T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Today we have set out our proposal for the seventh carbon budget, as new research from CBI Economics shows that over a million workers are now supported by the UK’s net zero economy. This comes after 2025 set a new record for solar generation, and we have already set a new record in 2026 for offshore wind generation. We are taking these steps because they are the right choice for energy security, and for investment in good jobs and growth, and because it is the right thing to do for future generations and to prevent climate breakdown.

Red diesel costs have rocketed from 78p a litre on 26 February to around 98p a litre now. For Nick, who farms in South Petherton, price rises mean an extra £7,000 per week cost that he basically has to take on the chin. Can the Secretary of State tell Yeovil farmers what steps he is taking to support them with the cost of red diesel?

We take this issue incredibly seriously, and we are talking to the Competition and Markets Authority to make sure that the pricing is fair. We continue to monitor this, and to look at what further action may be necessary.

T3. My constituents Gillian and Ross worked at INEOS Olefins & Polymers, and started retraining in 2024, following the announcement in 2023 that the Grangemouth refinery would close. However, they were recently denied support, due to limits on the Grangemouth workers training guarantee. Will the Government, alongside the Scottish Government, review the Grangemouth workers training guarantee, so that support can be extended to workers like Gillian and Ross?

I thank my hon. Friend for all the work he has done to support the workers from Grangemouth. I wrote to him earlier this week on the case of his two constituents. The training fund was set up to provide that support. We will continue to look at it, and I am happy to meet him to discuss it further.

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

I would like to offer my condolences to the Secretary of State on the death of his mother. It is clear that she was a remarkable woman, clearly much loved by her family. I have a yes-or-no question for the Secretary of State: can he guarantee that not a single solar panel put on a British primary school by his Government has been produced by Chinese slave labour?

First, I thank the shadow Secretary of State for her kind words about my mum. If you will allow me to say so, Mr Speaker, I feel incredibly sad to have lost her, but very lucky to have had 56 years with an amazing mum, who taught me values of kindness, warmth, love and justice. It is a reminder to me of what really matters most in our lives. I sincerely thank the shadow Secretary of State for the message she sent me. On the question about the use of forced labour, we take this incredibly seriously. We inherited a regime from the last Government, which we applied in the early stages of what GB Energy was doing, but the shadow Secretary of State will know that, through the passage of the Great British Energy Bill, we have strengthened GB Energy’s commitment to this. Frances O’Grady is now the champion of dealing with slave labour. I can absolutely assure the shadow Secretary of State that we will do everything we can to prevent the use of forced labour.

Well, there were words there, but there was no guarantee, so let me just remind the House that the Secretary of State has sold his entire agenda as being one of providing moral leadership to the rest of the world, but there is no moral leadership in sending British children to schools powered by Chinese slaves. On 2 May, our electricity grid almost breached its frequency limit. That has the potential to cause nationwide blackouts. The Secretary of State’s plans are making it harder and harder to balance the grid—there is no denying that—so can he confirm who is legally accountable if we have a blackout, thanks to grid instability, and what repercussions would that person face?

I am afraid that the shadow Secretary of State is indulging in the worst sort of scaremongering to justify her anti-clean-energy agenda. It is incredibly sad what has happened to her. She used to believe in clean energy. Today, a report comes out from CBI Economics, showing 1 million jobs in net zero, and what does she do? She starts quibbling about the small print, and saying that the report does not represent the views of CBI, when the CBI chief economist is actually advocating for clean energy.

Well, there were words there, but there was no guarantee, so let me just remind the House that the Secretary of State has sold his entire agenda as being one of providing moral leadership to the rest of the world, but there is no moral leadership in sending British children to schools powered by Chinese slaves. On 2 May, our electricity grid almost breached its frequency limit. That has the potential to cause nationwide blackouts. The Secretary of State’s plans are making it harder and harder to balance the grid—there is no denying that—so can he confirm who is legally accountable if we have a blackout, thanks to grid instability, and what repercussions would that person face?

