Written questions by Young.

What assessment his Department has made of the extent to which priority system-level datasets supporting the operation of a renewables-led electricity system are (a) clearly defined and (b) published openly as standard.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to support households that are not connected to the gas grid in the context of forecast increases to the Default Tariff Cap from July 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the exposure of domestic energy bills to volatility in international wholesale gas markets.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential economic and social merits of a nuclear development at Oldbury to Thornbury and Yate constituency.

Awaiting answer.

What the scope is of Great British Energy - Nuclear's study on the UK's potential for new nuclear development.

Awaiting answer.

What the current ownership status is of the Oldbury nuclear site.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential for the Oldbury site to host (a) small modular reactors and (b) advanced modular reactors.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks of private solar panel installations in tackling fire risks.

Under DESNZ schemes where solar is an eligible technology, installers, products and installations must all be MCS Certified.However, the Government inherited a fragmented consumer‑protection framework for home energy efficiency measures. This framework is being reviewed with reforms announced in the Warm Homes Plan to ensure households can be confident in the quality and safety of upgrades made to their homes.More specifically, the Building Safety Regulator will launch a public consultation on proposed updates to Approved Document B, the statutory fire safety guidance within the Building Regulations, this summer. We will monitor and engage as this work progresses.

What recourse is available to consumers where an installation of Solar Panels fails to meet safety standards.

Solar panels installed under Government support schemes require installers to be certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. This requirement ensures installers, installations, and products meet the industry gold standard. Under MCS Redeveloped Scheme, customer complaints have been centralised and a Technical Supervisor recruited to further reinforce installation quality. More broadly, consumers can seek general advice on UK consumer protection and routes to redress by contacting the Citizens Advice consumer service or visiting their website.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making a formal recommendation to HM Treasury on extending VAT relief to Microgeneration Certification Scheme-certified heat batteries.

Tax treatment is the responsibility of HM Treasury and they keep all taxes under review. This Government has invested £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to help upgrade British homes and cut bills. Whilst we expect heat pumps to be suitable for the vast majority of properties, some may be less suitable and so we are supporting alternative low carbon technologies like heat batteries, air-to-air heat pumps, and biomass boilers. We are also expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide more options, including heat batteries. To simplify the system for consumers and installers, Government has recently mandated Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as the sole certification scheme for clean heat installations under DESNZ schemes.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of instances in the Capacity Market where consumers paid for capacity that did not materialise.

The Department has not made an assessment of this scenario because Capacity Providers are not paid for capacity that does not build out and therefore there is no cost to consumers. Payments under the Capacity Market are only made after a Capacity Provider has demonstrated that it is available to deliver. Where existing capacity fails to demonstrate availability or deliver during its obligation period, payments are suspended and the relevant Capacity Agreement is terminated. From a security of supply perspective non delivery risk is factored into the way that targets are set within the Capacity Market based on historic data. This ensures that we can have confidence that we are securing the right level of capacity needed to maintain electricity security through a range of scenarios.

What steps is the Government taking to protect rural and semi-rural households from fuel poverty resulting from increases in heating oil prices.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. International kerosene prices are >75% higher than they were before the conflict and this is putting pressure on heating oil prices. The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who have announced they are reviewing evidence of potential unfair practices and anti-competitive behaviour. We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

What estimate his Department has made of the projected funding required to meet the fuel poverty targets set out in the Fuel Poverty Strategy for England by 2030.

The Government is determined to double the pace at which we slash fuel poverty. DESNZ will publish new fuel poverty statistics on 26 March. As a result of decisions taken in the Budget, energy bills are set to fall by 7% or £117 from April. The expansion of the Warm Home Discount means nearly 6 million households are now eligible for the discount. We will continue to provide this until 2030/31. We also made a £15 billion investment in the Warm Homes Plan. £5 billion of this is going to low-income and fuel poor households, initially delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant. This is made up of £4.4 billion in direct capital grants and an initial £600 million from the Warm Homes Fund, our new strategic investment facility. Our plans to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors will deliver long lasting change with around 650,000 households lifted out of fuel poverty.

What progress he has made towards meeting the statutory fuel poverty targets by 2030.

The Government is determined to double the pace at which we slash fuel poverty. DESNZ will publish new fuel poverty statistics on 26 March. As a result of decisions taken in the Budget, energy bills are set to fall by 7% or £117 from April. The expansion of the Warm Home Discount means nearly 6 million households are now eligible for the discount. We will continue to provide this until 2030/31. We also made a £15 billion investment in the Warm Homes Plan. £5 billion of this is going to low-income and fuel poor households, initially delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant. This is made up of £4.4 billion in direct capital grants and an initial £600 million from the Warm Homes Fund, our new strategic investment facility. Our plans to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors will deliver long lasting change with around 650,000 households lifted out of fuel poverty.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the low-income allocation within the Warm Homes Plan.

The Warm Homes Plan has committed a landmark £15 billion to low-income households, including an extra £1.5 billion from the Budget. In total, £5 billion is set aside to upgrade low-income households with solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation, which can save hundreds of pounds a year compared to gas boiler. This will initially be delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG). From 2027/28, we intend to integrate the WH:SHF and WH:LG into a single low-income capital scheme and we will say more about our plans for this in Spring 2026.

Whether he has received representations from the ambassador or any other representatives of the US administration relating to the suitability of the Wylfa site for gigawatt-scale nuclear energy production.

The UK and US Government regularly discuss a wide range of policy issues linked to nuclear energy in both the UK and US. In September we agreed the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy to unlock billions in private investment and accelerate the delivery of new nuclear projects in both countries.The government has selected Wylfa as the site to host Britain’s first small modular reactors.Meanwhile, to pursue the option of further large-scale nuclear, Great British Energy - Nuclear has been tasked with identifying suitable sites that could potentially host such a project

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the Warm Homes Plan provides full grant coverage for the upfront installation costs of low-carbon heating for low-income households in off-gas grid areas.

As part of the Warm Homes Plan the government is investing £5 billion in direct support for low-income households. This will initially be delivered through the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF). All eligible households in England and Wales can also benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. This will provide more options for homes where a hydronic heat pump may not be the most appropriate solution, including air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries. Additionally, the government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and a government response will follow in due course.

What portion of the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan will be ringfenced for the installation costs of alternative heating systems in off-gas grid properties.

The Warm Homes Plan sets out in detail how the government's £15 billion investment into home upgrades will be allocated to individual schemes. While there is no specifically ring-fenced funding for off-gas grid homes, the package will support these homes to decarbonise in a variety of ways. Additionally, the government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and we will issue the Government response in due course.

Whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had discussions with the Foreign Secretary on the comments made by the US Ambassador on the suitability of the Wylfa site for gigawatt-scale nuclear production.

My Rt Hon friend has regular discussions with cabinet colleagues on a number of issues. The government has selected Wylfa as the site to host Britain’s first small modular reactors. Meanwhile, to pursue the option of further large-scale nuclear, Great British Energy - Nuclear has been tasked with identifying suitable sites that could potentially host such a project.

With reference to the strategic agreement with Westinghouse on the Nuclear Transport Solution (NTS), what assessment he has made of the potential effect of that agreement on the development of the Oldbury nuclear site.

The government welcomes Nuclear Transport Solutions’ partnership with Westinghouse. Developing capability to make and transport advanced nuclear fuel is critical to shoring up the UK’s position as a nuclear world leader.Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) owns the site at Oldbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire. As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, it has great potential for new nuclear, including advanced technologies. GBE-N is continuing early work to evaluate the site, to ensure it is ready for future deployment. This includes the potential to support any privately-led projects that might be developed by the nuclear industry.