Consumer Energy Debt
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
1. What recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on trends in
the level of consumer energy debt.(900963)
(Dunfermline and West
Fife) (SNP)
11. What recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on trends in
the level of consumer energy debt.(900973)
The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero ()
The Secretary of State is unwell and sends her apologies both to
you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and to the House.
Ministers in the Department regularly meet Ofgem to discuss a
range of issues. The Secretary of State met suppliers, alongside
Ofgem, in November to discuss consumer energy debt and the
protection of vulnerable customers. I know that many families are
struggling with their energy bills this winter, which is why we
are providing cost of living support worth £104 billion between
2022 and 2025.
I am grateful for that answer. Just a few days ago, the Office
for National Statistics showed that the number of households who
had been unable to pay their energy bills has increased by nearly
40%. Does the Minister, on behalf of the Secretary of State, who
I hope gets better soon, accept that the UK Government’s failure
to listen to stakeholders such as Citizens Advice, which is
calling for the £400 energy bill discount to be reinstated, has
led to soaring energy debt among those who can least afford it,
such as my constituents?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question; he is right to
highlight the issue of debt and families who are struggling. This
is why we are providing £104 billion—or, on average, £3,700 per
household—between 2022 and 2025, which is one of the most
generous packages in Europe. In the autumn statement, we
increased the national living wage, which is worth £1,800 to a
full-time worker, and increased benefits by 6.7%—that is worth
£470. Just last week, we also delivered a tax cut for 27 million
people, which is worth £450 for the average worker. So we are
taking steps, but we recognise the reality for many people that
he set out.
In my country, energy debt is rising, as Scottish consumers pay a
premium on their energy bill—it is a high price to pay to keep
the lights on in England. In the light of that imbalance, has the
Minister discussed abolishing the not-fit-for-purpose Ofgem? If
not, should his Government not give full responsibility for
energy pricing in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament?
We have moved decisively to support families in Scotland and
across the rest of the UK. I am pleased that the price cap has
fallen by half since its peak last year, and we are making sure
that our support is targeted at the most vulnerable. I have
already laid out many of the measures we are taking precisely to
ensure that people in Scotland and elsewhere are supported in
what has been a tough time. Overall, we are, of course, looking
to power up Britain. We have set out a plan to do that, precisely
in order to have more of our power coming from Britain and to
remove our dependence on foreign fossil fuels. I hope that the
hon. Gentleman and his party will support us in our efforts to
deliver that.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the Scottish National party spokesman.
(Angus) (SNP)
The situation for bill payers this winter is even worse than it
was last winter, which is why the SNP has called for the
reinstatement of the £400 energy support scheme. However, the
Government have stubbornly refused to sufficiently stand by
householders, who are freezing all over these islands, despite
reports of increased hospitalisations and the doubling of burns
from hot water bottles in Scotland. How will the Tories extend
just a fraction of the interest they have shown in exploiting
Scotland’s natural energy resources to the people of Scotland,
who are freezing yet again this winter?
As I set out in response to the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues, we
have acted decisively, offering among the most generous support
of any nation in Europe. We can be proud of the efforts we have
made and I am pleased to see that the energy price cap is down so
significantly.
Nuclear Energy Sector
(Torbay) (Con)
2. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on
supporting the growth of the nuclear energy sector.(900964)
(Harrow East) (Con)
7. What steps she is taking to increase nuclear energy
capacity.(900969)
(Clacton) (Con)
14. What steps she is taking to increase nuclear energy
capacity.(900977)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
Last week, I announced the biggest expansion of nuclear power for
70 years. We will deploy a fleet of small modular reactors and
build up to 24 GW of nuclear by 2050. This will ensure we have
reliable, cheap and low-carbon power to protect consumers from
price volatility and hostile foreign regimes, bolstering our
energy security.
A new civil nuclear road map is a welcome step in growing our
nuclear sector, potentially creating jobs across the United
Kingdom, from the north of Scotland to the south-west peninsula,
and including sites like Wylfa. What assessment has he made of
the economic impact of the potential growth of the nuclear sector
for the south-west region, particularly given the nuclear
expertise at sites such as Devonport and Hinkley Point?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the nuclear sector
supports jobs across the United Kingdom, and it would be very
welcome if Governments across this United Kingdom were to come
together and champion that industry as it grows over the next few
decades. The nuclear sector is vital to the economy of south-west
England, as my hon. Friend knows, providing up to 11,000 jobs in
construction alone at Hinkley Point C, and will go on generating
highly skilled jobs for generations as we continue to build up
this important part of our energy security.
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer and the announcement of the
nuclear road map. Small modular nuclear reactors can bring energy
to our towns and cities across the country very quickly. They are
under development right now, so when can we see the first one
installed and providing power to the grid?
My hon. Friend will be pleased to know we are bringing forward
small modular reactors and that the next phase of the live SMR
competition will launch within weeks. Our aim is for the
competition to be the fastest of its kind in the world, to help
facilitate final investment decisions for the project being taken
in the next Parliament and operational projects being here in the
UK by the 2030s. The launch will mark a significant step forward
for eligible companies and for the UK’s broader nuclear
ambitions.
We have given away over the decades the massive advantage this
country had with the Calder Hall development in 1956, so will my
hon. Friend reassure me that we will regain that ground by
pushing for more rapid development of a sensible nature, as the
Finns have with their hole in the ground for storing nuclear
waste? Will he inform the House with which nuclear vendors the
Department is engaging?
