Written questions by Hayes.

What assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of (a) petrol and (b) diesel prices in Lincolnshire.

Awaiting answer.

If he will publish a list of training programmes used by civil servants in his Department since 2023.

Awaiting answer.

If he will publish a list of training programmes used by civil servants in his Department since 2023.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether his Department has used artificial intelligence to assist with drafting (a) legislation and (b) policy in the last 12 months.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) uses artificial intelligence (AI) to support activities including corporate and administrative activities, drafting and analysis. AI is used in accordance with all relevant departmental and government guidelines, to ensure transparency, accountability and responsible and ethical use and data protection. AI tools in DESNZ are not used for decision-making, and civil servants remain fully accountable for decisions based on AI products and outputs. All drafting of policy and legislation is conducted in accordance with government and departmental guidelines and all legislation and policy is finalised and decided upon by an expert in accordance with government and departmental guidelines.

What estimate he has made of the number of renewable energy projects awaiting grid connection in (1) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (2) Lincolnshire.

Information on projects holding connection agreements is available at TEC Register | National Energy System Operator for transmission projects and, for distribution projects, at National Grid - Embedded capacity register (Central and Southern Lincolnshire) and Northern Powergrid - Embedded capacity register (Northern Lincolnshire). Data is categorised by grid connection point, not geographic location of generation projects.

Whether his Department has paid for followers on social media platforms it uses.

The department has not paid for followers on any of the social media platforms it uses.

How much his Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.

The total value of severance payments for the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.

What steps his Department is taking to support (a) households and (a) businesses reliant on heating oil in Lincolnshire.

The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off‑gas‑grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil is bought on the spot market, making it more exposed to short-term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise is a significant concern for those reliant on it. The Chancellor has announced £53m for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. This funding is allocated as part of the Crisis Resilience fund, and will be distributed by Local Authorities. More information can be found here: Over £50 million to help families struggling with soaring heating oil costs - GOV.UK. In addition, the measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. On 30 January, we also announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

Whether any civil servants hired by his Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition. Compliance with CRaGA is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission, which publishes Recruitment Principles setting out the detailed rules departments must follow. For departments who use Civil Service Jobs to manage their recruitment, applicants are asked to provide diversity data on a voluntary basis only and no details are shared with hiring managers. The positive action measures in the Equality Act 2010 allows employers to take proportionate action that aims to reduce disadvantage, meet different needs and increase participation. More information on this can be found on gov.uk.

How many staff in his Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

There are 70 members of staff in the Department that hold a visa which permits them to work in the United Kingdom. This figure includes staff on work and other visa routes. It does not include individuals granted pre or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. All staff are required to demonstrate a valid right to work in accordance with Home Office requirements.

What steps he is taking to support (a) consumers and (b) businesses in South Holland and the Deepings constituency with (1) petrol and (2) diesel costs.

The Government is committed to ensuring fair fuel prices for consumers and businesses. Following the Competition and Markets Authority’s 2023 Road Fuel Market Study, we introduced statutory powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to monitor pricing and identify anti-competitive behaviour in the fuel market. We are also implementing Fuel Finder, an open data scheme providing real-time petrol and diesel prices to improve transparency and competition, helping drivers and businesses find the best deals. These measures aim to reduce costs and protect consumer interests across the UK, including South Holland and The Deepings.

How many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025 Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:DESNZ annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

How many full time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

In 2023 there were 4.6 full time equivalent staff.In 2024 there were 9.3.In 2025 there were 9.3. The number is lower for 2023 as the department was new and still recruiting. While these staff members have social media content creation as part of their role, they deliver a range of services beyond this - from branding for new agencies to training videos for staff. Having the resource to do this work in-house is cheaper than outsourcing to agencies with taxpayer funds.

What assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of (a) petrol and (b) diesel prices in Lincolnshire.

Fuel price trends are monitored nationally and published in the Department’s weekly statistics on GOV.UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversee market transparency and compliance and publish quarterly and yearly reports on GOV.UK.

What steps he is taking to ensure that people in Lincolnshire can access competitive fuel prices through the Fuel Finder scheme.

The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025 were debated in the House of Commons on 4 November 2025 and the House of Lords on 4 December 2025. The Regulations should be in place from 18 December 2025. Once launched, our analysis suggests that households who own a car could save an average of around £40 a year.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce energy bills for (a) households and (b) businesses in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country. That is why the Autumn Budget acted to take £150 of costs off people’s energy bills. This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills provided for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty. We’re also driving forward with home upgrades, with £1.5 billion increased capital in this Budget for our Warm Homes Plan. This Government is tackling energy costs at every avenue, to drive growth. This builds on our Modern Industrial Strategy, which is slashing industrial energy bills by up to £420million for electricity-intensive businesses and will cut costs for 7,000 more businesses in 2027. We are repairing a broken energy system. Funding more of the investment we need from public spending is the right and progressive thing to do and takes pressure off bills.

How much OFGEM has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

Ofgem has compiled and shared the following information with the Department: Financial year Spend (£) (nominal)20/21 3,790.0021/22 6,840.0022/23 3,348.3524/25 2,260.8025/26 (to date) 7,214.28

If he will list the titles of all the events organised by Civil Service networks in his Department since 2023.

DESNZ values the work our Staff Networks do to support and include colleagues. All DESNZ Staff Network events are in line with cross-Government guidance and signed-off by relevant officials. Civil Service Networks operate across the whole of Government. We do not keep a record of Civil Service Network events.

How many (a) single sex and (b) gender neutral bathroom facilities his Department provides in its premises.

The Department is a customer of the Government Property Agency in its office locations, and does not hold a record of the number of single-sex or gender-neutral bathroom facilities provided there.

What measures his Department has in place to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has established a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) that is designed to ensure the continuity of departmental critical services in the event of a major disruption. Our BCMS aligns with industry best practice and is subject to regular review and testing.