theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of bringing most unused pension funds within the value of a person’s estate for Inheritance Tax purposes on people currently receiving pensions. \p James Murray: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 55099.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to introduce additional support measures for businesses affected by increases in National Insurance Contributions in Eastbourne. \p James Murray: The Government has taken difficult but necessary decisions to fix the public finances and create the long-term stability in which businesses can invest and thrive.

The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.

The Government has also taken a number of other steps to support businesses.

At the Spending Review, the Government increased the financial capacity of the British Business Bank to £25.6bn, which will enable a two-thirds increase in support for SMEs across the UK. This investment is expected to crowd in tens of billions of pounds of private capital and will support innovative businesses to start, scale, grow, and stay in the UK.

The Government is also continuing to take measures to tackle late payments, which severely impact the cash flow of small businesses. This year we will be laying requirements for large companies to include information about their payment performance in their Annual Reports and launched the Fair Payment Code. We will be launching a consultation on additional legislative measures to address late payments and long payment terms.

The Department for Business and Trade will, this year, be publishing its Small Business Strategy. This will set out how the Government will go further in delivering its manifesto commitments to support SMEs in areas such as access to finance, business support, late payments, regulation, access to markets, and revitalising High Streets.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55222 on Film: Business Rates, how many film studios in England will be subject to the higher multiplier on Rateable Values above £500,000, from April 2026. \p James Murray: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced an intention to introduce a higher business rates multiplier on the most valuable properties – those with Rateable Values (RVs) of £500,000 and above – from April 2026 to fund permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with RVs below £500,000.

The next revaluation will take effect from April 2026. The VOA are required to publish a draft of all properties’ new RVs this year, at which point it will be clear how many film studios will be in scope of the new higher multiplier.

Eligible film studios in England benefit from 40 per cent business rates relief on their total liability. Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first and so film studios will receive 40 per cent relief on their total liability.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the cost of (a) living and (b) housing on the number of families choosing to have a child. \p Darren Jones: We know increased costs in essential areas worrying and cause hardship and hardship for many families with children. The Government is taking a comprehensive approach—providing support while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations.

We are supporting families with everyday costs, including an uplift of over £1.6 billion per year by 2028-29 for government-funded childcare, rolling out Best Start Family Hubs to every LA in England, and extending Free School Meals eligibility to all children in England with a parent receiving Universal Credit.

The Government has also extended the Household Support Fund in England which helps households facing the greatest hardship with the cost of essentials such as food, energy and water. At the Spending Review, we committed to continue investing in crisis support to enable a new Crisis and Resilience Fund, including support for housing costs and to fund councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time. We also funded the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation through the Affordable Homes Programme.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to replace the business rates system from 2026-27; and whether she plans to hold a consultation to inform the new system. \p James Murray: Over the course of this Parliament, the Government will create a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.

The Government published a Discussion Paper at Autumn Budget 2024 setting out priority areas for reform. This paper invited industry to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century. The Treasury received over 160 written responses to that Discussion Paper and met with over 250 stakeholders.

On 17 February, the Government published a ‘forward look’ of the expected timeline for reforms announced at Autumn Budget 2024, and how stakeholders should engage with the Government on business rates reform going forwards.

In the summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Budget 2025.
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James Naish:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are affected by the Loan Charge that have open pre-2010 enquiries. \p James Murray: The Government has commissioned an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of pubs in (a) supporting community wellbeing and (b) tackling social isolation. \p James Murray: The Government is committed to supporting small and local businesses in the hospitality, tourism, and services sectors, which provide a significant contribution to the UK economy and society.

We have launched a licensing taskforce to make recommendations to cut red tape and remove barriers to business growth that exist within the UK’s licensing framework. The industry-led Taskforce has shared its findings with the Government, and we aim to update publicly by the summer.

We have prevented retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) business rates relief from ending in April 2025 by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier.

From April 2026, we intend to introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000. The Treasury has, and will continue to, meet with the RHL sector to discuss these reforms.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a duty cut on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and increased the relief available on draught products to 13.9%.

We have protected small businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year, and more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package.