My hon. Friend is right to refer to the proud history we have in
this country when it comes to civil nuclear—the developments at
Calder Hall led the world—and the deep geological disposal that
is happening in Finland right now. The plans in our nuclear road
map will quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050. We are making rapid
progress on Sizewell C and the SMR competition. We continue to
work closely with countries such as Finland, with which I engage
with regularly. It has built and operates large-scale geological
disposal facilities, and signed up to the COP pledge to triple
nuclear capacity.
(Sheffield South East)
(Lab)
I welcome the Government’s commitment to SMRs, which are the way
forward for the future of nuclear. Sheffield Forgemasters is
ideally placed to produce the essential parts for those reactors
and has a memorandum of understanding with both Rolls-Royce and
Hitachi. Will the Minister meet the Mayor of South Yorkshire,
Sheffield Forgemasters and others in the consortium? The
consortium now has access to significant development capital, so
we can build the SMRs in South Yorkshire and create the thousands
of well-paid jobs we want, as well as green energy.
I would be delighted to meet the Mayor of South Yorkshire.
Through the nuclear road map, we are committed not only to
ensuring our energy security and achieving a further drive
towards our net zero objectives, but to building up the supply
chain and creating those high-wage, high-skilled jobs at all
levels across the United Kingdom. Of course I would be delighted
to meet the Mayor of South Yorkshire and, indeed, anybody else
who represents an area that wants to invest in this future and
this great exciting moment for nuclear capacity.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
I, too, am in favour of new nuclear; it is an important part of a
balanced green energy mix. Does the Minister share my concern
that much of the investment in new nuclear in the UK is coming
from overseas companies, and even the Governments of overseas
countries, especially given that the emphasis is not just on
reducing carbon emissions, but on energy security? Would he
perhaps consider other forms of renewable energy, such as tidal
power, for which the entire supply chain is British and which
would be great for our economy as well as for tackling climate
change?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I hold a contrary
position. I am proud of the fact that this country is open to
inward investment and, indeed, attracts attention from some of
the biggest companies in the world to invest in our future energy
security and net zero objectives. Of course, in unveiling all
these exciting announcements, as we did last week, at the heart
of what we are seeking to achieve is to create those high-wage,
high-skill jobs as we move forward across the United Kingdom,
building up that supply chain, and tidal will be an important
part of the mix as well.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for that most progressive answer. The
progress made in nuclear safety and the need for clean energy
clearly indicate that the Government must invest in the security
of this sector. That would lower energy costs and help us to meet
our green targets, which we all want to meet and should meet.
Will the Minister outline what progress has been made to secure
this investment?
As the hon. Gentleman knows, just last week we unveiled our civil
nuclear road map. I committed to meet him and, indeed, anybody
else from Northern Ireland to seek to build up the manufacturing
and supply chain workforce in Northern Ireland, so that all parts
of our United Kingdom can benefit from the once-in-a-generation
investment that we are making right now.
Onshore Wind Farm Cables
(North Norfolk) (Con)
3. What recent assessment the Government have made of the
environmental impact of onshore wind farm cables.(900965)
The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero ()
The environmental impact of onshore windfarm cables is assessed
through the consenting process. Minimising potential
environmental impacts of new infrastructure is a Government
priority. We are committed to ensuring that new electricity
network projects mitigate environmental impacts at every
opportunity.
Although I am a huge supporter of offshore wind, there is no
doubt that the trenching through my beautiful countryside is not
without its own set of problems. Flooding, agricultural run-off
and pollution have all been hugely exacerbated since the summer
with what has happened in North Norfolk. What measures do we
really have to force wind companies to clean up and repair the
countryside after the damage they cause when they trench through
it?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and for persistently
raising these issues to make sure that we get the transmission
infrastructure that we need, but in a way that has the minimum
negative impact on his constituents and others. I will follow up
his question today by looking specifically at the regime, making
sure that the companies concerned not only go through all the
correct permissioning ahead of time, but are properly followed up
to ensure that they deliver it in a way that does not leave the
problems that he has itemised.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the shadow Minister.
(Southampton, Test)
(Lab)
On 28 November, I asked the Minister how many planning
applications for onshore wind had been lodged in England since
the alleged loosening of planning restrictions on onshore wind in
September. The answer then was zero. Even now that the policy has
had more time to bed down, the answer, I am afraid, is still
zero, and I predict that it will be zero the next time we meet.
In September last year, the Secretary of State said that the
changes made in September
“will help speed up the delivery of onshore wind projects”.
Does the Minister think that the Government have succeeded?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. As he will be aware,
in the last contracts for difference round, a great deal of
onshore wind was successfully brought forward and it still
constitutes the largest single form of renewable energy in the
United Kingdom—the Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero, my hon. Friend the Member for West Aberdeenshire
and Kincardine () will correct me if I have
got that wrong. I share with the hon. Gentleman a frustration in
making sure that we see that pulled forward, so that we see more
projects in England as well as in the rest of the UK.
Dr Whitehead
I am glad the Minister is frustrated about the complete failure
of this alleged policy turnaround, but I am frustrated because if
we had not had the absurd ban in the first place, the onshore
wind development that would have taken place would have saved
each family £180 on their energy bills. All Labour is suggesting
is that onshore wind is treated like any other development. How
long will it be before the Minister accepts the reality and
concludes that he needs to go back and properly repeal the
ban?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and his personal
commitment to this area, but he knows as well as anyone the
parlous performance of the previous Government, which his right
hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster North () was a leading figure in.
Less than 7% of our electricity came from renewables as recently
as 2010. It is this Government that have led the world after a
flatlining in carbon emissions from our electricity sector under
Labour. We have seen renewables grow and, by October, we will see
coal entirely removed from our mix.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the SNP spokesman.