T4. A constituent of mine has raised concerns that the biodiversity net gain commitments, linked to the development consent order for the Riverside energy park in Belvedere, which was granted in April 2020 by the previous Government, have yet to be met at three mitigation sites in my constituency—Barnehurst open space, Whitehall Lane in Slade Green, and Bursted woods. What action is available if a developer does not fulfil its biodiversity net gain commitments in a timely manner?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this incredibly important issue. We need to make sure, when pushing forward with our planning developments, that they are undertaken with communities, and that the commitments made are delivered. I would very much welcome hearing more about the case that he raises, and I will talk to my colleagues and to him to take this forward.

I am afraid that the shadow Secretary of State is indulging in the worst sort of scaremongering to justify her anti-clean-energy agenda. It is incredibly sad what has happened to her. She used to believe in clean energy. Today, a report comes out from CBI Economics, showing 1 million jobs in net zero, and what does she do? She starts quibbling about the small print, and saying that the report does not represent the views of CBI, when the CBI chief economist is actually advocating for clean energy.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

T4. A constituent of mine has raised concerns that the biodiversity net gain commitments, linked to the development consent order for the Riverside energy park in Belvedere, which was granted in April 2020 by the previous Government, have yet to be met at three mitigation sites in my constituency—Barnehurst open space, Whitehall Lane in Slade Green, and Bursted woods. What action is available if a developer does not fulfil its biodiversity net gain commitments in a timely manner?

The hon. Member is right about the ambition, and that is why we commissioned the independent review by my noble Friend Lord Whitehead. We will respond to that review in due course, and we are ambitious about the role that GGRs can play.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this incredibly important issue. We need to make sure, when pushing forward with our planning developments, that they are undertaken with communities, and that the commitments made are delivered. I would very much welcome hearing more about the case that he raises, and I will talk to my colleagues and to him to take this forward.

T6. I thank the Minister for the £13.5 million for the Temple Quarter heat network in my constituency. Where Bristol leads with City Leap, others can follow, so what are the Government doing to support other places in following our example, in order to get investment in decarbonising our cities?

My hon. Friend is a big champion of not just Bristol, but climate action more generally. Bristol is one of the trailblazing heat network cities, and its City Leap partnership is a model of what other local authorities can consider. I am pleased that we have announced nearly £35 million in this Parliament for the further development of its heat networks.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

T2. Why does the Secretary of State think that Tony Blair is so critical of his policies?

Tony Blair has lots of interesting views. I am actually old enough to remember when Tony Blair was a great advocate of climate leadership in this country. Fundamentally, this Government and I believe that unless we get off the fossil-fuel rollercoaster—I think all Members have to confront this—we will never get the energy security and lower bills that all our constituents want.

The hon. Member is right about the ambition, and that is why we commissioned the independent review by my noble Friend Lord Whitehead. We will respond to that review in due course, and we are ambitious about the role that GGRs can play.

T6. I thank the Minister for the £13.5 million for the Temple Quarter heat network in my constituency. Where Bristol leads with City Leap, others can follow, so what are the Government doing to support other places in following our example, in order to get investment in decarbonising our cities?

The River Severn holds incredible potential for tidal energy, with the Severn Estuary Commission finding that it has the potential to generate up to 7% of the UK’s electricity. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss how the Government plan to take that forward, and how we can ensure that some of the resulting good-quality green jobs come to Gloucester?

We are grateful for the Severn Estuary Commission’s work, and we recognise the benefits that tidal range can bring to our energy system. For now, the Government remain open to considering well developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastline. I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further.

My hon. Friend is a big champion of not just Bristol, but climate action more generally. Bristol is one of the trailblazing heat network cities, and its City Leap partnership is a model of what other local authorities can consider. I am pleased that we have announced nearly £35 million in this Parliament for the further development of its heat networks.

