Found: the Science and Technology Committee, the European Affairs Committee, the Treasury Committee, the Energy

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 7 August (HL344), how many staff in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; what is the percentage of overall working time they are permitted to spend on such network activity; how many hours are allocated in total; what are the names of each of the networks being funded; and what plans they have to (a) increase, or (b) reduce, such funding.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

All staff in the Department can take part in diversity-related network activities during core working hours with agreement from their line manager. Network Chairs and Champions are given a weekly pro-rata time allocation of 10% to support respective network activity.

There are currently 37 Chairs and Champions across 11 diversity networks which are: Carers Network, CAN (disability) Network, Mental Health & Wellbeing Network, EU & International Network, LGBT+ Network, Parental Support Network, Faith and Minority Ethnic Network, SEDI (social mobility) Network, Volunteering Network, Women Empowered Network, Schools Outreach Network. There are currently no plans to review time allocation for networks.

The Department values its diversity networks and is committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in partnership with them.

60 year contribution to the North Sea and a just transition for Scotland

Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Work and Pensions and Office for Nuclear

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Found: publication presents the 2024 Fossil Fuel Price Assumptions (FFPA) produced by the Department for Energy

Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Published 26 September 2024 Get emails

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Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem Published 2 October 2024 Get

Found: The war in Ukraine has presented opportunities to decouple economies and energy security from fossil

Found: ROAD, GREAT YARMOUTH, NR30 3PY 1 THE APPLICATION 1.1 I am directed by the Secretary of State for Energy

Found: Annex. 01 October 2024 John Wheadon Head of Energy Infrastructure Planning Delivery Department of Energy

Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Published 1 October 2024 Get emails about

Found: DBWF Dogger Bank Wind Farm DECC Department for Energy and Climate Change DESNZ Department for Energy

Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero 3-8 Whitehall Place London SW1A 2AW Dave Scott energyinfrastructureplanning

Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Published 30 September 2024 Get emails

Found: The governments mission for clean power by 2030 is about protecting energy security for families and

Found: Other CD11.08 High Court of Justice Judgement R (Together Against Sizewell C) v SoS for Energy Security

Found: of Defence Capability - RDEL -335.490 NCSP (National Cyber Security Programme) Department for Energy

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Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Published 26 September 2024 Get emails

Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Work and Pensions and Office for Nuclear

Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero , 2023.

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Found: available constantly and domestically, meaning it can contribute to net zero whilst also improving energy

Found: to the UK from Morocco via 4000 km of sub- sea cables.2 Xlinks has applied to the Department for Energy

Found: Referral of the proposed Industrial Carbon Capture (ICC) and Waste ICC schemes by the Department for Energy

Found: Referral of the proposed subsidy to Cromarty Firth Port Authority by the Department for Energy Security

Found: agreed a strengthened relationship was of vital importance and welcomed the focus placed on growth, energy

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Found: Security and Net Zero Radioactive Waste Management Ltd trading on behalf of Nuclear Waste Services 19

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Found: From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem Published 2 October 2024 Get

Found: good start in establishing a cooperative working relationship with the new UK Secretary of State for Energy

Found: clear that the responses we need on the climate emergency, on the cost of living crisis and on energy

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the area of (a) prime and (b) other agriculture land that is currently used for renewable energy projects, also broken down by the type of renewable energy project.

Answered by Gougeon, Mairi - Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the area of renewable energy projects, as described.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes a quarterly Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD)[1] that lists renewable energy projects at the following stages: inception, planning, construction, operation, and decommissioning. This dataset is limited geographically, in that it provides a single grid reference point for a site. And while it does provide significant data on the planning, commissioning and construction of the site, it provides no information on the area covered - as indicated in this interactive map[2].

Prime land for agriculture is defined by the James Hutton Institute’s Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA) measure[3]. LCA 1 to 3.1 is considered ‘prime’ land suitable for arable production. LCA 3.2 to 7 ranges from land considered suitable for mixed agriculture through to land suitable for various types of grazing.

It is possible to plot renewable energy project sites in relation to land capability for agriculture, but such analysis only gives the number of sites registered on prime agricultural and other agricultural land, not the specific locations of the infrastructure and the areas involved. The Scottish Government has explored this for ground mount solar and onshore wind using 2022 data. For operational onshore wind and ground mount solar the number of sites on different types of land and their generation capacity is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Onshore Wind and Ground Mount Solar by Land Type, 2022 1

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on communities in Scotland of the (a) UK Critical Mineral Strategy and (b) findings of the report, Potential for Critical Raw Material Prospectivity in the UK by the British Geographical Survey (BGS) for the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC).  

Answered by McKee, Ivan - Minister for Public Finance

Access to Critical Raw Materials and Technologies is a vitally important issue for our economy, energy security and Net Zero ambitions.

Where areas of potential prospectivity are identified, this does not mean that critical minerals are guaranteed to be found and there are a range of factors which will influence whether or not extraction will take place. This includes the requirement that where new development proposals come forward, applications for planning permission must be made to the relevant local planning authority. Policy 33 of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out that development proposals for the sustainable extraction of minerals will only be supported by that policy where certain criteria are met, this includes demonstrating that there are no significant adverse impacts (including cumulative impact) on any nearby homes and local communities. NPF4 should be read as a whole, alongside local development plans, in applying balanced planning judgement in planning decisions.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment of impacts on communities from these reports at this stage.