Furthermore, the Department of Business and Trade will soon be publishing its Small Business Strategy, which will announce further measures to support small businesses in the hospitality sector and to revitalise high streets.

Through The Hospitality Support Scheme, the Government is working with Pub is the Hub and providing funds to help community pubs adapt to changing local needs, ensuring these vital social hubs continue delivering for their communities.

Additionally, we have funded a wide range of community assets, including pubs, through the Community Ownership Fund. On 23 December 2024, this Government announced the outcome of Round 4 of the Community Ownership Fund, the largest ever round to date.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to consult representatives from the (a) beer and (b) pub sectors ahead of the next Budget. \p James Murray: Pubs and brewers make a significant contribution to our economy and society, including through supporting jobs, and this is recognised in the tax system.

According to the Office for National Statistics' 2023 Business Register and Employment Survey, there were 21,000 people employed in the manufacture of beer and 474,000 people employed in public houses and bars across Great Britain.

The alcohol duty system supports pubs and hospitality businesses through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a duty cut on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This is the equivalent to a 1p reduction on a typical pint.

The Chancellor has also confirmed her intention to permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including pubs, with rateable values below £500,000 from April 2026. This will help protect the jobs supported by the pub sector.

There is significant variation in alcohol taxation policy amongst European countries. The World Health Organization recently published a comparison of alcohol taxes across the WHO European Region, which can be found here: https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289061940. The World Health Organization and other public health bodies are clear that duty rates have a role to play in achieving public health objectives.

Treasury ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events. The Government welcomes representations from the beer and pub sectors in advance of the Budget.
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Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) clarity of HM Revenue & Customs guidance for employers on workplace nursery schemes. \p Darren Jones: The workplace nursery scheme exemption allows employers to offer childcare support to employees without incurring income tax or National Insurance (NI) charges, provided certain conditions are met.

HMRC publishes online guidance on the use of workplace nursery schemes which is reviewed frequently and was last updated in August 2024.

In July 2024 HMRC published an article in its Agent Update as a reminder to businesses of the conditions to be met for the tax exemption to apply following increased awareness of a number of scheme operators advertising their service as having HMRC approval were the partnership requirements were not met.

The article can be found here: Issue 121 of Agent Update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employer Supported Childcare schemes are voluntary arrangements. The Government supports these initiatives through relevant tax and NICs reliefs, but it is up to the employer to decide whether or not to offer childcare support to its employees.

The schemes primarily operate through salary sacrifice arrangements, as childcare is one of the few areas where salary sacrifice tax reliefs are still available.

Employers can choose to offer a workplace nursery scheme as part of their employee benefits package to attract and retain skilled employees.

With Tax-Free Childcare, eligible parents can simply open an online account and make payments directly to their childcare provider. For every £8 a parent deposits into their account, the government adds £2 to help with the cost of childcare.

As such, there is no requirement for employers to adopt the schemes.
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Catherine Fookes:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of HMRC phone line performance. \p James Murray: HMRC publish monthly performance data, including information on their telephony service, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports.

A key part of this plan is expanding HMRC’s digital services. Improving day-to-day performance is one of the Government’s key priorities for HMRC.

A key part of this plan is expanding HMRC’s digital services. More than 6 million customers now use the HMRC app, which allows people to manage their tax affairs quickly and easily.

This summer, HMRC will publish a transformation roadmap. Setting out further steps to improve the customer experience for taxpayers, agents, and businesses.

This will reduce pressure on phone lines, freeing up HMRC advisors to help those who are digitally excluded, have complex tax affairs, or find themselves in vulnerable circumstances.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Growth and Skills Levy will be of the same value as the Apprenticeship Levy; and whether that levy will apply to companies paying over £3 million in wages. \p Darren Jones: The Government is reforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a Growth and Skills Levy. Alongside existing high-quality apprenticeship routes, this will enable employers in England to invest in a broader range of high-quality training, including foundation apprenticeships and short courses in priority sectors. Skills England, a new national skills organisation, will consult a wide range of partners to ensure that levy-funded training meets the needs of employers, providers, and learners, and delivers good value for money.

These reforms focus on expanding the types of training that employers in England can fund through the Levy. There are no plans to change the way employers pay the UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy. The levy will continue to be paid by all UK employers with an annual pay bill over £3 million, at a rate of 0.5 per cent.

