Written questions by Bowie.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of monthly market price variability on plans to decarbonise the grid by 2030.

Currently, the market price varies strongly based on fossil fuel prices, which we do not expect to impact the delivery of Clean Power 2030. As the action plan makes clear, homegrown renewable energy is the key to energy independence. Clean Power 2030 will reduce our exposure to volatile international gas markets and the leverage of hostile petrostates like Russia.

What estimate his Department has made of the amount of (a) copper, (b) aluminium, (c) steel, (d) concrete and (e) other metals required to upgrade the electricity (i) transmission and (ii) distribution grids over the next five years.

Grid expansion will be dependent on equipment manufacturers securing the materials required to produce grid components to meet global demand. The UK Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre (CMIC) recently published a study into requirements of our national grid infrastructure to reach net zero. The cumulative material demand between 2023-2050 for upgrades is expected to be between 1.1m-1.6m tonnes of copper and 200,000-300,000 tonnes of aluminium. As part of the Government’s upcoming Plan for Steel, we are working to better understand domestic demand and explore what can be done to ensure our steel sector is best positioned to capitalise on it.

What the sources of funding were for the Climate and Environment Conference hosted by the Civil Service Climate + Environment Network.

The 2025 conference was funded by learning and development budgets from across government.

How much investment his Department plans to allocate to (a) training centres, (b) training courses and (c) training advisors in the nuclear industry.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK nuclear industry has the necessary skills needed to deliver our nuclear ambitions. Recognising the need to act now to grow the workforce, the nuclear sector across civil and defence are collaborating to deliver sustained long-term action that will develop a robust nuclear skills base, including through the delivery of the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills.

How the remit of Great British Nuclear will interact with Great British Energy.

Considering the importance of the two entities’ remits, Great British Nuclear and Great British Energy will remain independent sister companies for the time being to ensure that both organisations are best placed to deliver on the government’s ambitions for energy security and our pathway to net zero. The Government will provide further detail in due course.

How much public investment has been committed to the development of a High Temperature Gas Reactor with the Japanese Government.

Public funding provided by DESNZ is laid out in DESNZ annual reports and accounts.

What assessment his Department has made of the future needs of research and development for advanced modular reactors.

The Department commissioned the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB) to produce a report on the Research Development & Innovation required for a UK High Temperature Gas Reactor Demonstration in October 2024. This can be found at https://www.nirab.org.uk/our-work/publications and explores both the technical and commercial areas for development to enable an Advanced Modular Reactor in the UK.

Whether the Energy Skills Passport will encourage oil and gas workers to find opportunities in the nuclear industry.

The initial version of the digital passport was launched in January 2025. This first phase will help oil and gas workers identify routes into several career roles in the offshore wind sector. The Department and Scottish government are working with RUK/OEUK industry partners to identify how best to expand the scope and functionality of passport in the future.

What discussions his Department has had with employers on the levels of (a) recognition and (b) uptake of the Energy Skills Passport in the recruitment process.

The Department is a strategic partner of the Energy Skills Passport project in collaboration with industry stakeholders and the Scottish Government. The initial version of the passport launched on 22nd January 2025. The project has wide support amongst the Oil and Gas and Offshore Wind sectors, and DESNZ continues to monitor the impact of the Passport.

How many Energy Skills Passports have been issued in each UK region since its introduction.

The initial version of the Energy Skills Passport was launched on 22nd January 2025 with DESNZ having come onboard as a project partner to accelerate delivery in October 2024. The passport is a tool which can be accessed by workers across the country, but the initial version focuses on oil and gas workers looking to transition into certain roles in offshore wind. As with all policies, DESNZ will be assessing the impact of the project and will use these findings to inform how the project evolves going forward.

What steps his Department is taking to engage with the public on the renewable energy industry.

