Kwasi Kwarteng: Dare I say, we are leading—maybe not exactly along the lines that my right hon. Friend has prescribed, but we are taking leadership? As I have said to you, Mr Deputy Speaker— The debate stood adjourned ( Standing Order No. 11(2)). Ordered, That the debate be resumed on Friday 15 January 2021.
Kwasi Kwarteng: Within the decade, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister is determined for the UK to be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution as we accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050. We have set out billions in support for our low-carbon economy including over £3 billion to transform energy efficiency in homes and public buildings. The Government is determined to...
Kwasi Kwarteng: The Oil and Gas Authority has awarded the following carbon dioxide storage licences: CS003 to Pale Blue Dot Energy (Acorn) Ltd in 2019; CS004 to Eni UK Limited in 2020.
Kwasi Kwarteng: The Department currently employs the following numbers of staff working primarily in these areas: Upstream oil and gas policy 26 FTE Downstream oil resilience 15 FTE Gas policy 23 FTE Coal policy (including staff working on the domestic & international transition away from coal) 6 FTE Liabilities from the former nationalised coal industry 7.4 FTE The Offshore Petroleum...
Kwasi Kwarteng: Second generation smart meters use a dedicated national smart metering communications network, which uses a variety of technologies to deliver connectivity to premises. These include cellular mobile technology plus wireless mesh radio, and long-range radio technology. The Data Communications Company (DCC), which operates the national communications infrastructure for smart metering, is...
Kwasi Kwarteng: No such payments have been made.
Kwasi Kwarteng: As at 30 September 2020, the Investment Reserve stood at £1,216m.
Kwasi Kwarteng: In 2018-19, the Government received £142.4m as its share of surplus and £475m from the Investment Reserve. In each of 2019-20 and 2020-21, the Government received £142.4m as its share of surplus. The presence of the Guarantee has given the Trustees the freedom to invest in a way that targets surpluses and, as a consequence, bonuses to members. Bonuses paid to date mean that the typical...
Kwasi Kwarteng: Domestic production of coal, alongside the amounts of coal imported in the UK, have been steadily declining in the last five years. This is evidenced by the figures published by the Department here: DUKES table 2.4. In order to tackle climate change and deliver a net zero economy by 2050, we need to further reduce our use of coal. We are among the first countries in the world to commit to...
Kwasi Kwarteng: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker; I was going to make very much the same point. I congratulate the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Ben Lake) on securing today’s debate, and I will make the same point: I have never seen an Adjournment debate with so many interventions. They were all extremely gracefully and graciously accommodated in his speech, so many congratulations to him. The hon. Member has...
Kwasi Kwarteng: I am fully aware of that, and I will come on to it. I have only 10 minutes, so I ask the hon. Lady to bear with me; I will address that point later in my remarks. Electricity and gas supply licences, as I am sure everybody in the Chamber knows, are usually granted on a Great Britain-wide basis. However, Ofgem has powers to award supply licences for specified areas and specified types of...
Kwasi Kwarteng: No, I am afraid I am very hard pressed for time. I may have time later to take an intervention, but I need to press on with my remarks. Ofgem, as I have suggested, has been consulting widely on how to use such facilities more effectively to bring innovation to the specified locality, as it were, in this retail market. I understand that the consultation closed on Monday 12 October, and I hope...
Kwasi Kwarteng: My hon. Friend is straying into ground that is not necessarily covered in this debate. I am very hopeful that the energy White Paper will be published soon. I think the Secretary of State said in front of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee that it would be published in the autumn, and we are still in the autumn, so I am hopeful that it will come imminently.
Kwasi Kwarteng: Well, a very good start is a debate such as this. It has been a real eye-opener for me. I am delighted to see so much interest. I would suggest that people engage with the Department and engage with me. I am very happy to discuss these issues, which are absolutely fundamental to the energy transition that the hon. Gentleman mentioned. As I said, this is part of an ongoing conversation. I am...
Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government recognises the importance of the UK maritime sector to our economy and to our future global trading ambitions. The MOD-led National Shipbuilding Strategy is seeking to work with shipbuilders and the supply chain to improve public procurement, increase trade and drive innovation. The Government’s Offshore Wind Sector Deal includes an aspiration to increase UK content to 60%...
Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government considers a range of matters when setting the parameters for Contracts for Difference allocation rounds, including the anticipated pipeline of eligible projects. We will publish allocation round parameters in advance of the next auction in late 2021, when assessments of the potential volume of participants can be informed by the most current information on project pipelines.
Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government welcomes innovations that can improve the quality of supply to consumers and demonstrate value for money, including the safe use of active control of voltage levels. The Government offers support to companies seeking to bring innovative technologies to market which can help drive the transition to net zero emissions by 2050, through competitive innovation funding grants such...
Kwasi Kwarteng: The average return on investment for solar thermal systems will depend on a range of factors including whether the owner of the solar thermal installation is in receipt of grant funding (such as the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive) or not. The measures in the scheme were chosen because they deliver: demand for the energy efficiency sector, creating and preserving jobs; lasting carbon...
Kwasi Kwarteng: BEIS Ministers and officials have regular meetings with industry as part of the process of policy development and delivery. This meeting enabled a discussion of the market for large heat pump projects in the context of the announcements made in the Budget and Summer Economic Update and the development of future policies to meet our commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The...
Kwasi Kwarteng: Domestic production of coal, alongside the amounts of coal imported in the UK, have been steadily declining in the last five years. This is evidenced by the figures published by the Department here: DUKES table 2.4. In order to tackle climate change and deliver a net zero economy by 2050, we need to further reduce our use of coal. We are among the first countries in the world to commit to...