Every parliamentary written question tabled by Chris Bloore this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 208 · this parliament
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Contracts for Difference scheme in decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility for household consumers.
The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme has been successful in bringing forth new renewable assets at fixed, competitive prices. AR7 was the most successful round ever and secured 14.7 GW of new clean energy. CfDs are already beginning to decouple elect...
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Contracts for Difference scheme in decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility for household consumers.
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
What steps his Department is taking to identify alternative financing models for flexible gas generation that ensure price stability for households and businesses as the grid decarbonises.
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impacts of different market models on decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility.
It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of marginal electricity pricing on the Consumer Prices Index since July 2024.
Forecasting the economy, including the impact of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR has not published a specific estimate of the impact of marginal electricity pricing on Consumer Price Index inflation.The electricity market operates on the principle of marginal cost pricing, where gas-fired generation frequently sets the wholesale price, meaning electricity prices have closely tracked gas prices. This is link is already weakening as more renewable energy comes online. The Government is taking further steps to reduce this link: we will set out plans for legacy low-carbon generators to move onto fixed-price arrangements from 2027, and the Electricity Generator Levy's rate has been increased, and it will be extended beyond its scheduled end date. Further details on these measures will be provided in due course. As reliance on gas falls, electricity prices are expected to be set increasingly by lower-cost generation, including renewables.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 25% administration reduction target set out in the Regulation Action Plan on the baseline annual compliance costs of small and medium-sized enterprises.
We have established a baseline of the annual administrative burden of regulation on UK businesses, including SMEs. As set out in the technical annex to the policy paper ‘A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, we used a pragmatic, top-down approach, building on the previous Administrative Burden Reduction Programme (2005-10), which was based on detailed feedback from businesses, including SMEs, in individual sectors.Our approach was also informed by DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey, which draws from a large, representative sample of businesses across sectors and sizes to ensure our reforms are targeted effectively.
What steps his Department is taking through the Regulation Action Plan to align regulatory frameworks with the Modern Industrial Strategy.
The Industrial Strategy sets out how targeted regulatory reform will support key sectors to unlock investment and increase productivity. This is reinforced by the Regulation Action Plan which aims to tackle the regulatory burden and complexity; reduce uncertainty and challenge risk aversion to drive growth.This is supported by targeted regulatory reviews in growth-driving sectors. For example, DBT is working with Defra and the Regulatory Innovation Office on a regulatory review of agri-tech as a frontier industry, to help SMEs navigate the regulatory landscape and support farmer adoption. This approach ensures regulation supports innovation and investment while maintaining essential protections.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the marginal pricing mechanism on the revenues of renewable and nuclear electricity generators.
We will bring forward plans later this year to offer legacy low carbon generators the option of fixed price arrangements, with an intention to run an allocation process in 2027. Government will only offer contracts to electricity generators where it represents clear value for money for consumers. Further details will be set out in due course, with plans to consult later this year.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of sector-specific administrative cost baselines on measuring the 25% reduction in business compliance costs targeted under the Regulation Action Plan.
We have established a baseline of the annual administrative burden of regulation on UK businesses, including SMEs. As set out in the technical annex to the policy paper ‘A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, we used a pragmatic, top-down approach, building on the previous Administrative Burden Reduction Programme (2005-10), which was based on detailed feedback from businesses, including SMEs, in individual sectors.Our approach was also informed by DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey, which draws from a large, representative sample of businesses across sectors and sizes to ensure our reforms are targeted effectively.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure public transport and private hire vehicles service levels are not impacted by fuel price increases.
The Department for Transport recognises growing concerns around rising fuel and transport costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Department fully recognises the need to maintain the continuity of public transport services and are actively monitoring any potential impacts. The Department will continue to work with industry to understand the pressures and the options to mitigate any risks.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of autonomous vehicle use on journey times for emergency services and buses, and the level of congestion on hospital access routes.
The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) has regular meetings with the National Police Chiefs Council, Association for Ambulance Chief Executives and the National Fire Chiefs Council alongside frontline officers. This work aims to support the development of processes and protocols to ensure emergency services interacting with automated vehicles are able to perform their duties safely and effectively. Any impact on local bus or hospital access routes would be a consideration during an application for an Automated Passenger Service (APS) permit and assessed on a case-by-case basis by the local traffic authority.
What steps he is taking to protect downstream users of packaging steel.
