Written questions by Bowie.

How he intends to shortlist for the small modular reactor competition.

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 steps he will take to ensure the UK Continental Shelf remains (a) viable and (b) investable.

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. As Britain becomes a clean energy superpower, the government is determined to create new high-quality jobs, working with industry and trade unions as we manage the transition.

What steps he will take to ensure that the UK maintains a strategic reserve of oil and gas.

As a member of the International Energy Agency, the UK has an obligation to hold emergency oil stocks equivalent to a minimum of 90 days of net oil imports for use in the event of a major global oil supply disruption. The Government recognises the need to have natural gas storage to help respond to short-run changes in supply and demand or during cold winter months.

If he will give communities the ability to express opposition to hosting grid infrastructure.

For England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 requires developers to show they have effectively engaged with communities, considering and incorporating feedback. This includes a requirement on developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with communities before they submit applications for consent. In Scotland, the Scottish Government’s good practice guidance sets out the expectations and requirements for consultation.

Whether communities will receive remuneration for hosting energy infrastructure.

Communities will continue to have a say on proposals in their area. It is important that communities feel the benefit of energy infrastructure. This is a matter the Government takes seriously and is considering carefully.

What his planned timetable is for publishing the updated ETSU-R-97 guidelines.

We aim to publish the updated ETSU-R-97 guidance in Spring 2025. In the meantime, the current ETSU guidance remains suitable for assessing wind turbine noise and should continue to be applied accordingly.

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.

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.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a presumption in favour of offshoring energy infrastructure where agricultural land would be affected by overhead cables or undergrounding.

The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) require developers to minimise impacts on agricultural land and preferably use land in areas of poorer quality. The NPS sets out a starting presumption for overhead lines in most cases and identifies when undergrounding or subsea cables should be considered.

What discussions he plans to have with OEUK on the future of the North Sea Basin.

This Government will engage with industry to ensure a phased and responsible North Sea transition. The Secretary of State has had introductory discussions with OEUK and the North Sea Transition Authority and we will continue to engage with industry.

When he plans to visit Aberdeen.

The Secretary of State looks forward to visiting all areas of the United Kingdom including Scotland.

Whether he plans to consult business leaders in north-east Scotland on the potential impact of his policy on oil and gas.

This Government will engage with industry to ensure a phased and responsible North Sea transition. The Secretary of State has held initial, introductory discussions with industry and we will continue to engage to ensure a just transition where offshore oil and gas workers are able to benefit from the economic opportunities from our transition to net zero.

What estimate he has made of projected imports of oil and gas over the next five years.

The Government closely monitors and forecasts UK’s supply and demand needs for both oil and natural gas. The Energy Security Plan Update, published in December 2023, includes an assessment of the role of imports in meeting our domestic gas demand until 2050. The department also publishes projections of the UK’s future demand for oil (under existing and near-final policy) and monitors both UK production and demand as part of the regular departmental output. These assessments will be updated in due course to reflect the new government's policy.

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.

What assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of the Energy Profits Levy on the North East of Scotland.

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) most recent forecast of tax revenues from the oil and gas sector was published at Spring Budget 2024 in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) March 2024. It can be found at: https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/E03057758_OBR_EFO-March-2024_Web-AccessibleFinal.pdf Forecasts for investment in the sector are published alongside the EFO. All OBR oil and gas forecasts will take into account policy decisions impacting the production of oil and gas across the UK and UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) and do not provide a breakdown by region.

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.

What the projected revenue is to His Majesty's Treasury from oil and gas companies as a result of the policy to ban new oil and gas exploration licences.

The government does not intend to issue new licences to explore new oil and gas fields. We will share more details on our plans for oil and gas licensing in due course.Forecasts for oil and gas tax revenues are published by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Future forecasts will take into account any changes to policy that may have an impact on production or revenues.

What assessment he has made of the role of industry input in the delivery of his policies on North Sea oil and gas.

The government will ensure a phased and responsible transition in the North Sea. We will partner with business and workers to manage our existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan. We will embrace the future of energy production and storage, which will make use of existing offshore infrastructure and the skills of our offshore industries.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of having the Office for Veterans' Affairs within his Department.

The Government is fully committed to delivering for veterans as an integral part of our Armed Forces community. The Secretary of State for Defence will represent veterans at Cabinet, and as the Minister for Veterans and People I will look at the best ways to ensure veterans and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. Our focus is on improving outcomes for veterans and delivering for those who serve our nation, and we believe this work will be strengthened by bringing the Office for Veterans Affairs under the Ministry of Defence.

How much his Department plans to spend on Op Fortitude in each financial year of this Parliament.

The Government is fully committed to delivering for veterans as an integral part of our Armed Forces community. I am leading work across Government to look at the best ways to ensure veterans and their families get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. Work is ongoing to determine the spend for Operation PROSPER and Operation FORTITUDE for the current financial year. The budget for the remainder of this Parliament will be determined by the next Spending Review, which has not yet commenced.