling forced labour in solar supply chains, including in Xinjiang.
The Government is strengthening due diligence requirements through the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023 and by reviewing Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.
In addition, the Solar Roadmap, published in the summer, outlines actions to build ethical, resilient supply chains, including support for the Solar Stewardship Initiative, which is conducting independent audits of manufacturers.
CfD Projects over 300MW must submit a Supply Chain Plan demonstrating steps to prevent modern slavery and labour exploitation, which the Department monitors throughout delivery.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to establish a (a) clear pathway and (b) timeframe for transition plan disclosure to become mandatory for large UK companies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government ran a consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements ran from June to September 2025 which has now closed. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course.