Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 levels of energy (a) poverty and (b) security in (i) Newport West constituency and (ii) Wales.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Fuel poverty is devolved.
The UK has a secure and diverse energy system – including through access to our own North Sea gas reserves, the second largest Liquefied Natural Gas port infrastructure in Europe, investment in renewable energy sources and steady pipeline gas imports from reliable partners like Norway.
The annual Statutory Security of Supply Report 2023 (December 2023) concluded that Great Britain is anticipated to maintain adequate supplies of electricity and gas to meet consumers’ demands over the short- and long-term.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees on the surplus sharing arrangements of that scheme.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Ministers and Trustees last discussed the surplus sharing arrangements in 2021. The Government has been consistent that it would consider any proposals that the Trustees bring forward.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have taken part in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in South Holland and the Deepings constituency since January 2022.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened to applications in May 2022. Up to the end of February 2024, there were 65 grants paid for installations in properties in the constituency of South Holland and the Deepings.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have participated in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in Suffolk Coastal constituency since January 2022.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened to applications in May 2022. Up to the end of February 2024, there were 106 grants paid for installations in properties in the constituency of Suffolk Coastal.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the (a) scope and (b) terms of reference of the consultation on the renewable liquid heating fuel obligation will be.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government will consult on the potential role of renewable liquid fuels in heat by September, in line with commitments made during the passage of the Energy Act. The Department is developing the consultation at pace and its final scope and terms of reference will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to launch a consultation on the renewable liquid heating fuel obligation before 23 July 2024.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government intends to issue the consultation by September this year, in line with commitments made by ministers during Parliamentary debates on the Energy Act.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 75 of her Department’s consultation entitled Review of Electricity Market Arrangements: second consultation, published on 12 March 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the power system if there was no role for unabated gas in 2035.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We will need unabated gas in 2035 to play a small but important role when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine. Our published Net Zero scenarios envisage a small but important role for unabated gas in 2035. Without a role for unabated gas, we would likely run an increased risk of blackouts.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 increasing the use of imported electricity on (a) industrial and (b) domestic energy prices.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Interconnectors are built to share energy with some of our closest European allies, who are also generating renewable, clean energy at affordable prices, enabling access to lower-cost electricity for GB consumers. Analysis supporting the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan [1] showed that increasing the level of interconnection could reduce system costs by over £1bn annually (based on 2012 prices).
New interconnectors are subject to an independent and robust regulatory process run by Ofgem, ensuring that only projects which bring benefits to GB consumers are built.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department last made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of imported electricity through interconnectors on energy security.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Government consider that interconnectors will play a key role in enabling greater security of supply by providing access to a more diverse electricity generation mix, responding to shocks in the GB system by importing electricity.
The Capacity Market (CM) is our main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. CM auction targets are set based on advice from the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report which considers the contribution interconnectors make to security of supply.
With the exception of 2022, GB has historically been a net importer of electricity, though ESO forecasts suggest that GB will likely become a net exporter in future.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to help encourage the development of onshore wind projects.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since 2010 there has been an almost fourfold increase in the volume of onshore wind, and the Government continues to incentivise and promote deployment. We have announced that there will be up to £120 million of funding available to support established renewable technologies such as onshore wind in the next Contracts for Difference auction. In England, the Government has also made changes to national planning policy to ensure local authorities can respond more flexibly to suitable opportunities for onshore wind while respecting the views of their local communities.