Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mark Garnier this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 201–220 of 232 · this parliament
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 ...
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...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to restore the condition of groundwater-dependent wetlands to achieve Local Nature Recovery Targets in Worcester.
Recovering nature is a key priority for this Government and wetland habitats are an important component of that. Under the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme, the impact of Public Water Supply groundwater abstraction on river flows and wetlands h...
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Severn Water on reviewing the condition of the aquifers it abstracts water from.
The Environment Agency works closely with Severn Trent Water on the current condition of aquifers and the action needed to achieve a sustainable level of abstraction. Some aquifers in the Severn Trent Water supply area are over-abstracted and it is a chal...
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...
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...
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...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the alleged misappropriation of funds through the sale of passports to foreign investors by members of the St Lucian government; a
We are aware of the risks associated with Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes as described in this question. They are a source of much needed development finance for several countries, but they can also pose challenges for both the host and third-p...
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the incentives in the Sustainable Farming Incentive for cider apple orchards.
The expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer published in May 2024 includes capital grants to plant cider apple trees as part of an Agro-forestry system, and ongoing payments for actions which could be used in or around cider orchards such as fl...
Whether he plans to change the threshold of full audit requirements for smaller businesses.
The qualifying criteria that determine company size for the purposes of accounting and audit have not changed in over a decade. It is right that these thresholds are reviewed periodically so they are set at appropriate levels.Company size thresholds are b...
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.
Communities and Local Government, how many single occupancy households there are in (a) England and (b) Wyre Forest constituency.
Data on the number of households receiving the single person council tax discount is collected by the Department as part of the annual Council Taxbase snapshot. The 2023 snapshot can be found here. Data is only available for local authority areas not parl...
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to publish a response to the consultation launched under the previous government on changes to various permitted development rights.
The Government will keep changes to permitted development rights under review.
If he will make it his policy to retain the social housing obligation in future iterations of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
The current iteration of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), ECO4, began in April 2022 and is scheduled to run until March 2026. ECO supports eligible social housing properties in energy efficiency bands D - F.We are considering the role of supplier obli...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national energy efficiency advice service.
The Government recognises that access to trusted and impartial information is an important enabler to consumers, when making choices about how to retrofit their homes. This is why the government delivers a number of digital services on GOV.UK to support c...
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. ...
Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on the single-person discounts on council tax for single (a) pension and (b) working households; and what the forecast discount is for the next five financial
For both pension-age and working-age households, where there is only one liable adult resident in a property, the council tax bill is reduced by 25%. The Government will carefully consider the impact on councils and taxpayers, before making any future dec...
If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to require (a) FTSE 100 companies and (b) financial services firms to (i) develop green transition plans and (ii) publish a timetable for doing this.
The Government has committed to making the UK the green finance capital of the world and is exploring requirements in relation to transition plans for companies and financial institutions. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is working with other government departments, including HM Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade, on these requirements and will provide further information about plans and a timetable in due course.
What plans his Department has to reduce its energy usage.
The Government Property Agency (GPA) manage the estate occupied by DESNZ and is responsible for energy usage reduction in its properties. DESNZ undertakes an assurance role in this, to ensure the Department achieves the targets in the Greening Government Commitments related to energy usage reduction. DESNZ recently relocated its HQ to a newly refurbished GPA building, which included a range of energy reduction measures, such as connection to the Whitehall District Heating Network, upgraded heating and ventilation systems, and LED lighting throughout. DESNZ continues to work with GPA to achieve similar improvements across the wider UK estate.