Written questions by Hayes.

Whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to incentivise the owners of large (a) warehouse rooftops and (b) car parks to install solar panels.

The deployment of solar panels on commercial rooftops is central to our Clean Energy mission. Permitted development rights allow most rooftop projects to be installed without requiring an application for planning permission. This includes non-domestic rooftop projects of any size, and solar canopies in off-street, non-domestic car parks. New building standards will be introduced to ensure that all newly built commercial buildings are fit for a net zero future. We expect these standards to encourage the installation of solar panels on commercial roofs. Further measures to incentivise installations on commercial rooftops remain under active consideration, including a call for evidence about increasing solar generation in car parks.

What steps he is taking to reduce fuel poverty in rural areas.

The Government has committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, this includes £1.8bn to support fuel poverty schemes. Rural homes are supported through energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation and Home Upgrade Grant. The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible low-income and vulnerable households across Great Britain, including rural areas, with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill. We will consult shortly on proposals for privately rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030. We are also reviewing the 2021 fuel poverty strategy for England.

How many ECO4 schemes have been funded in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire since 2022.

Since 2022 to the end of September 2024 (the latest available data by local authority and parliamentary constituency), ECO4 has installed 885 measures in 243 households in South Holland and the Deepings constituency, and 11,228 measures in 3,345 households in Lincolnshire (includes Lincolnshire County Council, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire local authorities).

For what purposes (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has huge potential to support the Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerate to net zero. Over the last 12 months DESNZ officials have, with robust safeguards and governance, used AI tools to:Speed up office-based tasks including basic drafting, summarising, and searching internal and external information sources;Analyse internal information sets;Analyse external information, such as job listings to identify trends in green jobs. Ministers have been supported by officials using AI tools, in line with the uses above.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Grimsby to Walpole pylon project on the availability of farmland.

Developers of the Grimsby to Walpole project, like all nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales, must assess the impacts of their proposals. This includes conducting assessments of the project's impacts on the environment, habitats, and farmland through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA). Additionally, developers engage with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders, including farmers, through consultations to ensure their feedback is considered and incorporated into project proposals. The Government does not make assessments for specific projects until they come to the Secretary of State for final planning decision.

What steps his Department is taking to help small and medium sized businesses with energy costs in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Government believes the only way to protect billpayers in Lincolnshire permanently, including businesses and non-domestic organisations, is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. The Government recently published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan which details our approach to boosting our energy security, creating good jobs, protecting consumers and tackling climate change. The Government recently launched a consultation on regulating Third-Party Intermediaries, such as energy brokers, in the retail energy market which closed on 15 November, aimed at enhancing consumer protection, particularly for non-domestic customers. A government response will follow in due course once we have reviewed the feedback received. On 19 December last year, the Government also expanded the remit of the Energy Ombudsman services so that small business consumers with fewer than 50 employees can resolve issues with their supplier through this service. This expands the level of support to 99% of businesses in Great Britain. In September we also launched a public consultation on regulating Third Party Intermediaries for non-domestic consumers, seeking views on different potential regulatory options for this market.

What estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the Solar Taskforce.

There is no dedicated funding stream for the Solar Taskforce, and external Taskforce members participate without financial reimbursement. As a result, the costs of the Solar Taskforce are negligible.

What estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the Global Clean Power Alliance.

The Global Clean Power Alliance aims to accelerate the delivery of the global clean power transition, bringing together a coalition of countries who share ambition and are ready to take action to overcome the biggest challenges in delivering clean power globally. The initiative is being delivered through existing resources, including by streamlining existing efforts, in collaboration with other countries and international organisations. The running costs of the Global Clean Power Alliance are met within the Department’s resource spending, as set out in the recent Spending Review. The Department accounts for its spending in its annual report and accounts.

What estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the National Energy System Operator.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO), established on 1 October 2024, is regulated by Ofgem which has responsibility for scrutinising and approving NESO's operational costs. NESO recently launched a consultation on its regulatory Business Plan for Financial Year 2025/26 which sets out forecasted costs of £690m. Note that this includes NESO's set up costs, therefore will be higher than normal.

