Written questions by Murray.

What plans his Department has to publish Great British Energy – Nuclear’s assessment of Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power.

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

If he will publish Great British Energy-Nuclear’s assessment of Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power.

Ministers have asked GBE-N to assess Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power, including around areas that have previously hosted nuclear stations, such as Torness and Hunterston. Scotland has made a significant contribution to British nuclear power and, having previously hosted nuclear power stations, we expect that areas of Scotland will have positive attributes for new nuclear.Whilst the government is not in a position to share outcomes of GBE-N’s assessment, it remains open to discussions with the Scottish Government on deploying new nuclear technologies in Scotland.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of fuel price volatility on UK construction and haulage firms; and what steps he is taking to protect businesses and consumers from sudden price shocks.

Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring petrol and diesel prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Chancellor and Secretary of State recently met with fuel retailers to set out a clear message: unfair practices will not be tolerated. We are also engaging regularly with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure any emerging risks are identified and managed promptly. The UK benefits from strong and diverse security of energy supplies, and there are no issues with fuel supply. The Department for Business and Transport is also monitoring the situation and is in regular contact with stakeholders.

What recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of fuel price volatility on (a) the haulage industry, (b) the downstream construction supply chain, and (c) projected levels of new housebuilding in 2026.

The price of petrol and diesel are influenced by a range of factors, and whilst it generally takes several weeks for both rises and falls in the cost of crude oil to be reflected at the pump, events of this magnitude can generate short term price shocks. Although the UK maintains a diverse range of energy sources to bolster our resilience, oil is a globally traded commodity. This means that disruptions or uncertainty in any region can influence prices in the UK until global markets stabilise. We are engaging daily with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure any emerging risks are identified and managed promptly. The Department for Business and Transport is also monitoring the situation, and is in regular contact with stakeholders, including through the Construction Leadership Council.

What fiscal steps he is taking to incentivise the uptake of heat pumps.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides grants to property owners to enable them to transition away from fossil fuel to low carbon heating. The grant available under the scheme for air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps is £7,500, and £5,000 is available for biomass boilers. Funding for the BUS has increased to £295 million for this financial year. The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) provides funding to support low carbon heating, including heat pumps, and the installation of energy efficiency measures. The grants are in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers, which will last until March 2027.

If he will take steps through the spending review to reduce electricity costs.

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. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed, and the Department is evaluating the responses. The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the cost of electricity.

Earlier this year we announced plans to extend the Warm Homes Discount to an extra 2.7 million families, meaning a total of 6 million households will get £150 off their bills next winter. We are taking these short term steps whilst we progress our mission to deliver a clean power system by 2030. This is the way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.