Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2024 to Question 7768 on Oil: Refineries, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery on imports.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The owners of Grangemouth refinery, Petroineos, recently announced that they were putting in place the enabling works for a future transition to an import terminal. Petroineos have not taken a decision on when refining operations will cease but they anticipate they will continue until at least May 2025.
The impact of a cessation of refining operations on UK imports will depend on the supply and demand for fuels at the time. The Government’s Net Zero policies to increase use of electric vehicles and renewable transport fuels, will progressively reduce demand for conventional fuels.
The UK already both imports and exports fuels to balance demand and supply. The Petroineos plans should continue to ensure that customer needs are met.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of Grangemouth Refinery on UK energy self-sufficiency.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The owners of Grangemouth refinery, Petroineos, recently announced that they were putting in place the enabling works for a future transition to an import terminal. Petroineos have not taken a decision on when refining operations will cease but they anticipate they will continue until at least May 2025.
The impact of a cessation of refining operations on UK energy self-sufficiency will depend on the supply and demand for fuels at the time. The Government’s Net Zero policies to increase use of electric vehicles and renewable transport fuels, will progressively reduce demand for conventional fuels.
The UK already both imports and exports fuels to balance demand and supply. The Petroineos plans should continue to ensure that customer needs are met.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to promote economic cooperation between the UK and Zimbabwe.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is working to increase trade and investment with Zimbabwe to help drive economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty. Through our Economic Partnership Agreement, Zimbabwean companies have duty-free and quota-free access to the UK market, and we are particularly focused on supporting Zimbabwean exports of horticulture produce like blueberries and peas, increasing choices for UK consumers. We are also working to reduce barriers to UK investment in renewable energy and our technical assistance to strengthen the policy environment is unlocking new investment into independent solar power projects.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the trading relationship between the UK and Zimbabwe.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK continues to support trade and investment with Zimbabwe. In 2021, trade between the UK and Zimbabwe was £126 million. The UK-Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2020 ensures Zimbabwean companies continue to enjoy duty free and quota free exports to the UK. This agreement means shoppers in the UK can continue to enjoy Zimbabwean products like blueberries, peas and tea. The UK is also working with the Government of Zimbabwe to attract British investment in sectors such as renewable energy and financial services.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish any strategic analysis her Department has undertaken on the export opportunities for (a) renewable energy, (b) food and drink and (c) artificial intelligence.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Published last autumn, our refreshed cross-government Export Strategy: Made in UK, Sold to the World focuses on helping businesses reach their exporting potential.
As part of this strategy, the new Food and Drink Export Council will bring together UK Government, the Devolved Administrations and industry, to enable both government and business to best target their efforts. Additionally, we have conducted research into the export opportunities for Renewable Energy which will be published in the summer of this year.
As the UK secures new trade deals, we will include provisions on emerging digital technologies, including AI, and champion international data flows, preventing unjustified barriers to data crossing borders while maintaining the UK’s high standards for personal data protection.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment has he made of the potential (a) merits and (b) prospects of the UK increasing future exports of renewable energy technologies and manufacturing to countries pursing divestment from Russian fossil fuel supplies.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
No specific analysis of opportunities emerging from divestment from Russian fossil fuels has been undertaken to date. However, such opportunities would form part of the Department’s wider, regular assessments of international opportunities and their applicability to UK exporters.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential for increasing UK exports to Mongolia; and what discussions she has had with UK trade bodies on export potential to Mongolia.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade discussed bilateral trade with the Mongolian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in Glasgow on 2 November 2021. However, DIT is not aware of discussions with trade bodies.
As the Mongolian economy returns to growth post covid, there are increasing opportunities for UK exports as a result.
British companies have had particular success with mining equipment and services, machinery, railway infrastructure equipment and vehicles and there is increasing interest in new areas such as food and beverage and renewable energy.
Your role as Trade Envoy to Mongolia is invaluable in helping UK companies to take advantage of these opportunities.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the export potential of Scotland's renewable sector.
Answered by Iain Stewart
I regularly discuss issues of importance to Scotland with Ministerial colleagues including Scotland’s renewable energy sector exports.
Scotland is well positioned to become a centre of global excellence in energy and climate technology and the Government is committed to supporting Scotland’s clean energy exports.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potentioal for exporting green energy in the next (1) five, and (2) ten, years.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.
Asked by: Anthony Browne (Conservative - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has any plans for regulation by Ofgem of energy providers' purchase price from private solar export systems under the Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), introduced in January 2020, ensures that small-scale generators have a guaranteed access to the market while enabling electricity suppliers and other market participants to innovate in this area. To provide space for this small-scale export market to develop and to promote innovation, the legislation sets out no specified minimum tariff rate, other than that a supplier must provide payment greater than zero at all times of export.
The SEG has been successful in bringing forward a range of competitive and innovative offerings to the market, with small-scale renewable generators having several tariffs to choose from, including several that are higher than the fixed export rate mandated by the previous Feed-in Tariffs scheme.
Ofgem are to publish their first report on the provisions made by suppliers for smaller scale exports in the summer. We will review this to monitor whether the market is delivering an effective, competitive and innovative range of options.