Every parliamentary written question tabled by David Chadwick this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 57 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Whether (a) he and (b) the Chief Secretary to the Treasury have held recent meetings with representatives of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme on the future of the Investment Reserve.
I met the Trustees on 12 November 2025 to discuss the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and the proposed transfer of the reserve.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of returning the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme Investment Reserve to members on the Welsh economy.
As at 30 October 2024, there were 3,650 members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in Wales. Any transfer of the reserve would be used to enhance member benefits.
If he will take steps to ensure that the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme’s Investment Reserve is returned to members before the Autumn Budget 2025.
The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme members.
When his Department expects the Crown Estate and developers participating in the Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 to announce the locations for turbine manufacturing, assembly and maintenance facilities; and if he will publish details of the bidding or selection process for those supply-chain contracts.
The Crown Estate has announced that Equinor and Gwynt Glas have now entered into agreements for lease to develop two new 1.5GW floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea, which could be operational by the mid-2030s. The Crown Estate has estimated that full delivery of the Round could support over 5,000 new jobs and deliver a £1.4bn boost to the UK economy. While timing and allocation of contracts for manufacturing, construction and maintenance of the windfarms are commercial decisions for the companies involved, the Government is engaging with ports and public finance institutions to support development of supply chain and infrastructure needed for these projects and future floating wind development.
Whether his Department has had recent discussions with (a) the Crown Estate and (b) Equinor and Gwynt Glas on the use of Port Talbot for turbine (i) assembly and (ii) maintenance under the Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round Five.
Floating Offshore Wind presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Wales and is a major economic opportunity for the Neath Port Talbot area. It will create high-quality jobs to support the local economy. We are in ongoing discussion with relevant parties in relation to the Port Talbot project. Gwynt Glas and Equinor have now entered into Agreements for Lease with The Crown Estate to develop two 1.5GW Floating Offshore Wind farms in the Celtic Sea through the Leasing Round 5 process. Both projects have stated publicly that the Port Talbot is their preferred port for integration and assembly activities.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 on employment opportunities in Neath Port Talbot.
Floating Offshore Wind presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Wales and is a major economic opportunity for the Neath Port Talbot area. It will create high-quality jobs to support the local economy. We are in ongoing discussion with relevant parties in relation to the Port Talbot project. Gwynt Glas and Equinor have now entered into Agreements for Lease with The Crown Estate to develop two 1.5GW Floating Offshore Wind farms in the Celtic Sea through the Leasing Round 5 process. Both projects have stated publicly that the Port Talbot is their preferred port for integration and assembly activities.
If he will make a comparative assessment of industrial electricity prices in (a) the UK, (b) France and (c) Germany.
The wholesale price of electricity in power markets is set by the last (i.e. most expensive) technology needed to meet overall demand – known as the marginal plant. In the UK, the marginal plant is currently gas power stations. Gas is an internationally traded commodity, and the UK is a large importer of gas, so electricity prices in Britain are much more exposed to changes in the international gas market. This exposure strengthens the Government’s belief that the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. From 19 December 2024 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees can now access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We also understand that some UK industries are struggling with the cost of energy. As such, as part of our Clean Energy Industries Plan, we have announced that from 2027 a new Industrial Strategy Energy Support Scheme will reduce electricity costs by £35-40/MWh up to 2030. Over 8,000 businesses will see their electricity costs drop by around 20-25% under a new exemption scheme, bringing their costs more closely in line with European competitors.
What recent discussions he has had with representatives of UK Steel on aligning the UK's industrial power prices with those of competitor economies.
Details of Ministers' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. 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 with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. As part of our Clean Energy Industries Plan, we have announced that from 2027 a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by £35-40/MWh up to 2030. Thousands of businesses will see their electricity costs drop by around 20-25% under a new exemption scheme, bringing their costs more closely in line with European competitors.
What information his Department holds on the planned timeline for (a) the first turbines to become operational and (b) other aspects of the projects awarded leases under the Crown Estate’s Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round Five.
The Crown Estate has announced that Equinor and Gwynt Glas have now entered into agreements for lease to develop two new 1.5GW floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea, which could be operational by the mid-2030s. The Crown Estate has estimated that full delivery of the Round could support over 5,000 new jobs and deliver a £1.4bn boost to the UK economy. While timing and allocation of contracts for manufacturing, construction and maintenance of the windfarms are commercial decisions for the companies involved, the Government is engaging with ports and public finance institutions to support development of supply chain and infrastructure needed for these projects and future floating wind development.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that housing repairs work is integrated into the upgrades that are required as part of the Warm Homes Plan.
Consumers considering home retrofit work are encouraged to engage with installers who take a ‘whole house’ approach considering the needs of the individual property, including where repairs may need to be made. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will outline the policy proposals it will bring forward to improve up to 5 million homes. We will publish more details soon.
What discussions he has had with the Energy Ombudsman on identified breaches of standard licencing conditions by energy companies related to (a) bill accuracy and (b) shortfalls in service.