What estimate he has made of the annual running costs of Mission Control.

The running costs of Mission control are met within the Department’s resource spending, as set out in the recent Spending Review. The Department accounts for its spending in its annual report and accounts.

How many of the solar farm applications he has approved since July 2024 include development on high grade agricultural land.

All four solar developments consented since July 2024 included some use of agricultural land classified as ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV). Our assessment of the use of this BMV land and its weighting on the planning balance are detailed in the decision letter for each consent decision.

How many solar farm applications he has approved since July 2024.

The Secretary of State has granted a development consent order for four solar farm developments since July 2024: Sunnica, Gate Burton, Mallard Pass and Cottam.

If he meet with National Grid to discuss the potential cost to the public purse from compensation for loss of property value as a result of proposed pylons installations in South Holland and The Deepings constituency.

National Grid, as the relevant transmission licence holder, is required to compensate landowners who agree to site electrical infrastructure on their land. This cost is paid for by National Grid, it does not come from government expenditure. As such it would not be appropriate for government to get involved in negotiations about compensation payments awarded to parties affected by specific infrastructure projects.

What the cost to the public purse was of the UK delegation's participation in COP29 in Baku.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth (Rupert Lowe) on 26 November to question UIN 14729.

Whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the accelerated energy grid decarbonisation target on the UK's reliance on imports from China.

The Government works closely with industry to maintain a detailed picture of foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure. Foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny, with the government and industry working alongside each other to monitor and mitigate the security risks in the energy sector and its supply chain. A positive trading relationship benefits both the UK and China, and we continue to recognise the importance of trade and investment from China, with whom we will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.

What the total cost to the public purse of curtailment of onshore wind turbines in England was in the last three years.

The Department does not hold this information. A summary of constraint costs is publicly available at https://www.neso.energy/data-portal/constraint-breakdown, and network constraint costs for 2023 were £1.4bn. The National Energy System Operator is responsible for managing constraints, which are a natural part of operating an efficient electricity system. These costs are not funded by the public purse, but instead by suppliers via Balancing Services Use of System charges. As part of Clean Power 2030, the Government is working to develop the necessary grid infrastructure and manage the level of constraints to create a cheaper and secure energy system for Britain.

What recent estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in fuel poverty.

The latest statistics for the number of households in fuel poverty in 2022 in administrative areas and parliamentary constituencies in England can be found in the published sub-regional fuel poverty statistics, in Tables 2 and 4: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics

What steps he is taking to support rural households off the gas supply network with the cost of energy.

The Government is committed to ensuring energy bills are affordable for all consumers. The Warm Home Discount provides a £150 rebate off energy bills for eligible low-income households. We expect around 3 million households to receive this support this winter. Although standing charges are a commercial matter for suppliers, and are regulated by Ofgem, we know that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on them. The Government has worked constructively with the regulator on the issue of standing charges, and we are committed to lowering the cost of them. As part of the Warm Homes Plan, we have committed £3.4 billion over the next three years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes, helping over 225,000 households reduce their energy bills by over £200. We will set out the full details of our ambitious Warm Homes Plan next spring.

What estimate his Department has made of how many miles of pylons and power lines will need to be built in England to meet the 2030 clean power target.

The Government does not design or develop the electricity network, and it is for the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to assess and recommend high-level reinforcements to the electricity network. Transmission Owners then develop the network on the basis of those recommendations. The NESO recently published advice on possible pathways to achieve clean power by 2030, which includes an assessment of required transmission reinforcements. Using this advice, Government will publish its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan later this year.

If he will make an assessment of the impact of proposed pylons in the Grimsby to Walpole scheme on the Wash National Nature Reserve.

Developers of transmission projects and all nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals. This includes conducting assessments of projects’ impacts on the environment and habitats through Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitats Regulations Assessments. Additionally, developers engage with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders through consultations to ensure their feedback is considered and incorporated into project proposals. All of this is considered in the project consenting process.