All taxes are kept under review as part of the Government’s tax policy making process.
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps is she taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce child poverty. \p Darren Jones: The government is determined to tackle child poverty and will publish an ambitious strategy this autumn that will address its structural and root causes. As a downpayment on that strategy, we are expanding Free School Meals in England to all children with a parent receiving Universal Credit (UC), lifting 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament.

The Spending Review also funded the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, committed £13.2 billion for the Warm Homes Plan, and provided £1 billion a year including Barnett impact to enable a new, multi-year Crisis and Resilience Fund. Beyond this, we have increased the National Living Wage by 6.7%, introduced the Fair Repayment Rate so that around 1.2 million families keep more of their UC award each month, expanded the Warm Home Discount to every billpayer on means-tested benefits, and announced an uplift to the UC Standard Allowance, which will rise to 5% above inflation by 2029-30.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether increases to police spending will be funded through (a) general taxation and (b) council tax. \p Darren Jones: As set out in the Spending Review 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms.

Police core spending power reflects a mix of central government funding and local taxation through the police precept. This 2.3% projection is therefore premised on the police being funded through increases to both. The government will set out spending plans for police forces in England and Wales, including the final precept level and core government funding, at the annual police funding settlement in the usual way.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the guidance entitled Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025, which suppliers were used to provide Antisemitism and Anti-Islamophobia training. \p James Murray: HM Treasury volunteers coordinated 3 events on Antisemitism and Anti-Islamophobia with 2 paid for speakers- TellMAMA and Antisemitism Policy Trust (APT).
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61659 on Research: Investment, if the Economic Secretary to the Treasury will meet with the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley to discuss research and development funding. \p Emma Reynolds: R&D funding falls within the portfolio of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Livermore). I have passed on your request, but due to diary constraints Lord Livermore is unable to meet currently.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much her Department spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years. \p James Murray: HMT only has the ability to track and report the following totals for each of the last 3 financial years on WFH IT kits (screens, headsets, keyboard and mouse);

(i) 2024/25 - £ 218,486

(ii) 2023/24 - £ 87,024

(iii) 2022/23 - £ 36,222

The 24/25 WFH kits shown above were a value for money expenditure where kits were bought in bulk to reduce expenditure in future years. No further purchases have been made in the current financial year.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in (a) National Insurance Contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on food price inflation. \p James Murray: It is in the remit of the Low Pay Commission, who advise the Government on the minimum wage rates, to consider the impact of changes to the minimum wage on inflation, alongside the wider economy and the labour market. The Government knows that employers respond to increases in minimum wage rates in a range of ways, but existing evidence finds that the impact on inflation is small.

Additionally, assessments made by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in March 2025 suggest that policy changes made at the 2024 Autumn Budget will lead to very small increases in CPI inflation, increasing the price level by less than 0.1 per cent by the end of the parliament. Throughout the forecast period, the OBR expect CPI inflation to remain close to the 2 per cent target. The OBR does not publish estimates of the impact of policy changes on food price inflation.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation (a) her Department and (b) the Valuation Office Agency undertook with the (i) flexible workspace sector and (ii) representatives of small businesses prior to concluding that most serviced offices should be assessed as a single property for business rates purposes. \p James Murray: Following developments in case law and legal advice, the VOA has reviewed its approach and concluded that most serviced offices will need to be assessed as a single property. The VOA has engaged with the sector and rating agents to discuss the approach to assessing serviced offices.

In line with legal obligations, the VOA is working through outstanding Checks and Challenges on serviced offices. For serviced offices that are new to the Rating List or subject to Checks and Challenges, the starting position is to treat them as a single assessment, unless there is clear evidence to support separate assessments. The VOA will apply the law to the facts on a case-by-case basis.
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Rachel Blake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to a residence-based inheritance tax system on the numbers of UK residents with permanent homes outside of the UK. \p James Murray: A supplementary forecast information release around the costings of reforms to the non-domicile regime, including the move to residence-based inheritance tax system, was published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in January 2025. This costing outlines the certified impact of ending the non-domiciled tax status on revenues to the Exchequer and the underlying behavioural assumptions.

https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/Non-doms-supplementary-release-Jan-2025.pdf
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Amanda Martin:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the VAT treatment of (a) shore power supplied to ships and (b) the services provided by contractors who connect or disconnect that supply; and if she will make it her policy to amend the Extra-Statutory Concessions for electricity to be a zero-rated marine fuel for VAT purposes. \p James Murray: VAT charged on electricity generated through shore power and supplied to ships can be recovered by businesses operating these ships subject to the normal rules of the tax.

