Written questions by Davies.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the implementation of the the recommendations of the 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Review complies with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

The Taskforce recommendations on the environment seek to deliver better environmental outcomes compared with the existing regime, through a simpler regime which is less burdensome and disruptive for nuclear projects. We will present a full implementation plan shortly, taking account of our international obligations, national security considerations, and planning, environmental and court processes.

What steps he is taking to help reduce geographical variations in the cost of petrol and diesel.

The Government has introduced the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, which requires all petrol stations in the UK to share live fuel price data through the Fuel Finder service from 2 February 2026. This will improve transparency and enable motorists to compare prices easily, helping to reduce regional disparities. The Competition and Markets Authority continues to monitor the road fuel market to assess the effectiveness of competition and advise the Government on any further action needed to protect consumers.

What plans his Department has to support wards receiving funding through the Pride in Place programme in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England.

The Government is committed to ensuring that communities benefit directly from the energy transition. Currently the Midlands Net Zero Hub (MNZH) is supporting 40 decarbonisation projects across the West Midlands. Through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the MNZH has successfully supported Telford & Wrekin Council to include energy efficiency improvements at leisure centres as part of a major refurbishment programme, including £2.2 million at Oakengates Leisure Centre and £1.1 million at Wellington Leisure Centre. In 2025/26, GBE launched a £5 million Community Fund to help groups develop their own clean energy projects, alongside £6.8 million for Local Net Zero Hubs. As set out in its Strategic Plan, published on 4 December 2025, GBE aims to support over 1,000 local and community projects by 2030.

What plans his Department has to use geothermal energy to meet net zero targets.

We know that to achieve net zero, we must look at how to utilise all low carbon technologies including geothermal. The Government understands that geothermal can play a role in our decarbonisation ambitions particularly as a source for low carbon heat. As such, the Government has existing schemes where geothermal projects can bid in for funding support, including power (Contracts for Difference) and heat (Green Heat Network Fund). The Department continues to engage with the geothermal sector, academia, and international partners to improve understanding of geothermal energy’s role in achieving net zero.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 16276 on Warm Homes Plan: Insulation, whether the Warm Homes Plan will support investment in loft insulation protection.

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other home improvements to cut bills. We will set out full details in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December to Question 16276 on Warm Homes Plan: Insulation, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) public awareness of and (b) access to loft insultation protection.

The Government’s retrofitting tool ‘find ways to save energy in your home’ (https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), provides tailored guidance to help consumers make their homes greener and cheaper to run. All businesses installing measures under Government schemes and initiatives must be certified to Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 and follow PAS 2035 standards. In the next review of the standards, the British Standards Institute (BSI), who publish PAS 2030 and 2035, will consider how to address more innovative products that do not fit within existing annexes, subject to steering group consensus.

What steps he is taking to roll out loft insulation protection through the Warm Homes Plan.

The Government is committed to protecting homeowners across the UK who have clean heating and energy efficiency products installed. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other home improvements to cut bills. We will set out full details in due course. As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1 billion of this allocated to next year.

What steps he is taking to improve public (a) awareness of and (b) access to loft insulation protection to improve energy efficiency.

There are several Government schemes offering loft insulation as a measure to improve energy efficiency. The Government’s retrofitting tool ‘find ways to save energy in your home’ (https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), provides tailored guidance to help consumers make their homes greener and cheaper to run. All businesses under Government schemes and initiatives must be TrustMark registered. These businesses must be certified to Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 and follow PAS 2035 standards. TrustMark's role under Government schemes is to ensure compliance with the overarching PAS 2035 process, setting clear requirements to protect consumer.

What the average length of paternity leave taken by staff in his Department was in each of the last three years.

The average length of paternity leave in days taken by staff in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) was 9.6 during 2023 and 9.8 during 2024. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) was established in February 2023. Data before this time is unavailable.

What steps his Department is taking to help households reduce energy bills.

The Government believes the only way to protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy and remove our dependence on volatile international fossil fuel markets. Whilst we transition to clean power by 2030, we will help families reduce their energy bills through our Warm Homes Plan which will upgrade homes across the country to make them warmer and cheaper to run. The Government will continue to provide additional support to vulnerable households struggling to pay their bills through our Warm Homes Discount.

What discussions he has had with energy companies on expanding the social tariff to include all pensioners.

The Government has no plans to introduce an energy social tariff this winter. However, we are committed to ensuring vulnerable households are supported with their energy bills and we are looking at all options on how to support these households. The Government is continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to over 3 million eligible low-income households. We are also working with energy suppliers to ensure they are providing additional support to vulnerable customers. The Government has also extended the Household Support Fund for an additional 6 months until 31 March 2025 with an extra £500 million in funding, and I encourage any individual who is struggling to pay their bills contacts their local authority to see if they are eligible for this support.