T2. Why does the Secretary of State think that Tony Blair is so critical of his policies?

I call Ayoub Khan. Not here. I call Sir Julian Smith.

T7. Small businesses across Yorkshire are really struggling with energy costs. We have talked about the local power plan, and the ability of communities to sell power to small businesses—the question just came up. That has to happen. We must do everything we can to lower the costs for rural and small businesses. Will the Minister make sure that that happens?

Tony Blair has lots of interesting views. I am actually old enough to remember when Tony Blair was a great advocate of climate leadership in this country. Fundamentally, this Government and I believe that unless we get off the fossil-fuel rollercoaster—I think all Members have to confront this—we will never get the energy security and lower bills that all our constituents want.

The River Severn holds incredible potential for tidal energy, with the Severn Estuary Commission finding that it has the potential to generate up to 7% of the UK’s electricity. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss how the Government plan to take that forward, and how we can ensure that some of the resulting good-quality green jobs come to Gloucester?

The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. This is a crucial aspect of the local power plan. We need to support communities in developing the project, and then creating a market in which they can sell electricity locally. We are working with Ofgem and partners to ensure that can happen, and we will say more in due course.

Had the 8.3 GW of offshore wind secured at the start of this year through allocation round 7 been in place last year, we would have seen gas generation cut by a third, and wholesale prices down by 13%. It is clear that we have to double down on the clean energy revolution. We cannot be distracted by yet more fossil fuel work. Will the Secretary of State outline how we will push forward the clean energy transition, and offshore wind in particular?

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. If I might actually praise the previous Government, some of what they did on renewables has helped to reduce wholesale costs. The problem is that the Conservatives have now abandoned their position. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the only answer to the crisis we face is to go further, faster, on getting off fossil fuels and on to clean power.

We are grateful for the Severn Estuary Commission’s work, and we recognise the benefits that tidal range can bring to our energy system. For now, the Government remain open to considering well developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastline. I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further.

Northern Ireland is home to some innovative carbon capture businesses with real export potential, but many UK clean technologies face a gap between successful pilot innovation and that first commercial deployment. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that high-value opportunities can be scaled, thereby supporting jobs, investment and growth? Will the Secretary of State accept an invitation to visit Nuada?

The hon. Gentleman is right to highlight this issue. We have provided funding to support the development of carbon capture projects in Northern Ireland, such as Catagen’s biohydrogen reactor in Belfast. We welcome engagement on further carbon capture, usage and storage projects. It is a really important part of decarbonisation, and I am happy to engage on it further.

I call Ayoub Khan. Not here. I call Sir Julian Smith.

T7. Small businesses across Yorkshire are really struggling with energy costs. We have talked about the local power plan, and the ability of communities to sell power to small businesses—the question just came up. That has to happen. We must do everything we can to lower the costs for rural and small businesses. Will the Minister make sure that that happens?

The Secretary of State just praised the previous Government’s role in rolling out renewables, but what they did not do is seek to co-ordinate energy projects, in particular nationally significant infrastructure projects. In Suffolk Coastal, that is a huge issue, and one that I have raised at length and continually with the Minister. Will the Secretary of State meet me to talk about what we can do to seek better co-ordination, including introducing an energy levy to enforce co-ordination?

My hon. Friend raises an important point. The strategic spatial energy plan, which will be coming out later this year, is designed precisely to ensure the kind of co-ordination that she is after. I am very happy to meet her to talk about it.

The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. This is a crucial aspect of the local power plan. We need to support communities in developing the project, and then creating a market in which they can sell electricity locally. We are working with Ofgem and partners to ensure that can happen, and we will say more in due course.

Had the 8.3 GW of offshore wind secured at the start of this year through allocation round 7 been in place last year, we would have seen gas generation cut by a third, and wholesale prices down by 13%. It is clear that we have to double down on the clean energy revolution. We cannot be distracted by yet more fossil fuel work. Will the Secretary of State outline how we will push forward the clean energy transition, and offshore wind in particular?