(Angus) (SNP)
New renewable energy generation demands new transmission
infrastructure. This Government have been asleep at the wheel for
14 years, showing zero pace, ambition or grip in delivering that
energy infrastructure, and that is why bills are so high.
Nevertheless, we are where we are. Will the Minister confirm to
the House for the record what National Grid has said: that UK
Government policy is that when constructing new transmission
infrastructure, overhead lines are the starting position?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. Of course, we have
been moving at pace. We have had the Winser review and the
connections plan. In the autumn statement and, indeed, the Prime
Minister’s speech in September, there was so much to drive
forward and change the transmission infrastructure, including
halving the 14-year timeline to seven years. We are working flat
out.
It should be noted that the reason overhead lines are preferred
is the cost of undergrounding. Not only is it vastly disruptive,
as my hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk () said; either undergrounding
or offshore is five to ten times more expensive than having
overhead infrastructure, and sometimes even more than that. That
is why it is the starting presumption. We want to power Britain
from Britain and in a low-cost manner, so that when we get to the
2030s and we have decarbonised our electricity system, we have a
low-cost electricity system, while ensuring that we install the
infrastructure in a way that is friendly and supportive to
communities.
Energy Social Tariffs
(Blaydon) (Lab)
4. What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of
energy social tariffs.(900966)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
The Government remain focused on providing help where people need
it most. We are already providing a package of support totalling
over £104 billion, or £3,700 per household on average, from 2022
to 2025.
Last year, the Government promised action to help the most
vulnerable with their energy bills. In April 2023, the Secretary
of State’s predecessor, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield
(), said that
“a social tariff could be very helpful”.[—[Official Report, 18
April 2023; Vol. 731, c.
111.]](/search/column?VolumeNumber=731&ColumnNumber=111&House=1)
Nearly a year on, we have heard absolutely nothing about a social
tariff. Will the Minister explain to the House why the Government
have abandoned plans for a social tariff?
As the hon. Member will know, we are continuing our support for
vulnerable households, and it is important that we help
households as best we can. As an example, we have the £900 cost
of living payments and the warm home discount payment. Obviously,
we will constantly monitor where we are and will ensure that we
continue to support all those vulnerable households.
(Na h-Eileanan an
Iar) (Ind)
There is indeed a need for a social tariff, whether it is a cost
of living crisis or a lack-of-wages crisis, given that the
Resolution Foundation reported at the beginning of December that
average wages across the UK were £10,700 lower than they should
be compared with other comparable countries, following the past
15 years. There probably is a lack-of-wages crisis hitting the
UK.
Regardless, the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee said in
our “Preparing for the winter” report, in paragraph 24:
“We urge the Government and energy suppliers to consider
implementing a form of social tariff and other measures to
protect vulnerable households from being cut off from their
energy supplies.”
That was a unanimous report across Labour Members, Tory Members
and, of course, the pro-Scottish independence voice on the
Committee, but will we see some movement on this from the
Government? It is important and needed by everybody, and it would
be particularly welcome to my constituents in Na h-Eileanan an
Iar.
As I have indicated, we are doing a lot of things to help people,
including the most vulnerable in society. It is worth pointing
out that it was announced recently in the autumn statement that
the national living wage will be worth £1,800 for a full-time
worker and that benefits will increase by 6.7%, which is worth
£470 a year.
Fuel Poverty
(Jarrow) (Lab)
5. What estimate she has made of the number of households in fuel
poverty in winter 2023-24.(900967)
(Cynon Valley) (Lab)
15. What estimate she has made of the number of households in
fuel poverty in winter 2023-24.(900978)
(Newport West) (Lab)
18. What estimate she has made of the number of households in
fuel poverty in winter 2023-24.(900981)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
Fuel poverty is devolved. Statistics for England are published
annually by the Department. The next English statistics will be
published on 15 February and will include estimates of the number
of households in fuel poverty in 2023 and 2024.
Just under a third of people in my Jarrow constituency are now
living in fuel poverty, like Maureen, who told me she is
struggling to find an extra £975 per month due to the disability
price tag. That will be made worse by the recent news of the
energy price cap rise. Can the Minister explain why the
Government still insist on giving subsidies worth billions to the
oil and gas industry through loopholes in the windfall tax? Would
that money not be better spent cutting people’s bills?
I must point out the work the Government have been doing to help
vulnerable people. Not only that, but we have halved energy
bills. I have constant meetings with all stakeholders, including
Citizens Advice and all the disability groups, and we are
ensuring that we are supporting all vulnerable people in the cost
of living crisis and as we go through this winter.
I also have increasing numbers of constituents with significant
levels of energy debt coming to my office seeking fuel vouchers.
Why are the Government pursuing the Offshore Petroleum Licensing
Bill, which the Minister herself has said will not bring down
bills, when economic forecasters warn that delays in
decarbonising will leave consumers with higher prices? Is it not
time the Government dropped the focus on fossil fuels and
delivered instead the public investment in renewable energy that
will bring down bills and go some way to averting the climate
catastrophe?
We are committed not only to helping vulnerable people, but to
making sure we are providing the best energy security we can.
That is why we are committed to all the policies we have
introduced.
I listened very carefully to the answer the Minister gave to my
hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (), but I am still none the wiser,
so I will ask again: can the Minister set out what recent
discussions she has had with the Welsh Government about the
social tariff, which the previous Secretary of State described as
“very helpful”?
Just to reiterate, I have been having conversations with all
stakeholders, and when I say stakeholders, that does not just
mean Citizens Advice or Disability Rights UK, but across
Government and with different devolved Departments.