Extra-Statutory Concessions (ESCs) are remissions of revenue that allow relief in specific sets of circumstances and are authorised when strict application of the law would create a disadvantage or the effect would not be the one intended. This does not apply to the rules that relate to the supply of electricity.

ESC 9.2 allows zero-rating of marine fuel as ships stores. It is limited to a specific set of rebated duty fuels (fuel oil, gas oil and kerosene) that qualified for zero-rating before July 1990. The Government has no plans to review or amend the scope of ESC 9.2.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56711 on Council tax: valuation, how many complaints have been made to (a) Tier 1 complaints process, (b) Tier 2 complaints process and (c) the Adjudicator's Office in relation delays in council tax banding appeals by the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12 months. \p James Murray: Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, the VOA received the following number of complaints about delays:

Tier 1 – 677

Tier 2 - 103

Adjudicator’s Office (Council Tax complaints)– 9

For context, on average the VOA deals with around 60,000 cases each year in England and Wales where customers wish to challenge their council tax band.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 63473 on Origin Marking: Occupied Territories, how many compliance checks HMRC undertook to identify whether goods labelled as originating from Israel were produced in Israeli settlements located in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2024; and how many of those checks identified (a) non-compliance and (b) the mislabelling of goods. \p James Murray: The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law, and that goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

HMRC takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tariff enforcement and routinely checks the accuracy of customs declarations. Such checks include checking material particulars such as the declared origin, value and classification of goods. Checks are conducted where risk analysis or intelligence indicates potential non-compliance, and in cases where there is a risk of customs duty under-declaration.

HMRC does not publish details of numbers of checks in relation to specific countries of origin or the outcomes of those checks. However, HMRC confirms that regular and proportionate checks are carried out on Israeli goods in which they are subject to verification to check their originating status.
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Alex Ballinger:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing support with energy costs to defence manufacturers engaged in energy-intensive steel casting. \p Sarah Jones: For Energy Intensive Industries overall, our Clean Power 2030 target is the key to long-term sustainable price reductions. From 2027, the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour for over 7,000 electricity-intensive businesses in manufacturing sectors. Eligibility will be determined following consultation, which will open shortly, with a review point in 2030. The government is also increasing support through an uplift for our most energy-intensive industries eligible for the British Industry Supercharger, with an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme to 90% from 2026. The government will set out further details on its plans to decarbonise industry, in its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan in October.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that the non-pipeline transport of CO₂ for offshore storage does not cause marine pollution. \p Sarah Jones: The UK has an established environmental regulatory regime in place to protect human health and the environment, with the Environment Agency (EA), and Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), and Natural Resource Wales (NRW) for projects based in Wales, all evaluating the environmental impacts of CCUS projects. The Statutory Nature Conservations Bodies are also consulted as part of this process. The UK ETS Authority has also consulted on proposals to requiring ships transporting CO2 for offshore storage to monitor and report emissions.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department spent on equipment for civil servants to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Michael Shanks: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not hold this information centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of taking steps to help tackle hidden commission fees charged by energy brokers on costs for businesses; and whether he has considered introducing a regulatory framework to help tackle those fees. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government has consulted on introducing a regulatory regime for the TPI market. This would raise standards, protect businesses from harmful practices, and improve consumer confidence in responsible TPIs. Earlier this month, the Government published a summary of the responses to the consultation, which set out that most respondents supported introducing regulation for TPIs. We will publish a Government response to the consultation, setting out future plans on TPI regulation, in due course.

