Topical Questions

Question

There appears to be inconsistency between what Ministers are saying about the report by the National Energy System Operator and what the CEO of NESO told the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee last week. Can the Secretary of State answer this clearly: does the NESO report forecast higher or lower energy bills under his policy?

Question

My constituency has the second highest number of members on the British Coal staff superannuation scheme in the country; we have more than 1,000 members. Does the Minister agree that we need to end the injustice for all former employees on that scheme? Will she visit my beautiful constituency to meet me and members of the scheme?

Question

Labour's policy on the North sea will cost the country £12 billion in tax receipts, which would be enough to cover the winter fuel payment for many, many years. Pensioners will be in the cold this winter, and this is a policy that no other major economy is pursuing. How can the Government possibly justify it?

Question

That is not my figure; it is a figure from industry—£12 billion in lost North sea tax receipts, in addition to £8 billion for an energy company that will not generate energy, and at least £200 billion for a 2030 target that we now know will not cut bills. Is it not true that pensioners will be sitting in the cold this winter to pick up the bill for this Secretary of State?

Question

I welcome the clean power plan, which the Government published last week, which lays out the route to energy security and lower bills. Will my right hon. Friend provide more detail on how our new national champion, Great British Energy, which is backed by the overwhelming majority of the public in Stevenage and elsewhere, will form part of this new plan?

Question

My constituents were promised £300 off their energy bills by the Labour Government. Instead, they are having to fork out additional money for Great British Energy and to pursue net zero, while the Government take the winter fuel payment away from millions of pensioners. How can the Secretary of State justify increasing spending on net zero projects while his Government let pensioners go cold this winter?

Question

More than half the homes in my constituency have an energy performance rating of D or worse, and a quarter are off-grid, relying on more expensive fuels, so I welcome this Government's commitment to a warm homes plan. However, with a lot of rural homes poorly insulated and not suited to heat pumps, will the Secretary of State work with me on a tailored plan for colder, stone-built rural homes?

Question

The spill of fuel oil in the Black sea from Russian tankers is yet another tragic reminder of the work that Russia is doing to subvert our sanctions. What is the Secretary of State's assessment of the amount of petrochemical products and their derivatives entering our economy from Russia today?

Question

Sky-rocketing energy bills under the previous Conservative Government contributed to the cost of living crisis, and were one of the reasons that voters in my constituency chose change with Labour at the general election. Will the Secretary of State further outline what changes this Labour Government will make to deliver better value to my constituents?

Question

The Secretary of State will be well aware of the critical role that the carbon capture scheme at St Fergus will play in the economic growth and potential of north-east Scotland, so can he simply give us a timetable for when he will approve that scheme?

Question

In the Government's policy paper “Clean Power 2030 Action Plan”, floating offshore wind was labelled a key emerging technology, and developments were promised for future rounds of contracts for difference. Will the Minister please consider going further, and geographically ringfencing contracts for difference funding, to ensure that the massive potential of projects such as floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea is unlocked?

Question

More than 24,000 homes in my constituency have an energy performance certificate banding of D or worse, which means 50,000 tonnes of avoidable carbon dioxide emissions and higher energy bills for my constituents. However, the rate of insulation upgrades is too slow for us to meet the Government's goal of universal band C ratings by 2035. Will the Minister commit herself with more urgency to an emergency home insulation programme with targeted support for those on low incomes?

Question

In my constituency, there has been strong growth in the purchase of electric vehicles, but we have only half as many public charging points per person as the national average. How can we secure more charging points in public spaces in rural communities?

Question

This weekend, 50 households in Cleat Hill were able to return home, nine weeks after the gas explosion there. That was thanks to the efforts of the local council and the local emergency services but not, I am afraid, to the actions of the Government. There has been a deafening silence on whether they will help the council with funding, and whether they will fund a scaling and scoping of the gas reservoir. I am extremely grateful to the Minister for meeting me, but will she chivvy her other Ministers along, so that we can get a reply?

Question

I recently visited the zero-emission boiler manufacturer Tepeo in Wokingham. Its owners were thrilled by the Government's decision that heat batteries can qualify for the warm homes social housing fund wave 3, but expressed concern about whether they could scale up without the same subsidy support and VAT relief as heat pumps. Will the Minister meet me, and representatives of Thermal Storage UK, to discuss how we can support heat batteries, so that households can become more resilient?

Question

Seventy-five per cent of voters think that all new homes should come with solar panels on the roof as standard. Do the Government agree?

Question

Cheshire is leading the way in CCUS, whether it is in hydrogen production, where it is providing the means of transition as a new industry is established, or in hard-to-abate sectors such as glass or cement production, where CCUS is a vital decarbonisation component. Our strategy is creating jobs, growing our skills base and unlocking a low-carbon future. Does the Minister agree that it will not be possible to get to net zero without CCUS?

Question

The right hon. Gentleman is concerned that the cost of building the grid should not disproportionately affect rural areas due to the taller pylons proposed for the Grimsby to Walpole scheme. He asks why this burden falls on these communities despite the potential benefits.

Question

The hon. Friend notes that last year, the UK imported 43% of its energy. He asks if the Secretary of State agrees on the potential for energy independence, reduced vulnerability to volatile international markets, and export opportunities from clean power initiatives.

Question

The right hon. Gentleman asks how much energy bills are expected to increase before reaching their target reduction in 2030, given recent statements about future decreases.

Question

My constituency's Lynemouth biomass power station is pursuing significant carbon capture initiatives but awaits major departmental decisions. The hon. Friend asks for a meeting to address these urgent issues.

Question

The hon. Member asks if the Minister welcomes their proactive approach regarding SMR development in her constituency, inviting a joint meeting to better understand FE sector needs.

Question

What assurances can the Minister provide regarding energy-intensive industries such as ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent receiving necessary support during their transition to net zero?

Question

The hon. Member asks the Secretary of State about licences awaiting final approval for dangerous fossil fuels, urging him to ensure they will not be granted given the climate targets.

Question

On behalf of constituents, he thanks the team for delivering justice on mineworkers' pensions and urges alacrity in addressing the British Coal staff superannuation scheme, inviting a look at energy pilots using mine water from abandoned workings.