(St Ives) (Con)
I am sure the Minister will agree that energy security and
supporting the most vulnerable in fuel poverty go hand in hand.
The way to address security is by both securing supply and
cutting waste. Can she set out what the Government and her
Department are doing to reduce the waste of energy from people’s
homes?
I want to acknowledge how hard my hon. Friend works for his
constituents. Of course those are the things we are most mindful
of: making sure we get energy efficiency not only in production,
but in the way we use that energy.
Net Zero Targets: Businesses
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
6. What recent discussions she has had with businesses on the
Government’s net zero targets.(900968)
Dame (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
16. What recent discussions she has had with businesses on the
Government’s net zero targets.(900979)
The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero ()
I meet regularly with business leaders and chair several groups
bringing together Government and industry so that we can drive
progress towards net zero. That includes the Net Zero Council,
which is meeting next week and includes members from right across
the economy. Like me, they are delighted that the UK is leading
the world in tackling climate change. We are the first major
economy to halve its emissions, ahead of every other major
economy, and we have one of the most ambitious decarbonisation
targets in the world.
Contrary to what the Minister has just said, and to what he said
about onshore wind, this country has fallen on his party’s watch
to seventh in the world for attracting investment in renewables.
Well-paid jobs, lower bills and economic growth will all follow,
but only if we attract investment, so why are the Government
enabling what EY has described as the “diminishing of green
policies” and undermining the economic benefits of net zero?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, which has a sort of
comic element given Labour’s monumental failure to deliver
renewables when it was in power, coupled with the fact that it
wants to bring forward GB Energy. That, as his left-wing
colleague, the hon. Member for Cynon Valley () just said, would be public
investment. It would drive out private investment and destroy the
transformation of the UK energy system that has happened under
the Conservatives—it had flatlined under Labour. We have led the
world and have now decarbonised more than any other major economy
on the planet. Under the policies of this Conservative
Government, which major world economy is predicted to decarbonise
fastest by 2030? This one.
Dame
If I may puncture the Minister’s rant, I would like to ask him
what certainty his Government will give businesses. We need a £23
billion combined investment from the public and private sectors,
but because targets have been missed, that figure will need to
double or treble every year between now and 2050, according to a
Public Accounts Committee report. The Government’s chopping and
changing in delivering what they need to do is a big problem in
businesses having the confidence to invest. That has happened on
his watch, so what is he doing to improve the situation?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question and for her work on the
Committee in holding the Government to account. Of course, we
have realised £198 billion of investment into clean energy since
2010, and we have a plan, which we set out in “Powering Up
Britain”. The Labour party has only an intention to borrow £28
billion a year, putting up families’ taxes, putting up bills and
destroying the most investable market in Europe that we have had
to date. We will have another £100 billion of private investment
by 2030, and the Conservatives will carry on our work leading the
world in transforming our energy system so that we have
lower-cost, home-produced energy while also delivering on net
zero—things that signally did not happen under Labour.
(Esher and Walton) (Con)
UK start-up Newcleo and French start-up NAAREA—Nuclear Abundant
Affordable Resourceful Energy for All—have just announced a
partnership to promote small modular nuclear reactors. What
support are the UK Government providing, and what proportion of
our energy mix does the Minister think this kind of initiative
can support?
My right hon. Friend is right, and it is great to see excitement
across the Chamber about developing nuclear. It is just a shame
that, when it came to the secondary legislation to enable the
business models, Labour Members did not support it—they say one
thing in one place and a different thing when it comes to making
the laws of the land. I am pleased to say to him that, under the
Conservatives, the plan is to bring the jobs, technology and
opportunity of small modular reactors to this country, as part
the ambition for up to 25% of our electricity to come from
nuclear by 2050.
(South Ribble)
(Con)
I have been talking with businesses in South Ribble about
achieving net zero. Businesses on Leyland business park are
exploring geothermal, and we also have the huge advantage of the
Howick Cross substation bringing in energy from offshore wind,
onshore wind in Scotland, and the north-west and Welsh nuclear
fleet. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, in future,
businesses will look to site themselves where there is reliable
and accessible cheap energy, and that South Ribble is well placed
to take advantage of that?
My hon. Friend is quite right to highlight the benefits and
attractions of South Ribble, and indeed the wider UK economy. It
is not just that the areas that have those services will attract
business within the United Kingdom: by rewiring and leading the
world in delivering a low-cost, low-carbon energy system, we can
attract more investment from abroad and have a renaissance, not
least in the north of England but also in Wales and Scotland—all
around the country. That is a result of the net zero policies
that, uniquely, this country is managing to lead the world on
following so many years of Labour failure.
(Brighton, Pavilion)
(Green)
The Minister will know that the Climate Change Committee has a
key role in advising the Government on their path to net zero,
but he will also know that 18 months on from the resignation of
as chair of that committee, the
Government still have not announced a replacement, despite 60
applications for the role having been submitted and several
people already having been interviewed. Are the Government scared
of having their record scrutinised, or are they simply determined
to destroy any last shred of the UK’s climate leadership? Will
the Minister tell us now when the selection will be
announced?
Given the hon. Lady’s lifelong passion for this subject, I find
it extraordinary that she never, ever recognises the unique
achievement of this country in halving emissions. I would have
thought she would celebrate that. As the hon. Lady will know, the
Climate Change Committee’s chair is not just a matter for the UK
Government. The appointment of the chair of that committee has to
be agreed by the devolved Administrations as well, and we are
moving as quickly as we can.
(Angus) (SNP)
Who is holding it up?
The best thing, as barristers know, is to not ask a question
unless you already know the answer, because it might not suit
you. We are moving as quickly as we can to make sure that we have
a chairman in place. I share the hon. Lady’s belief that it is an
important role, and we want to have it filled as quickly as
possible.