This Government recognises the distinct value of downstream users, including in the manufacturing supply chain, alongside the importance of maintaining a resilient domestic steel sector.The steel trade measure has been designed to addresses the serious threat posed by global steel overcapacity, which undermines the viability of UK steelmaking and, in turn, our critical national infrastructure and defence.We have carefully balanced the needs of producers and downstream industry, and the product scope of the measure reflects this. This has involved extensive engagement with downstream industry, and we will review the measure after 12 months.
What consideration she has given of the potential merits of establishing a mutual or pooled cyber-risk scheme to reduce fiscal exposure and protect local economies.
The government has no plans to establish a mutual or pooled cyber risk scheme at this time. Cyber insurance is widely offered in the UK insurance market and the government would encourage businesses to shop around, or employ the services of a broker, to find the most appropriate cover, at the best price. The government will continue to monitor the cyber insurance market and related developments to ensure the UK’s economic resilience remains robust.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that autonomous vehicles use does not adversely affect bus reliability, active travel and access to essential services.
The Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme will facilitate the rollout of small-scale commercial pilot deployments. For an APS permit to be granted, local consent is required from the relevant licensing authority or franchising body. My department has recently published guidance on the consenting process, setting out a range of considerations for applicants and consenting authorities. These include, but are not limited to, the extent to which proposed services align with local transport plans and wider strategic priorities. As a result, issues such as bus reliability, active travel, and access to essential services may appropriately form part of early engagement with the consent authority.
What consideration she has made with the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the potential merits of piloting targeted road user charging schemes for autonomous vehicles to manage demand.
No such considerations have been made. Early deployments of automated vehicles are likely to be relatively small-scale. Impacts on the transport network will be kept under review as the regulations for automated vehicles are implemented.
What cross-government contingency planning is in place for major cyber incidents affecting critical supply chains.
Cyber attacks are increasing in scale and impact; they are slowing the UK’s economic growth and damaging our national security. The UK Government has an existing national process to manage the response to major cyber incidents: the national cyber incident categorisation system is published on NCSC.GOV.UK. The Government, alongside the National Cyber Security Centre, engages with regulators and critical national infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness to cyber threats, working to better understand and manage cyber risk, and minimise the impact of cyber incidents when they occur. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will also support this, by boosting UK cyber defences and improving the cyber security of our essential public and digital services.
What consideration he has given to the potential merits of introducing a national framework with clear criteria for intervention in major cyber incidents to strengthen economic resilience.
Cyber attacks are increasing in scale and impact; they are slowing the UK’s economic growth and damaging our national security. The UK Government has an existing national process to manage the response to major cyber incidents: the national cyber incident categorisation system is published on NCSC.GOV.UK. The Government, alongside the National Cyber Security Centre, engages with regulators and critical national infrastructure operators to ensure resilience and preparedness to cyber threats, working to better understand and manage cyber risk, and minimise the impact of cyber incidents when they occur. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will also support this, by boosting UK cyber defences and improving the cyber security of our essential public and digital services.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of autonomous vehicles on trends in the level of congestion in the next five years.
The introduction of the Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme will facilitate small-scale pilots of commercial deployments. For an APS permit to be granted, local consent is required from the relevant licensing authority or franchising body. My department has recently published guidance on the consenting process, setting out a range of potential considerations for applicants and consenting authorities. These include, but are not limited to, the extent to which proposed services align with local transport plans, environmental strategies and wider strategic priorities. As a result, issues such as congestion may appropriately form part of early engagement with the consent authority. The Government’s consultation on the Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme included questions relevant to congestion impacts. The Government response will be published in due course.
What consideration she has given to the potential merits of road-user charging receipts supporting local transport infrastructure.
Local Traffic Authorities have the power to introduce road charging schemes to address issues such as congestion and poor air quality, where they decide that is the best solution. They do not require Ministerial or Parliamentary approval to do this. Net revenue from such schemes are retained by the relevant local transport authority or authorities and must be used for transport purposes.
What consideration his Department has given to the potential merits of moving gas-fired power stations onto a regulated asset base model.
This government has been clear that the answers to the challenges around energy security, affordability and sustainability point in the same direction, clean energy. By 2030 unabated gas will account for less than 5% of total generation. As the role of unabated gas diminishes, we continue to work with NESO and Ofgem to explore how market and system arrangements can evolve to minimise its impact on energy bills, whilst retaining sufficient unabated gas capacity for security of supply. As part of this, officials have considered proposals to move gas-fired power stations onto a regulated asset base model. Whilst this option may have merits in the long-term, it also has some challenges and would take considerable time to develop and implement. No decisions have been taken at this stage.