Written questions by Bowie.

Whether his Department has issued guidance to industrial producers on how they can effectively decarbonise their operations.

Since July last year, we have provided a host of support and guidance to industry. This has included: guidance to SMEs through our Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) pilot and to local clusters through our Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans scheme; funding for further studies and projects supporting industrial decarbonisation under the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund; and providing updates to the market on our hydrogen and carbon capture business models and support, as well as confirming £21.7bn funding to launch the UK’s first carbon capture sites. To give longer-term confidence for industry to decarbonise, we will publish an Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy ensuring growth opportunities are captured in tandem with emissions reductions.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of making biomethane eligible for the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

The Government recognises biomethane as a practical and cost-effective way of contributing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) applies a zero emissions factor to combustion of biomethane where supplied directly to ETS installations. Where biomethane is injected into the gas grid, there is not currently a mechanism to ensure biomethane is accounted for separately. As outlined in the future policy framework for biomethane production call for evidence, the Government is working with the ETS Authority to consider whether the ETS could account for biomethane injected into the gas grid and will provide an update on this in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to review compliance costs related to net-zero regulations.

Regulation plays a critical role in supporting the low-carbon technologies of the future, whether in electric vehicles or sustainable aviation fuel. DESNZ is taking steps to review the compliance costs of regulation as part of the Government’s Regulation Action Plan. For example, the Department has started a review of the energy and emissions reporting landscape to identify opportunities to reduce undue administrative burden, and has launched its Review of Ofgem.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting a national target for the production of biomethane.

In February 2024, the Department issued a Call for Evidence (CfE) on a future policy framework for biomethane production, which included consideration of a national target. We are considering the responses to the CfE as part of policy development and will set out further details in due course.”

When he plans to make a decision on the selection of new emitter projects assigned to Track-2 carbon capture, usage and storage clusters.

CCUS requires significant resources, and it is right that it is considered within the Spending Review. We continue to engage at both working and ministerial level with all future projects, including Track-2, and further decisions for future CCUS deployment will be taken in due course.

Whether any renewable energy compliance regulations are under review by his Department.

The government has inherited a fragmented consumer protection framework for installation of measures that improve the energy efficiency of homes. This will be reviewed and reforms brought forward in the Warm Homes Plan, so that people can be confident of the quality of upgrading and insulating homes, which could help save money on their bills.

What plans his Department has for his existing departmental offices in Aberdeen.

The plan for the Department’s offices in Aberdeen is to continue to provide value for money office space in the right location, which meets minimum standards to facilitate the activities that are located there. This includes the core Department 2nd HQ, alongside arm's-length bodies: the North Sea Transition Authority HQ and the Great British (GB) Energy HQ. (GB Energy is expected to become an arm’s-length body of the Department in the future.)

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) his Department had with the (i) Scotland Office and (ii) Department for Business and Trade on the application for an English Whisky geographical indication prior to the submission of that application.

The application to register English Whisky as a geographical indication was submitted in February 2022. There are no recorded discussions on the application held with other departments prior to that time.

Which city GB Energy executive staff will be based.

Dan McGrail, the interim CEO, will work from Great British Energy’s (GBE) Aberdeen HQ, and we have recently launched the recruitment campaign for the permanent CEO, which is also advertised as Aberdeen-based. The first recruitment campaigns for the senior team have been launched, and of the three permanent Director-level positions advertised up to this point, two will be based in Aberdeen.

Whether his Department has identified suitable locations in Aberdeen in which to house the headquarters of GB Energy.

Great British Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, recognising the expertise, skilled workforce, and diversity of projects already in place. As a Government Property Agency (GPA) onboarded department, DESNZ is pursuing property options through the GPA. Due to the commercial sensitivity of any lease negotiations, specific details cannot be provided at this time. In the interim, Great British Energy is headquartered in DESNZ’s second headquarters in Aberdeen, Crimon Place, to ensure the organisation can get to work as quickly as possible, not least hosting Great British Energy’s first board meeting on 17 March 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of not extending the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England and Wales.

The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme, and in England, legislation is in place to close the scheme to English POs on 31 December 2025. The Government has committed to championing British farming, whilst protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture. We will make further announcements in due course.

How much civil service time has been spent organising the Climate and Environment Conference hosted by the Civil Service Climate + Environment Network.

The Civil Service Climate + Environment Network is run by volunteers across government who typically dedicate around 5% of their time to network activities, often as part of their learning and development. The annual conference is delivered primarily through this voluntary commitment, with minimal impact on departmental resources. This is the second such conference, with the inaugural event in 2023 attended by Ministers from the previous administration in which the HM was a Minister.

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.

Whether any civil servants from his Department will attend the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas, between 10 March 2025 and 14 March 2025.

Details of meetings held by officials are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Whether Ministers in his Department will attend the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas, between 10 March 2025 and 14 March 2025.

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

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 assessment his Department has made of the gap between market prices and average tariffs charged by electricity suppliers over the next five years.

Under the default tariff cap, Ofgem has capped the profits of energy suppliers in the retail market to ensure excessive profits aren’t made. There are different costs included in the price cap and any changes to these costs affect how much the price cap will increase or decrease each time it is reviewed. For the period 1 April to 30 June 2025, the main cost increase is due to an increase in the wholesale price of energy that suppliers buy from global fossil fuel markets. The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

How much civil service time is spent on organising the Civil Service Climate + Environment Network each week.

The Civil Service Climate + Environment Network is run by volunteers across government who typically dedicate around 5% of their time to network activities, often as part of their learning and development. The annual conference is delivered primarily through this voluntary commitment, with minimal impact on departmental resources. This is the second such conference, with the inaugural event in 2023 attended by Ministers from the previous administration in which the HM was a Minister.

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.

Food and Rural Affairs, when an announcement will be made on the future of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.

The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme, and in England, legislation is in place to close the scheme to English POs on 31 December 2025. The Government has committed to championing British farming, whilst protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture. We will make further announcements in due course.