(Barrow and Furness) (Con)
One of the most effective ways in which we can hit our net zero
targets is by delivering an effective carbon capture and storage
industry, and I was delighted to see the Government make an
announcement just before Christmas about the next round of that.
The Morecambe bay net zero project based in my constituency could
deliver a gigaton of carbon storage, helping some of our most
energy-intensive industries through this transition period. I
invite my right hon. Friend to come and visit.
I am not the Minister who leads on carbon capture, usage and
storage, so I may have just swerved a visit, but of course I am
always delighted to talk to my hon. Friend. If I can lean on my
colleague in the House of Lords who is responsible for that
policy area, I will let him know of my hon. Friend’s kind offer.
I share his enthusiasm: by capturing the renewables around the UK
and converting them into low-cost electricity, as we are also
taking forward hydrogen and using the natural blessing of having
so much carbon capture capability, we can deliver this country
the jobs, the opportunity and the low-cost energy system for the
future. I look forward to my hon. Friend’s continuing
support.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the shadow Minister.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
Having shared a constituency border with the former Member for
Kingswood for 14 years, I know that he was genuine in wanting
what was best for his constituents. He knew that a green
transition would protect their jobs at Rolls-Royce and Airbus,
help the science park to thrive, and bring opportunities for
small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed. He knew
that home insulation and clean energy would bring warmer homes to
Warmley and Woodstock, and lower bills to Bitton. He resigned
because he had lost all hope that this Government would deliver
on those things. He was right, was he not?
Just to spell it out—because we do have to speak very slowly for
the Opposition Front-Bench team—we have cut our emissions more
than any other major economy, and our plans and the expectation
of the UN are that we will continue to lead the world. That is
leading the world: not talking about it, not promising to borrow
£28 billion and put everyone’s taxes up, and then fluctuating on
a daily basis. It is about delivery. We have delivered and will
continue to do so.
If we want to see the reality of Labour on energy, we only need
to go to Nottingham. There, Labour invested in Robin Hood Energy,
which went spectacularly bust—a forerunner of a Labour
Government, perhaps, if there ever were to be one. It is typical
of Labour to reverse all the principles of Robin Hood: all Labour
does is steal from the poor in order to pay for the bailiff.
Home Energy Efficiency Measures
(Reading East) (Lab)
8. How many homes had energy efficiency measures installed in (a)
2010 and (b) 2022.(900970)
(Cambridge) (Lab)
19. How many homes had energy efficiency measures installed in
(a) 2010 and (b) 2022.(900982)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
Because of our plan, half of homes now meet the Government’s 2035
energy performance certificate band C goal, a significant jump
from 14% in 2010. In 2010, low-cost measures were targeted, with
960,000 installations. In 2022, funding shifted to high-cost
measures to benefit low-income households and less-efficient
homes, resulting in approximately 200,000 installations last
year.
I fear that the Minister may be referring rather too much to new
build homes. The reality is that in 2010 there were 1.8 million
insulation measures introduced into cavity walls and lofts, yet
in 2022, in comparison, there were only 80,000. That has left my
constituents in Reading and Woodley, who mainly live in Victorian
and 20th-century homes, struggling with very high bills, so what
is the Minister going to do about that?
The hon. Gentleman did not acknowledge that we have moved from
14% to 50% because of the actions of a Conservative Government.
To answer his question directly, we are allocating around £20
billion to clean heat and energy efficiency over this Parliament
and the next, which will benefit his constituents. That includes
our Great British insulation scheme, worth £1 billion, which will
deliver insulation measures to around 300,000 of the country’s
least energy-efficient homes, saving them £300 to £400 each year
by March 2026.
I echo the observations of my hon. Friend the Member for Reading
East (). I remember in 2008-09, long
before I came into this place, working endlessly with Cambridge
City Council and energy providers on encouraging people in the
city to take up home insulation schemes. Since then, we have seen
precisely nothing—nothing has been going on. Labour has a huge
ambition for the future; what is the Government’s ambition?
I know mathematics is not a strong point for the Labour party,
but I will go over the figures again: 14% to 50% over the course
of the last three Parliaments, delivered by the actions of this
Conservative Government. We have a plan to continue to deliver
for the least well-off in those homes that need more energy
efficiency measures. As I just said to the hon. Member’s
colleague, we are allocating £20 billion to clean heat mechanisms
over this and the next Parliament, and we are going to continue
to deliver for the British people.
(Kettering) (Con)
Thousands of new homes are being built across the Kettering
constituency. What is my hon. Friend doing, together with the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to
decarbonise the future housing stock and improve energy
efficiency in new build housing?
We recently announced further details of the £6 billion extension
that will be allocated from 2025 to 2028. This will support an
extra 500,000 homes—prioritising those who need it most, but
including new build—and is on top of support for 700,000 families
to install improvements through the Great British insulation
scheme and the energy company obligation by March 2026.
Prepayment Meters: Compensation
(Bradford East) (Lab)
9. What recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on the
compensation payment process for households that have had
prepayment meters wrongfully installed.(900971)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
I have met Ofgem and suppliers to reiterate my expectations that
the new rules will be followed. Ofgem has announced that if a
supplier wrongfully installs a prepayment meter, it will be
expected to compensate its customers appropriately.
Forcing the installation of prepayment meters in the homes of
some of our poorest and most vulnerable constituents is, frankly,
a scandal. Although the Government rightly paused forced
installations last year, some energy companies have been allowed
to resume this outrageous practice under a new rules regime,
which the Minister referred to, that still faces many questions.