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. On 19 June the Government announced that we will consult on strengthening the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that suppliers comply with its final decisions or pay compensation to their consumer. This consultation will also look at introducing automatic referrals to the Ombudsman instead of consumers having to do this themselves, and also to explore the reduction of referral waiting times from 8 weeks to 4 weeks.
Whether he has had discussions with Ofgem on the level of additional support provided by energy companies to assist people on the Priority Services Register with meter readings.
Vulnerable customers who need extra support are able to sign up for the Priority Services Register for free. This allows energy suppliers to provide extra help for vulnerable consumers, such as help taking their meter readings, advanced noticed of power cuts, and making sure their phone calls are a priority. Eligible individuals include those at or above State Pension age, those with a disability or medical condition, and people with children under the age of 5. I have regular discussions with Ofgem, energy suppliers, and other stakeholders to ensure that vulnerable consumers are supported, including using the Priority Services Register to help assist eligible individuals.
What steps he is taking to help ensure that energy supplier read electricity meter readings are accurately recorded on customer energy accounts.
It is the role of the independent regulator Ofgem to ensure compliance with Standard Licence Conditions, including condition 21B. I meet regularly with Ofgem to discuss consumer protection issues. To ensure Ofgem’s continuing effectiveness, in December the Government launched its first comprehensive review of the regulator. The review is considering whether Ofgem has effective compliance and enforcement tools, so consumers can be confident that any failures will be investigated and rectified quickly.
How energy supplies are complying with condition 21B of the Electricity Supply Standard Licence Conditions.
It is the role of the independent regulator Ofgem to ensure compliance with Standard Licence Conditions, including condition 21B. I meet regularly with Ofgem to discuss consumer protection issues. To ensure Ofgem’s continuing effectiveness, in December the Government launched its first comprehensive review of the regulator. The review is considering whether Ofgem has effective compliance and enforcement tools, so consumers can be confident that any failures will be investigated and rectified quickly.
When he plans to implement the Fuel Finder open data scheme.
The Government aims to implement Fuel Finder by the end of 2025, subject to legislation and parliamentary time. The Data (Use and Access) Bill will provide the legislative basis to set up Fuel Finder to increase price transparency for UK drivers.
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of vulnerable people receiving an (a) inadequate service and (b) inappropriate installation under the ECO4 scheme; and what steps his Department is taking to support vulnerable people to help resolve complaints against participating companies.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme includes consumer protections for vulnerable households, requiring industry standards and warranties for installed measures. Energy efficiency and low carbon installations under ECO4 must be undertaken by TrustMark registered businesses and TrustMark have a route to redress for any issues arising from poor quality installs. Installations of low carbon measures must comply with Microgeneration Certification Scheme standards. The government recognises that the system of quality assurance and consumer redress that we inherited needs reform and we will set out plans for root and branch reform as part of the Warm Homes Plan.
What steps his Department is taking through (a) regulatory reform and (b) market incentives to encourage the growth of green hydrogen production capacity.
We continue to work closely with industry, regulatory bodies and devolved administrations to ensure that appropriate regulatory frameworks are in place for low-carbon hydrogen infrastructure, including through the Hydrogen Delivery Council’s Regulators Forum and the Transport and Storage Working Group. We are taking a proactive approach to identify and address existing and emerging regulatory challenges for the hydrogen economy.For example, we will consult this summer on a proposed economic regulatory framework for 100% hydrogen pipelines. The Hydrogen Production Business Model incentivises investment in new low carbon hydrogen production and encourages users to switch to low carbon hydrogen by making it a price competitive decarbonisation option.
What steps his Department is taking to help enable the scale-up of large-scale green hydrogen projects to commercial operation.
The Hydrogen Production Business Model (HPBM) incentivises investment in new low carbon hydrogen production and encourages users to switch to low carbon hydrogen by making it a price competitive decarbonisation option. In the Autumn Budget, we confirmed support for 11 green hydrogen projects from the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1), which comprised £90 million in capital grant support through the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund and c. £2.3bn revenue support through the HBPM once projects are operational and over a 15 year period. Following this, on 7 April 2025 the Government announced a shortlist of 27 projects across England, Scotland and Wales that have been invited to the next stage of the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2).
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing the production of green hydrogen for use in the (a) energy, (b) industry, (c) transport and (d) innovation sectors.
Our strategic approach to hydrogen production and use is grounded in robust, cross-government analysis to ensure hydrogen fulfils its role in the UK’s Clean Energy Superpower and Growth Missions. We continue to work closely across departments to align efforts and reflect the latest evidence. Including through the development of a refreshed Hydrogen Strategy, set to be published later this year.
What steps he is taking to increase the production of green hydrogen to support the transition to net zero.
The Hydrogen Production Business Model (HPBM) incentivises investment in new low carbon hydrogen production and encourages users to switch to low carbon hydrogen by making it a price competitive decarbonisation option. In the Autumn Budget, we confirmed support for 11 green hydrogen projects from the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1), which comprised £90 million in capital grant support through the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund and c. £2.3bn revenue support through the HBPM once projects are operational and over a 15 year period. Following this, on 7 April 2025 the Government announced a shortlist of 27 projects across England, Scotland and Wales that have been invited to the next stage of the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2).