This government is committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the transition to net zero, supporting people and communities to take action and realise the benefits. For large-scale renewable electricity developments, we encourage developers to engage with local communities at the earliest opportunity. We will integrate best practice principles of engagement into planning guidance, so that when developers consult with the local community on a proposed project, they do so in a considered, inclusive and responsive manner. We also use the Public Attitudes Tracker to poll the public on their views regarding renewable technologies on a quarterly basis. We will publish a Net Zero Public Participation Strategy in 2025, which will set out how we will support people to adopt new technologies, as well as opportunities to ensure that public views are considered in policy development. Government can’t achieve this alone. People also look to businesses, charities, scientists and local communities for advice and support. We have an opportunity to work in partnership to provide information, help people access grants and wider support and ensure that benefits of the net zero transition can be realised by all.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure investor confidence in the UK oil and gas sector following the withdrawal of legal support for the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects.

In August, in light of the Supreme Court Finch Judgment, the government accepted that the previous Environmental Impact Assessment decisions were unlawful. That decision was made following the taking of legal advice, the contents of which are privileged. In any event, all parties to Rosebank and Jackdaw claims, including the operators themselves, agreed that the previous decisions were unlawful. The Court has now confirmed this, and made provision for fresh decisions to be made in due course. We have already consulted on revised environmental guidance for development consents to take into account emissions from burning extracted oil and gas to provide stability for industry.

For what reason his Department withdrew legal support for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas projects.

In August, in light of the Supreme Court Finch Judgment, the government accepted that the previous Environmental Impact Assessment decisions were unlawful. That decision was made following the taking of legal advice, the contents of which are privileged. In any event, all parties to Rosebank and Jackdaw claims, including the operators themselves, agreed that the previous decisions were unlawful. The Court has now confirmed this, and made provision for fresh decisions to be made in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to engage with the public on the nuclear energy industry.

The department regularly engages with the public on nuclear energy policy matters.

How many people have successfully obtained employment using the Energy Skills Passport.

The initial version of the Energy Skills Passport was launched on 22nd January 2025. As with all policies, DESNZ will be assessing the impact of the project and will use these findings to inform how the project evolves going forward.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of withdrawing legal support for the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects on the UK’s energy security and domestic production capacity.

In August, in light of the Supreme Court Finch Judgment, the government accepted that the previous Environmental Impact Assessment decisions were unlawful. That decision was made following the taking of legal advice, the contents of which are privileged. In any event, all parties to Rosebank and Jackdaw claims, including the operators themselves, agreed that the previous decisions were unlawful. The Court has now confirmed this, and made provision for fresh decisions to be made in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the National Nuclear Laboratory’s (a) research and development budget and (b) international relationships.

In December 2024 the Government carried out a Strategic Review of the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-nuclear-laboratory-strategic-review . The review concluded UKNNL is deeply valued by the sector, with its scientific capability being repeatedly praised as world leading, but there is a requirement for core government funding to ensure UKNNL retains and develops its critical capabilities, and continues specialist research and development. The optimal long-term model, that ensures UKNNL can deliver outcomes for Government and support sector growth, remains under consideration. The Government is currently working through a spending review and decisions will be made in due course. The review sets out UKNNL’s important role supporting Government as its trusted technical advisor, and it is crucial the laboratory engages internationally to further its research and development. Government is taking forward the review’s recommendation for a more proactive and strategic approach to UKNNL sponsorship, this will include assessing the scope of UKNNL’s role in international relationships.

What assessment his Department made of the potential (a) legal and (b) financial impacts of withdrawing legal support for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas projects before taking that decision.

In August, in light of the Supreme Court Finch Judgment, the government accepted that the previous Environmental Impact Assessment decisions were unlawful. That decision was made following the taking of legal advice, the contents of which are privileged. In any event, all parties to Rosebank and Jackdaw claims, including the operators themselves, agreed that the previous decisions were unlawful. The Court has now confirmed this, and made provision for fresh decisions to be made in due course.

What discussions his Department had with industry stakeholders before withdrawing legal support for the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects.

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.

Whether he has had recent discussions with private sector investors on the expansion of GB Energy’s operations in Aberdeen.

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.