Does the Minister think that in the middle of winter—in a week
when we have seen temperatures drop dramatically—we can trust
energy suppliers that have a history of unscrupulous practices in
force-fitting energy meters in the homes of vulnerable people to,
in effect, self-regulate? Will the Government instead legislate
to ban the scandalous forced installation of prepayment meters
once and for all?
I acknowledge how awful it was that people had their homes broken
into to force fit prepayment meters, but there is also a place
for prepayment meters to enable people and to support people out
of debt. I reassure the House that I have scrutinised every level
of the regime for prepayment meters, now that we are going back
to reinforcement, to absolutely ensure that we will not see all
the scandalous practices that happened before.
Oil and Gas Sector
(Vale of Glamorgan) (Con)
10. What steps she is taking to support the oil and gas
sector.(900972)
The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero ()
The North sea is a mature basin and production will naturally
decline in the coming years. The Government are committed to
supporting our oil and gas industry and the energy transition,
which is why we have the North Sea Transition
Deal and have introduced the Offshore Petroleum Licensing
Bill. We want to protect investment, the 200,000 jobs supported
by the sector and the tens of billions of pounds coming in in
taxes, as well as to use the existing industry to deliver the
wider energy transition.
The Government’s action to use gas and oil reserves in the UK for
the smooth transition to renewable sources is important for our
energy security, but also offers great employment and wealth
prospects in the process. Is the Minister aware that Offshore
Energies UK published a workforce insight last year that
highlighted that the number of people working in the sector could
be increased by 50%? For that to become a reality, the sector
needs to be stable and competitive. What commitment can my right
hon. Friend offer to the stability and competitiveness of the
sector?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is a declining
basin, and it is so important as we go through the transition
that we do not lose the skills and jobs of those people who are
providing the oil and gas on which we currently rely. No country
is doing more to decarbonise than we are, but we will continue to
use oil and gas for decades to come. As our production falls even
more quickly than our demand, and even more quickly than is
required globally, it is essential that we support the industry,
send the signal that my right hon. Friend suggested, and rebut
the attitude of the Labour party, which would destroy those jobs,
lose the tax and put up emissions.
(East Antrim) (DUP)
I welcome the fact that, belatedly, the Government have accepted
that, despite their net-zero policies, the oil and gas industry
is important for the future in the United Kingdom. Does the
Minister recognise that to benefit from the oil and gas in the
North sea that will be released by the new licensing regime, we
need to have refinery capacity? There has been little, if any,
investment in refinery capacity, because of the uncertainty of
the future and the carbon taxes placed on it. When will the
Minister address that issue to ensure that we get the full
benefit of the oil and gas that we extract from our shores?
Effectively, we are part of a European market. Most of the gas
that we produce is consumed in the United Kingdom, and most of
our oil is refined elsewhere in Europe and contributes to
European and UK energy security, as it is converted into product.
It is one joined-up market for historical reasons, and our
refineries are used predominantly for oil that comes from abroad,
as opposed to that which comes from the North sea. These are
multi-decadal investments, and as part of a managed decline in
demand we will see refinery capacity reduced over time. We are
doing absolutely everything to do this in the most sensible
manner possible, and it is a shame that Labour Members would have
us import more. They are all in favour of oil and gas jobs, so
long as they are not in the UK, and they will bring in foreign
imports from which we will get no jobs and no tax, with higher
emissions. It makes no sense, and only the right hon. Member for
Doncaster North () could champion such an
insane policy.
Energy-intensive Industries: Decarbonisation
(Stockton North) (Lab)
12. What steps her Department is taking to help energy-intensive
industries to decarbonise.(900974)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
As chair of the all-party group on carbon capture, utilisation
and storage, the hon. Member will know that the Government have
committed £20 billion to support the early development of carbon
capture, usage and storage, and up to £500 million for the
industrial energy transformation fund to help industry to
decarbonise, with phase 3 opening shortly.
I welcome the investment in carbon capture—we just need to get on
and make something happen there. Teesside is home to some of the
most energy-intensive industries in the country, but instead of
attracting more of those industries, including primary steel
making, we are seeing plants closed down and jobs lost because
investors do not see any industrial strategy from the Government.
High energy costs mean that it is cheaper to import many of the
goods that until now we have made at home. Why are the Government
content to see this managed decline, rather than back the kind of
strategy that will protect existing industries and drive
investment and job creation?
This Government invest throughout the country with our
levelling-up agenda, but we have of course been investing in the
steel industry, and we are mindful to ensure that we have the
skills that will take us forward for those future
requirements.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the shadow Minister.
(Croydon Central) (Lab)
My hon. Friend the Member for Stockton North () was of course absolutely
right: we have seen managed decline under this Government, with
no coherent industrial strategy, total failure to get the grid
connected where we need it, and different Departments giving
mixed messages and providing complicated processes to access any
support.
On top of all that, our industry has to pay twice as much on its
energy bills compared with European competitors. A recent report
by UK Steel stated that our steel producers have to pay £117
million more per year on electricity, forcing the Government to
deliver a subsidy through the supercharger, which in turn raises
bills for everybody else. Instead of such short-term policies, is
it time for Labour’s industrial strategy, Labour’s grid reform
and Labour’s mission to become a clean energy superpower, so that
we can permanently cut bills for everyone, grow our economy and
give Britain its future back?
This Government have demonstrated our commitment to help across
the domestic and non-domestic sectors. However, we also recognise
the vital role that the steel sector plays in our economy. In
fact, the 2021 net zero strategy reaffirms our commitment to
continue to work with the steel industry on decarbonisation.
