Written questions by Garnier.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of including hybrid heat pumps in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not support hybrid heat pumps, as we want to direct the available funding towards the technologies that offer the greatest carbon savings, rather than those which would continue to involve the burning of fossil fuels for space heating and hot water. The Government is committed to incentivising all properties to transition to cleaner heating and will keep its position on alternative heating technologies under review. In the Raising Product Standards for Space Heating consultation, the Government set out that hybrids may be able to play a role in heat decarbonisation. The Government will publish a response in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of hybrid heat pumps on (a) consumer energy bills and (b) UK greenhouse gas emissions.

The specific greenhouse gas emissions and running costs of a hybrid heat pump are impacted by a range of factors including the proportion of heating met by the heat pump. However, the Government noted in the recent ‘Raising product standards for space heating’ consultation that hybrids could reduce fossil fuel usage and reduce a consumer’s bills, depending on wider energy pricing and other factors. The Government will publish a response to this consultation in due course and will continue to gather and assess evidence and monitor market developments in relation to hybrid heat pumps.

How many gifts were received by Ministers in his Department for travel to COP conferences in the last 12 months.

No gifts were received by Ministers for travel to COP conferences in the last 12 months.

How many purchases with a value of less than £500 were made by his Department using an electronic purchasing card solution in October 2024, what the value was of those purchases; and if he wi

This data is not published by the Department, in line with Section 8.2 Transparency in the Crown Commercial Services’ Procurement Cards Pan-Government Policy.

How many officials in his Department work full-time on COP summits.

The annual UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) is a crucial opportunity to tackle climate change internationally. As a top Government priority, officials across HMG are involved in making these summits as successful as they can be, from negotiations, l...

With reference to the data on Departmental spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card solution, when he plans to publish this data for (a) October and (b) November 2024.

The Department intends to publish the October and November data on Departmental spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card before the end of the financial year.

How many fax machines are in use by the National Energy System Operator; and whether his Department plans to provide funding to digitalise the energy grid.

The Government does not hold any information on the number of fax machines in use at the National Energy System Operator (NESO). Government, Ofgem and NESO are working to digitalise the energy system. In August the government published a response to the d...

Whether he has had discussions with the National Energy System Operator on pylon presumption.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. The National Policy Statement for electricity networks (NPS EN-5) sets out that overhead lines should be the strong starting presumpti...

Whether he has made an estimate of the number of unfinanced energy projects in the queue to be connected to the power grid.

Data on financing of projects in the connections queue is not available. However, National Energy System Operator estimates that historically, 60-70% of transmission connection projects do not ultimately connect, including those that do not secure financi...

With reference to paragraph 3.71 of Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, how much funding will be available for fusion energy research in the 2025-26 financial year.

Confirmation of the amount of funding will be shared in due course.

What proportion of GB Energy staff will be based at its headquarters in Aberdeen.

GBE’s workforce planning is ongoing, and we are committed to ensuring we have the right skills, across the right locations, so that GBE can deliver maximum impact. A significant proportion of GBE’s staff will be employed in Aberdeen, including the permane...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the use of deep boreholes as an alternative to the Geological Disposal Facility for nuclear waste.

Deep borehole technology is at a developmental stage of technical maturity and has not yet been implemented anywhere in the world. It is possible the technology could play a complementary role in managing some radioactive hazardous waste in the future. Ho...

What steps he is taking to ensure that plans to achieve a net zero power grid by 2030 include the development of technologies such as nuclear power requiring (a) longer lead times and (b) sig

The Government is committed to ensuring that new nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C and small modular reactors (SMRs), play an important role in helping achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. On 23 ...

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the risk of legal challenge associated with the National Energy System Operator’s proposals to prioritise energy projects in the queue that ar

The National Electricity System Operator is developing proposals for reform of electricity networks in consultation with stakeholders, before final proposals are submitted to Ofgem for decision. As part of its decision-making process, Ofgem will assess le...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the National Energy System Operator’s reforms to the grid connections process on investment in the UK renewables sector.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for preparing and submitting proposals for reform of the electricity network connections process to Ofgem, the independent energy regulator. NESO is engaging with stakeholders, including the renewa...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the National Energy System Operator’s proposals to prioritise energy projects that are ready and aligned with Clean Power 20

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for preparing and submitting proposals for reform of the electricity network connections process to Ofgem, the independent energy regulator. NESO is engaging with stakeholders, including the renewa...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential supply chain barriers to achieving net zero by 2030.

Through our Clean Energy Mission the Government will decarbonise the power system by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. Taking action to ensure that our clean energy supply chains are resilient is a priority, both in terms of delivery against our targets an...

What estimate he has made of the full system costs of (a) investments in renewable energy, (b) grid infrastructure upgrades, (c) energy storage solutions and (d) other costs associated with a

On 23 August, the Government commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to provide practical advice on achieving a clean power system by 2030. The Government expects to receive NESO’s advice in early November, which will inform the 2030 Clean...

Whether his Department plans to publish an updated Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Government is committed to slashing fuel poverty and is currently reviewing the Fuel Poverty Strategy, published in 2021. The review will be published in due course and will determine whether an updated strategy is required.

What plans his Department has to simplify the process of installing heat pumps.

The Government is committed to simplifying the installation process at every stage of the customer journey and is investing up to £42m in the Heat Pump Ready programme to overcome barriers to heat pump deployment and support innovation in product design. ...