Current regulatory oversight of TPIs within the energy market primarily consists of voluntary codes of practice, Ofgem licence conditions on energy suppliers, and consumer protection regulations. These codes of practice outline best practices and standards for TPI conduct in areas such as transparency, customer engagement, and ethical behaviour.

Ofgem imposes licence conditions on energy suppliers that indirectly affect the activities of TPIs. These include requirements related to transparent pricing for non-domestic customers using TPIs and access to redress for microbusiness consumers, and, since December, to small businesses.
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Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the proportion of oil imports transported through the Strait of Hormuz in the most recent period for which data is available. \p Michael Shanks: Just under 12 per cent of UK oil imports originated in Kuwait (7.5 per cent), Saudi Arabia (2.5 per cent), and the United Arab Emirates (1.6 per cent) in January to April 2025 (Energy Trends, Table 3.14), similar to 2023 and 2024. The Strait of Hormuz is the primary export route for these countries. Imports were predominantly of jet fuel and white diesel.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of pylons in the Grimsby to Walpole project on the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. \p Michael Shanks: The Government does not make assessments of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) unless they are submitted to the relevant Secretary of State for a final decision. Currently this project is at the pre-application stage. As for all NSIPs the developer should comprehensively assess the potential effects of their proposals within their application. This includes assessments of their project’s potential effects on landscape, visual character, and ecological integrity as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The scope of any assessment should be agreed between the applicant, relevant statutory consultees, and the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the relevant Secretary of State.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish the Flexibility Roadmap. \p Michael Shanks: The Government will publish the Clean Flexibility Roadmap in 2025, as stated in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

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Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of Scope 3 emissions reporting on oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. \p Michael Shanks: Guidance on how Scope 3 emissions should be assessed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process has now been published. This provides clarity for the North Sea oil and gas industry. Developers can now resume the submission of environmental statements and each will be assessed on its own merits. As the projects to which these environmental statements relate will be subject to future regulatory decisions, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of any individual cases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_340

Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Crown Estate on Offshore Wind Leasing Round 6 including sites off the Dorset coast. \p Michael Shanks: The Crown Estate aims to bring to market an additional 20-30GW of offshore wind leasing opportunity by 2030, to support the UK’s net zero and energy security ambitions. In September 2024, The Crown Estate published its Future of Offshore Wind report which identified regional areas of opportunity including the North East and the Celtic Sea. The Crown Estate has not yet identified which individual project sites will be bought to market in its next leasing round.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_341

Mike Reader:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will hold discussions with Ofgem on reducing the time taken to implement reforms to the electricity distribution network. \p Michael Shanks: The National Infrastructure Commission published recommendations on 21 February on making the electricity distribution network fit for net zero. The Government published a formal response on 7th July, which agrees with the study’s view that investment in the distribution network is required ahead of need to accommodate expected growth in electricity demand. In developing the response, we have engaged with Ofgem and other delivery partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_342

Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of unused North Sea oil and gas on energy security. \p Michael Shanks: The North Sea is a highly mature basin. Production of oil and gas has been declining since a peak in 1999 and around 80% of our oil is exported.

The UK benefits from a secure and diverse energy system, which allows us to draw on several sources, reducing our reliance on any single source.

The Government's Clean Energy Superpower Mission, supported by the largest investment in home-grown clean energy in British history, will enhance energy security by boosting our energy independence, protecting billpayers, and reducing exposure to global supply shocks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_343

Amanda Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's document entitled Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, published on 25 March 2025, when he will announce the outcome of the consultation on the application of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to shipping operating in UK waters. \p Sarah Jones: A second, technical consultation on the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to include the maritime sector closed in January 2025. The UK ETS Authority is currently analysing responses and finalising policy design for implementation. The consultation outlined that the scheme would apply to domestic voyages between UK ports, including voyages that begin and end in the same UK port. The Authority also proposed to include emissions at berth in UK ports (irrespective of whether a ship is undertaking a domestic or international voyage). We will publish the Authority Response to this consultation in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_344

Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's consultation Extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme cap beyond 2030, published on 12 February 2025, when the Government's response will be published. \p Sarah Jones: The consultation on extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme cap beyond 2030 closed on the 9th of April 2025. The UK ETS Authority recognises the importance of providing certainty and clarity on the scheme. Responses to the consultation are currently being analysed, and a response, outlining the Authority’s decisions, will be published when ready.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_345

Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what oversight his Department provides for investments in heat network infrastructure. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides capital funding for heat networks via the Green Heat Network Fund and the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme. The Department is represented on the Investment Committees for these schemes. Successful applicants must sign funding agreements with the Department which require them to provide regular monitoring and reporting updates on their projects as a condition of funding. These are the subject of regular meetings between the respective scheme delivery partners and DESNZ officials.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_346

Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide financial support for (a) connection costs and (b) internal heat interface units for consumers connecting to low-carbon heat networks. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems. Heat pumps are the primary supported technology under the scheme. It does not provide financial support for the connection costs for connecting to heat networks or internal heat interface units.

Significant funding to develop new and existing low carbon heat networks across England is provided through the Green Heat Network Fund, which has announced over £506 million in grant awards to date. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will provide further detail on the support available to help property owners transition to cleaner, low carbon heating.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_347

Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Westminster City Council on upgrades to the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_348

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 59046 on Insulation: Housing, what recent discussions he has had with surveyors on spray foam insulation. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_349

Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Oxford City Council and (b) 1Energy on the Oxford Energy Network project; and what steps his Department is taking to help support (i) people and (ii) businesses to connect to the Oxford Energy Network in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Department's Heat Networks Team is in regular dialogue with Oxford City Council about their role in Heat Network Zoning and the Oxford Energy Network project. We provided technical support through the early release of our National Zoning Model work and offer commercial support with best practice guidance and templates and signposting to similar Local Authorities. This aims to ensure the private-led heat network benefits Oxford's residents and businesses.

1Energy was awarded capital funding of over £21.956m from the Green Heat Network Fund for the Oxford City project. The fund is delivered by an external partner, Triple Point Heat Network Investment Management, who have regular contact with 1Energy on the progress of the project.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_350

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending eligibility for energy support schemes to residential park home residents who are not connected to the gas grid. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Warm Home Discount provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households through their electricity supplier. As residential park home residents usually do not have a domestic electricity supplier, they are unable to receive this support. However, residential park home residents can apply for the £150 Charis Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme; the 2025/26 scheme will reopen in late August 2025. Following our recent consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount scheme, the Charis Park Home Discount Scheme will not be changed.

The Government has expanded the Household Support Fund in England for a further year until 31 March 2026 with an extra £742 million in support, with additional funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula. Park home residents struggling with their bills can contact their local authority to see if they are eligible for this support. The current Warm Home Discount scheme Regulations end in March 2026. We will consult on options for the next scheme period in the autumn.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_351

Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of low-carbon heat networks on (a) reducing (i) NOx emissions and (ii) particulate matter (PM2.5) in urban areas and (b) public health outcomes. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Our assessment of the potential impact of low-carbon heat networks includes monetised air quality benefits based on Green Book (Table 15) fuel consumption standards[1]. Our published consultation stage Zoning Impact Assessment estimated the value of those benefits at between £50m and £270m (2020 prices, 2024 base year) over 40 years. This range includes the health benefits of both reduced NOx and reduced particulate matter.

We are working with Defra to ensure heat network zoning policy contributes to the UK’s wider air quality goals - supporting cleaner air and better public health.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/valuation-of-energy-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-for-appraisal - Table 15
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_352

Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using the Oxford Energy Network as a model for decarbonising heat in historic cities. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Oxford City heat network, which is being taken forward by 1Energy with support from the Green Heat Network Fund, aims to connect many of the city's historic buildings together. The Department will be monitoring the progress of the project, which is expected to provide many lessons for future heat network development in areas of significant built heritage.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-08 conversation_353

Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department plans to integrate the strategic deployment of heat networks capturing waste heat into the Warm Homes Plan. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Warm Homes Plan will help households and businesses make the switch to clean heat and save money on their bills. Heat networks can offer low-cost, low-carbon heat, and reduce everyone’s bills by using surplus heat that would otherwise be wasted.

The Government is investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan over the Spending Review period (up to 2029/30). Further detail on the Warm Homes Plan, including deployment targets and funding to deliver heat network schemes, will be set out by October.