Topical Questions
(City of Durham) (Lab)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(900988)
The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero ()
The UK is the first major economy to halve its emissions. Since
the Prime Minister’s speech in September, we have announced the
£960 million green industries growth accelerator, helped to
deliver the first global agreement to transition away from fossil
fuels at COP28, acted to protect motorists from unfair prices at
petrol stations, announced backing for 11 major projects to
produce green hydrogen, and committed to the biggest nuclear
expansion in 70 years. We have a plan. Our plan is working and it
will get us to net zero. It will guarantee our energy security
and bring consumers and the British people with us.
My constituents have told me they are no longer eligible to
receive the warm home discount, which, along with Ofgem’s price
increase, is making the cost of living even more severe in the
City of Durham. Will the Minister meet me to discuss that? What,
if any, discussions has he had with the Minister for Disabled
People, Health and Work, the hon. Member for Mid Sussex () about the impact of fuel
poverty on disabled people?
We are providing targeted support for the most vulnerable through
the warm home discount. I am pleased to say that we have raised
it to £150 and extended it so that it now reaches 3 million
low-income households, giving them a rebate on their energy bills
every winter.
(Kettering) (Con)
T3. Kettering is one of the greenest constituencies in the
country, because the wind turbines and solar panels in the
constituency generate enough electricity to power all 45,000
homes. For the country as a whole, what percentage of our
electricity was generated from renewables when the Conservatives
came to power in 2010, and what is the percentage
now?(900990)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
I thank my hon. Friend for that question. He will be delighted to
learn that renewable generation has increased fivefold from 2010
to 2022. It has gone from a risible 26 TWh to 135 TWh. Some 40 GW
of renewable energy has connected to Great Britain’s electricity
networks since 2010. Since 2010, the UK has seen a more than 500%
increase in the amount of renewable electricity capacity in the
grid thanks to this Conservative Government.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Doncaster North) (Lab)
In the past month, the former Prime Minister who legislated for
net zero has condemned the Minister’s oil and gas policy. His
colleague the former COP President has accused the Government of
“not being serious” and the Government’s net zero tsar has
resigned his seat in disgust. Why does the Minister think that
that is?
As we have rehearsed, the UK is the first major economy to halve
its emissions. It is the one that is delivering more going
forward. It is so important that we recognise that we will
continue to need oil and gas for decades to come. The Labour
party’s policy will do the opposite; it will weaken British jobs,
reduce taxes and put up emissions, and that is why we remain
committed, working across society, to ensuring that we
deliver.
It is not just us who oppose the Minister’s Bill, but those on
his own side—he has lost an MP over it. I know he brought down
the last Government over fracking; he is trying to do it again
with his new Bill. That is the reason that people have lost
confidence. They see the hottest year on record and a Government
backsliding on net zero. Is it not the truth that the
Conservatives who know and care most about climate change no
longer support this Government?
The right hon. Gentleman would love to think that was the case,
but the Conservative party is united in driving this forward and
in delivering. We are powering up Britain from Britain. We have
taken ourselves from the abject position left by him when he was
in government, which so many of my colleagues have described. We
must not go back to that, because it would put bills up, it would
put emissions up, and it would stop us being the global net zero
leader that we are.
(North Norfolk) (Con)
T4. The Prime Minister recently visited Bacton gas terminal in
North Norfolk, which is home to a third of the UK’s gas supply
and in the future could be an enormous hub for green energy
production in the east of England. Will Ministers reassure me
that they will continue to consider Bacton as the future home for
carbon capture, usage and storage technology as well as a
hydrogen hub for the future in the east of England?(900991)
I agree with my hon. Friend and the Prime Minister on the
importance of Bacton, which, like all gas terminals across the
country, has the potential to play a crucial role in our energy
security. The decarbonisation of these terminals is vital to
delivering both economic growth and net zero. The Hewett field,
20 km offshore from Bacton, was awarded a licence for carbon sea
storage by the North Sea Transition Authority in 2023. I hear his
loud voice—it will be heard on the Government Benches—about its
potential to be a hydrogen hub as well.
Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
T2. Data released last year suggests that Britain has one of the
largest queues in Europe of wind and solar capacity waiting to be
connected to the grid. Will the Minister provide an update on
what steps the Department is taking to reduce those waiting
times?(900989)
The hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight that issue. At the
autumn statement, we announced plans to halve the time it takes
to build new critical powerlines as well as reducing average
delays from five years to no more than six months. The connection
action plan at the more local level will release more than 100 GW
of capacity and give powers to the system operator to terminate
stalled projects. We are seeking across multiple Departments—led
by this one—to deal with the issues that she rightly raised.
(Truro and Falmouth)
(Con)
T7. A&P Falmouth in my constituency has submitted an
application to the Government for floating offshore wind
manufacturing investment scheme funding in readiness to support
the first floating offshore wind project in English waters. With
Government support, it could supply electricity to 45,000 homes
in Cornwall. The scheme is shovel-ready, pragmatic and
deliverable, with huge support from local stakeholders as well as
being vital to building the supply chain further in the
south-west. Will my hon. Friend, alongside Department for
Transport colleagues, carefully consider the application to help
me deliver that for Cornwall, the south-west and the Celtic sea
cluster?(900994)
It is incredibly encouraging to hear about what is happening at
A&P Falmouth. As my hon. Friend knows, the floating offshore
wind manufacturing investment scheme is providing up to £160
million to support investment in UK ports. However, while FLOWMIS
is still live, I am afraid I cannot comment on individual
applications.
Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)
T5. More than 15% of families in my constituency live in fuel
poverty, with a median energy efficiency score of just 65. How
much of the 2019 general election manifesto pledge to spend £9.2
billion on improving energy efficiency has gone on retrofitting
existing properties and not on new builds?(900992)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero ()
I will have to write to the hon. Member with the figure, but the
Government remain firmly committed to new builds as well as to
retrofitting.
Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con)
T10. Many Chelmsford residents have already switched to
electric vehicles. Those who live in houses with driveways pay
just 5% VAT when they charge their cars at home, but those who
live in terraced houses, who are often less well off, have to pay
20% VAT when they use a commercial charger. I fully understand
that tax is a matter for the Treasury Ministers, but does my
right hon. Friend agree that if we could level out this tax, we
could make electric vehicles more affordable to all people and
thus help with our transition towards a lower carbon
economy?(900997)
As we make the transition, it is essential that we do so fairly,
not least for those with less. We have committed to keeping the
transition to electric vehicles affordable for consumers, and we
support innovations for those without a home charger such as
cross-pavement cable channels and peer-to-peer charging schemes.
I know that my right hon. Friend will continue to raise the VAT
issue. As she rightly said, all taxes, including VAT reliefs, are
kept under review by the Chancellor.
(City of Chester) (Lab)
T6. The hospitality sector is very important to Chester. Talking
to the Chester business improvement district this morning, and
following comments from chef Gary Usher, it is clear that the
damaging impact of sky-high energy bills is still felt extremely
significantly. What hope can the Minister offer hard-pressed
restaurateurs in Chester and across the country?(900993)
I am aware of the challenges facing all the industry. I have
ongoing talks with UKHospitality and other groups. There are
things that we can do, such as blend and extend, and we are
looking at the brokers, and ensuring that third-party
intermediaries are doing their jobs correctly.
(Bosworth) (Con)
Driving down to Parliament, I pass petrol stations. In my
constituency, prices were 136.9p and 137.9p. However, at the
service stations, they were 164.9p and 167.9p. That is a massive
difference, which the public just will not tolerate and want
something to be done about it. What will the Government do?
Road fuel prices are down for a second consecutive month. Petrol
prices are now at a level not seen since early October 2021,
following our work to bring transparency to the market. Today, we
launched the consultation to require petrol stations to report
real-time prices, which will mean that drivers can compare prices
and get the best deal, and prices will fall through greater
competition.
(Blaydon) (Lab)
T9. I am sorry to hear that the Secretary of State is ill, but
could the Minister explain why she has taken money from Michael
Hintze, funder of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, an
organisation that peddles climate science denial? Does he think
that is appropriate?(900996)
I apologise for the Secretary of State not being here. I will
write to the hon. Lady promptly in answer to her question.
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)
Transparency is important in the development of the energy
sector. National Grid is refusing to publish its assessment of
Bradwell as a potential landfall site for cables and
interconnectors. It must be logical to prioritise brownfield
sites with existing connections to the electricity network. Will
my right hon. Friend please require National Grid to publish
fully its assessment so far?
When my right hon. Friend thinks that something is important, she
does not let it go. That message will go out clearly from this
Chamber, and I will happily work with her to see whether we can
find a resolution and give her the information and insight that
she requires.
(Warrington North)
(Lab)
Following the recent state visit from the Korean President, when
he identified nuclear as one of the key sectors for future
collaboration in the UK-Korea trade deal, and the
publication—albeit two years later than promised—of the civil
nuclear road map last week, could the Minister please detail what
conversations are taking place with the Department for Business
and Trade to maximise inward investment opportunities for the
nuclear supply chain in Warrington North and across the UK?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question and for her support for
our nuclear road map published last week. As she knows, we look
forward to increasing the opportunities to co-operate with South
Korea on civil nuclear, including on fuel supply chain safety,
security, non-proliferation, decommissioning and the development
of new reactors in both countries. That will benefit jobs and the
supply chain around the UK, specifically where there is a strong
history of a nuclear industry, such as in her constituency, which
she champions.
(Don Valley) (Con)
The additional power supplies from offshore wind farms are
creating the need for further pylons, yet if we doubled the
voltage of power lines from 400 kV to 800 kV, we might not need
them. That is used in China and America, and would stop the need
for all the additional power lines running up and down the
country. Will the Department look into that?
It will be useful for us both if I write to my hon. Friend and
set out the technical assessments, constraints and issues around
that, because he makes an interesting point.
Dame (Llanelli) (Lab)
The Government have finally committed to a carbon border
adjustment mechanism to protect our energy-intensive industries
from being undercut by imports made with dirtier energy or in
more heavily polluting processes. Will the Minister explain why
the Government are delaying that until 2027, when the EU is
introducing equivalent legislation a whole year earlier? Will he
speak urgently to ministerial colleagues about bringing that date
forward, both to protect our industries and reduce our carbon
footprint?
I thank the hon. Lady for her support for the introduction of a
carbon border adjustment mechanism. This is to make sure that we
do not have carbon leakage—to use the jargon—where carbon costs
imposed on companies here lead to that production simply going
abroad, with no betterment to the planet. His Majesty’s Treasury
takes the lead on this particular policy, but I will ensure that
her sentiments are passed on to my Treasury colleagues.
(North Devon) (Con)
Can my hon. Friend confirm that, given all the questions about
carbon accounting, sustainability and value for taxpayers’ money,
the Government will not be guaranteeing Drax billions more in
subsidies?
As my hon. Friend knows, we will shortly be consulting on
potential support arrangements to help facilitate the transition
of large-scale biomass generation to power bioenergy with carbon
capture and storage. Power bioenergy with carbon capture and
storage could deliver negative emissions to support our climate
change targets and the UK’s energy security.
