Written questions by Duffield.

What steps he is taking to end the (a) exploration, (b) extraction, (c) export and (d) import of fossil fuels by the United Kingdom.

The Government has consulted on the implementation of its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields and will respond in due course. It does not intend to revoke existing licences. The Government has announced it will introduce new legislation to restrict the future licensing of new coal mines in Great Britain. The last coal fired power station closed in October 2024. The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan paves the way to decarbonising the wider economy by 2050 as it pursues the electrification of heat in buildings, transport, and industry.

With reference to the finding by Ofgem that Drax had misreported data in relation to their annual profiling submission between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, published on 29 August 2024, whether he plans to investigate its subsidies during the previous 10 years.

Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Ofgem did not find any evidence to suggest that Drax had been issued with subsidies incorrectly. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the KPMG interim investigation of December 2022 into Drax Power Station’s claims for government subsidy.

Ofgem as the independent energy regulator is responsible for assuring the Government that large scale biomass generators, such as Drax, are in full compliance with sustainability requirements. Ofgem recently undertook a full investigation into Drax’s compliance and found that whilst Drax complied with the standards, it failed to report data accurately. The size of Drax’s redress payment in light of this, £25m, and the steps they’ve agreed to take to improve data accuracy, underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.