By now, the Secretary of State will be well aware of my opposition to the 1,900 acre East Park Energy solar farm in my constituency. We are now at the business end of the planning process; the application is before the Planning Inspectorate, ahead of a decision by the Secretary of State later this year. Will he outline roughly when he expects to have to take a decision on the application? Ahead of that, will he meet me and my hon. Friend the Member for North Bedfordshire (Richard Fuller) to discuss our concern that it is not the right solution for our area and our constituents?

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. If I might actually praise the previous Government, some of what they did on renewables has helped to reduce wholesale costs. The problem is that the Conservatives have now abandoned their position. My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the only answer to the crisis we face is to go further, faster, on getting off fossil fuels and on to clean power.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, but because it is a live planning application under independent examination, it is not possible for me to comment further. I obviously encourage him and his constituents to register with the Planning Inspectorate, if they have not done so already, so that they can share their views.

I welcome the contracts for difference for geothermal and the fact that the Secretary of State has been down to see deep geothermal in Cornwall. A policy indication from the Government that deep geothermal could form part of our energy mix would be useful to grow confidence in the industry.

Northern Ireland is home to some innovative carbon capture businesses with real export potential, but many UK clean technologies face a gap between successful pilot innovation and that first commercial deployment. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that high-value opportunities can be scaled, thereby supporting jobs, investment and growth? Will the Secretary of State accept an invitation to visit Nuada?

I thank my hon. Friend for her continued championing of this matter. It was exciting to see the opening of the first project in February. We are focusing on the local heat networks, but we will continue to engage and are glad to see the CfD projects coming to fruition.

The hon. Gentleman is right to highlight this issue. We have provided funding to support the development of carbon capture projects in Northern Ireland, such as Catagen’s biohydrogen reactor in Belfast. We welcome engagement on further carbon capture, usage and storage projects. It is a really important part of decarbonisation, and I am happy to engage on it further.

Once again, those on the Government Front Bench have inadvertently misled the House in saying that there is a single price internationally for gas—gas is 80% cheaper in the US than it is here in the UK. When will the Secretary of State grant oil and gas licences in Jackdaw, Rosebank and other fields in the North sea to increase supply and bring down bills?

No matter how many times I tell the hon. Gentleman, he does not seem to get it: we are price takers, not price makers. Even the Conservatives, who want to drill every last drop, do not claim that that would reduce bills. The truth is, he said he would—[Interruption.] If the hon. Gentleman calms down for a minute, he will hear my answer. He said he would wage war on clean energy—that is waging war on jobs across our country and on energy security.

The Secretary of State just praised the previous Government’s role in rolling out renewables, but what they did not do is seek to co-ordinate energy projects, in particular nationally significant infrastructure projects. In Suffolk Coastal, that is a huge issue, and one that I have raised at length and continually with the Minister. Will the Secretary of State meet me to talk about what we can do to seek better co-ordination, including introducing an energy levy to enforce co-ordination?

Today, X-energy and Centrica’s proposals for advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool reached another major milestone with the submission of an application for a generic design assessment. Given the importance of retaining Hartlepool’s world-class nuclear workforce and ensuring that there is no cliff edge when the existing power station approaches the end of its operational life, will the Minister reassure me that every effort will be made to maintain the outstanding momentum to build this project and, wherever possible, to accelerate progress?

I am incredibly excited about this project between X-energy and Centrica—I have met both to talk about it. It is part of this Government overseeing the biggest nuclear building programme in half a century, and that is absolutely part of the clean power mission.

I thank the Secretary of State for not approving the Morgan and Morecambe wind farm cable corridor and for deferring the decision for six months for further consultation. I know how much he wants to achieve his target, so I know how difficult that decision will have been. Together with cross-party local councils, I have written to him to articulate the available alternative routes. Will he use these six months to consider those alternatives?

