Written questions by Bowie.

What steps his Department plans to take to help workers in the oil and gas industry transition away from the industry following the ban on new oil and gas licences.

We do not intend to issue new licences to explore new fields because they will not reduce bills and cannot make us energy secure. We will ensure a phased and responsible North Sea transition, with no community left behind. We recently set up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, which will seek to maximise the opportunities of the transition for workers. This will be critical to meeting our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.

What his planned timetable is for the delivery of a new nuclear power plant at Wylfa.

Nuclear can play an important role in helping to achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of skilled jobs. As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, and is now owned by Great British Nuclear, Wylfa can play an important role in new nuclear in the UK, and we will set out our plans for the site in due course.

What his planned timetable is for approving Small Modular Reactors.

Great British Nuclear, the Department’s arm’s-length body responsible for helping deliver the government’s nuclear programme. is currently running a small modular reactor technology selection process for UK deployment. The window for submitting tenders has closed and Great British Nuclear is evaluating bids. This is a complex procurement, and it is important Great British Nuclear ensures a fair and robust process that delivers sustainable outcomes. Further updates will be made in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of not issuing new oil and gas licences on levels of public investment from oil and gas companies.

We do not intend to issue new licences to explore new fields and will not revoke existing licences. We will ensure a phased and responsible transition in the North Sea, ensuring no community is left behind as we move towards net zero. We will share more details on our plans for oil and gas in due course.

What role Great British Energy will have in the (a) governance and (b) duties of Great British Nuclear.

Government is exploring how Great British Energy and Great British Nuclear will work together, including considering how Great British Nuclear functions can be aligned with Great British Energy.

What his Department's policy is on the deployment of nuclear technology at Oldbury.

Nuclear can play an important role in helping to achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of skilled jobs. As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, and is now owned by Great British Nuclear, Oldbury can play an important role in new nuclear in the UK, and we will set out our plans for the site in due course.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Civil nuclear roadmap to 2050, published in January 2024, whether he plans to meet the target of producing 24GW of energy by nuclear by 2050.

The Government supports new nuclear and believes there is a strong role for it in making this country a clean energy superpower. We want to see Hinkley Point C operational this decade and extensions to the currently operating fleet, and we are working at pace to reach a Final Investment Decision for Sizewell C, in which the Government is the majority shareholder. Furthermore, Great British Nuclear is continuing to deliver the SMR technology selection process, with bids now being evaluated.

What steps he is taking to support exports of small modular reactor technologies to Poland.

The UK has established strong civil nuclear relationships with Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and is working closely to coordinate and drive collaboration, including on critical enabling policy such as regulation, financing, operator capabilities, fuels, supply chains, and waste management. We want the UK to be a clean energy superpower, delivering net zero and industrial decarbonisation at home and overseas, so we are pleased to support the nuclear supply chain, including UK Small Modular Reactor (SMR) vendors, seeking to export to responsible nuclear nations, including across Europe.

What steps he is taking to support exports of small modular reactor technologies to Sweden.

The UK has established strong civil nuclear relationships with Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and is working closely to coordinate and drive collaboration, including on critical enabling policy such as regulation, financing, operator capabilities, fuels, supply chains, and waste management. We want the UK to be a clean energy superpower, delivering net zero and industrial decarbonisation at home and overseas, so we are pleased to support the nuclear supply chain, including UK Small Modular Reactor (SMR) vendors, seeking to export to responsible nuclear nations, including across Europe.

What steps he is taking to support exports of small modular reactor technologies to Czechia.

The UK has established strong civil nuclear relationships with Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and is working closely to coordinate and drive collaboration, including on critical enabling policy such as regulation, financing, operator capabilities, fuels, supply chains, and waste management. We want the UK to be a clean energy superpower, delivering net zero and industrial decarbonisation at home and overseas, so we are pleased to support the nuclear supply chain, including UK Small Modular Reactor (SMR) vendors, seeking to export to responsible nuclear nations, including across Europe.

What his Department's policy is on the deployment of new nuclear technologies in Scotland.

The UK Government recognises Scotland's significant contributions to British nuclear power and values the expertise and skills within the nuclear industry there. We are aware of the Scottish Government’s approach to nuclear energy, we work productively with them on a range of energy issues and remain open to discussions on deploying new nuclear technologies in Scotland.

If he will take steps to improve access to market for small and advanced modular reactors outside of the down-selection process.

New nuclear power stations will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. As the government has already demonstrated, it will consider measures to break down barriers to delivery of clean energy, including nuclear, and support this country becoming a clean energy superpower.

What steps his Department plans to take to support the roll-out of small modular reactors.

Great British Nuclear, the Department’s arm’s-length body responsible for helping deliver the government’s nuclear programme is currently running a small modular reactor technology selection process for UK deployment. This is a live procurement and is on-going. The window for submitting tenders has now closed and Great British Nuclear is currently evaluating bids. We look forward to providing further information in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of proceeding with the construction of a GW scale reactor at Wylfa.

As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, and is now owned by Great British Nuclear, Wylfa can play an important role in new nuclear in the UK, and we will set out our plans for the site in due course. The Government has not yet carried out an assessment of the economic impact any future project would have at that location. However, according to EDF, Hinkley Point C is supporting up to 12,000 jobs during construction and will support 900 permanent jobs during its 60 years of operation.

Which oil and gas industry bodies he consulted with before making his decision to ban new oil exploration licences.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Whether he has met with the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

What assessment he has made of the impact of banning new exploration licences on the economy in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

This Government will ensure a phased and responsible North Sea transition. We will manage the North Sea in a way that does not jeopardise jobs. The Government is taking action to coordinate our approach to ensure a just transition, which would allow offshore oil and gas workers to benefit from the economic opportunities arising from the net zero transition, particularly in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. We will share more details on our plans for oil and gas in due course. Any future legislative changes would follow the relevant processes, including an impact assessment where appropriate.

If he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of his policy on granting new North Sea exploration licences on employment levels in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire.

This Government will ensure a phased and responsible North Sea transition. We will manage the North Sea in a way that does not jeopardise jobs. The Government is taking action to coordinate our approach to ensure a just transition, which would allow offshore oil and gas workers to benefit from the economic opportunities arising from the net zero transition, particularly in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire We will share more details on our plans for oil and gas in due course. Any future legislative changes would follow the relevant processes, including an impact assessment where appropriate.

What steps his Department plans to take to help support offshore oil and gas workers transitioning to alternative energy industries.

The Government is taking action to coordinate our approach to ensure a just transition, which would allow offshore oil and gas workers to benefit from the economic opportunities from our transition to net zero, particularly in Scotland. As Britain becomes a clean energy superpower, the government is determined to create new high-quality jobs, working with business and trade unions, as we manage the transition.

How many civil service jobs his Department plans to create in north-east Scotland.

Aberdeen was announced as one DESNZ’s second headquarters in December last year. This highlights the important role the north east Scotland will play in our net zero transition. The headquarters already has over 100 staff (104 as of end June 2024), and our ambition is to increase this to 135 by March 2027. We plan to review DESNZ’s overall location strategy and associated growth targets later this year, to ensure alignment with the departmental objectives.