By now, the Secretary of State will be well aware of my opposition to the 1,900 acre East Park Energy solar farm in my constituency. We are now at the business end of the planning process; the application is before the Planning Inspectorate, ahead of a decision by the Secretary of State later this year. Will he outline roughly when he expects to have to take a decision on the application? Ahead of that, will he meet me and my hon. Friend the Member for North Bedfordshire (Richard Fuller) to discuss our concern that it is not the right solution for our area and our constituents?

As I have said before from the Dispatch Box, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on live applications for obvious reasons. We look at every single application on its merits; even though we have ambitions for where we want to get to, individual planning applications are considered on the individual merits on which they are presented.

Peak Cluster in the Hope valley is a cement decarbonisation project looking to prevent 3 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear route to market for industrial carbon capture projects beyond track 1 and track 2 clusters, which would offer projects like Peak Cluster greater certainty?

I welcome the contracts for difference for geothermal and the fact that the Secretary of State has been down to see deep geothermal in Cornwall. A policy indication from the Government that deep geothermal could form part of our energy mix would be useful to grow confidence in the industry.

We see carbon capture as a hugely important part of how we decarbonise, and we have supported clusters already. We are looking at what a future model could look like; equally, we need to see other projects coming forward on commercial terms to ensure that they are viable. I continue to meet with all the clusters, and I chair the CCUS taskforce to ensure that we are doing as much as we can.

I thank my hon. Friend for her continued championing of this matter. It was exciting to see the opening of the first project in February. We are focusing on the local heat networks, but we will continue to engage and are glad to see the CfD projects coming to fruition.

Once again, those on the Government Front Bench have inadvertently misled the House in saying that there is a single price internationally for gas—gas is 80% cheaper in the US than it is here in the UK. When will the Secretary of State grant oil and gas licences in Jackdaw, Rosebank and other fields in the North sea to increase supply and bring down bills?

Last Saturday, I met representatives from a number of well-established hospitality businesses in my constituency, one of whom is facing an energy cost increase of £70,000 this year. That is clearly unsustainable. What are Ministers doing to prevent unchecked energy increases from happening year on year?

No matter how many times I tell the hon. Gentleman, he does not seem to get it: we are price takers, not price makers. Even the Conservatives, who want to drill every last drop, do not claim that that would reduce bills. The truth is, he said he would— [Interruption.] If the hon. Gentleman calms down for a minute, he will hear my answer. He said he would wage war on clean energy—that is waging war on jobs across our country and on energy security.

As I mentioned in answer to an earlier question, we are concerned about the role of third-party intermediaries and the proper functioning of the market, and, subject to finding parliamentary time, we intend to bring forward the opportunity for Ofgem to act as a regulator in that regard. The hon. Gentleman’s question clearly identifies why it is so important that we return to energy stability in the UK through our own home-grown clean energy.

Today, X-energy and Centrica’s proposals for advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool reached another major milestone with the submission of an application for a generic design assessment. Given the importance of retaining Hartlepool’s world-class nuclear workforce and ensuring that there is no cliff edge when the existing power station approaches the end of its operational life, will the Minister reassure me that every effort will be made to maintain the outstanding momentum to build this project and, wherever possible, to accelerate progress?

In an earlier answer, the Minister for Energy mentioned the money being spent on carbon capture, but has he considered the impact of his net zero policies on carbon release? Last week, I visited a site in the Sperrins where 250,000 metric tonnes of peat are to be stripped from the hillside in order to put in the infrastructure for a wind farm. That is similar to what is happening on peatlands all over England. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of that and will he—

I am incredibly excited about this project between X-energy and Centrica—I have met both to talk about it. It is part of this Government overseeing the biggest nuclear building programme in half a century, and that is absolutely part of the clean power mission.

Order. Come on, you’re not playing the game at all. I call the Minister.

I thank the Secretary of State for not approving the Morgan and Morecambe wind farm cable corridor and for deferring the decision for six months for further consultation. I know how much he wants to achieve his target, so I know how difficult that decision will have been. Together with cross-party local councils, I have written to him to articulate the available alternative routes. Will he use these six months to consider those alternatives?

The right hon. Gentleman and I go back a long way, so I thought I would answer this one. It is important to look at the whole context of carbon emissions in projects, but if he shares our desire to reduce carbon emissions, renewable energy and nuclear energy are the right way forward.

As I have said before from the Dispatch Box, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on live applications for obvious reasons. We look at every single application on its merits; even though we have ambitions for where we want to get to, individual planning applications are considered on the individual merits on which they are presented.

Last September, I met the Minister for Energy Consumers, the hon. Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey), to discuss those who have been adversely impacted by incorrectly installed spray foam insulation. Has the Department considered remediation or support for those affected?

Peak Cluster in the Hope valley is a cement decarbonisation project looking to prevent 3 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear route to market for industrial carbon capture projects beyond track 1 and track 2 clusters, which would offer projects like Peak Cluster greater certainty?

We are considering a range of remediation options in a number of schemes for which the Department is responsible, most of which were operated by the previous Government. We will come forward with proposals soon.

I, too, offer my condolences to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will be familiar with the Russian-backed AQUIND application for a submarine interconnector that will cut through Portsmouth naval dockyard, affecting my constituency, and go on to France. The Ministry of Defence has raised national security concerns. We have been waiting over a year for a decision from the Secretary of State on the application. When will he issue one?

We see carbon capture as a hugely important part of how we decarbonise, and we have supported clusters already. We are looking at what a future model could look like; equally, we need to see other projects coming forward on commercial terms to ensure that they are viable. I continue to meet with all the clusters, and I chair the CCUS taskforce to ensure that we are doing as much as we can.

I thank the right hon. Lady for her kind words about my mum. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the progress of planning applications, as she will know, but I will definitely pass on her comments to my Department.

Last Saturday, I met representatives from a number of well-established hospitality businesses in my constituency, one of whom is facing an energy cost increase of £70,000 this year. That is clearly unsustainable. What are Ministers doing to prevent unchecked energy increases from happening year on year?

As I mentioned in answer to an earlier question, we are concerned about the role of third-party intermediaries and the proper functioning of the market, and, subject to finding parliamentary time, we intend to bring forward the opportunity for Ofgem to act as a regulator in that regard. The hon. Gentleman’s question clearly identifies why it is so important that we return to energy stability in the UK through our own home-grown clean energy.

In an earlier answer, the Minister for Energy mentioned the money being spent on carbon capture, but has he considered the impact of his net zero policies on carbon release? Last week, I visited a site in the Sperrins where 250,000 metric tonnes of peat are to be stripped from the hillside in order to put in the infrastructure for a wind farm. That is similar to what is happening on peatlands all over England. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of that and will he—

Order. Come on, you’re not playing the game at all. I call the Minister.

The right hon. Gentleman and I go back a long way, so I thought I would answer this one. It is important to look at the whole context of carbon emissions in projects, but if he shares our desire to reduce carbon emissions, renewable energy and nuclear energy are the right way forward.

Last September, I met the Minister for Energy Consumers, the hon. Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey), to discuss those who have been adversely impacted by incorrectly installed spray foam insulation. Has the Department considered remediation or support for those affected?

We are considering a range of remediation options in a number of schemes for which the Department is responsible, most of which were operated by the previous Government. We will come forward with proposals soon.

I, too, offer my condolences to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will be familiar with the Russian-backed AQUIND application for a submarine interconnector that will cut through Portsmouth naval dockyard, affecting my constituency, and go on to France. The Ministry of Defence has raised national security concerns. We have been waiting over a year for a decision from the Secretary of State on the application. When will he issue one?

I thank the right hon. Lady for her kind words about my mum. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the progress of planning applications, as she will know, but I will definitely pass on her comments to my Department.