The Heat and Buildings Strategy is based on a 'fabric first' approach to decarbonising buildings by focusing on upgrading the building fabric before making changes to heating systems, to ensure the transition to low-caron heating is cost-effective and resilient.

Current schemes allow the installation of measures which improve the energy performance of a dwelling within the scope of the “Standard Assessment Procedure” (SAP) – which assesses the energy performance of dwellings. This can include measures such as solid wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, underfloor insulation, draught-proofing, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, high heat retention storage heating, low energy lighting, solar PV, solar thermal and heating controls.

As part of their work, the Taskforce has established four working groups. These have included insulation experts.

Research funded by Government between 2015 and 2018 by the Building Research Establishment indicates the risk from solar PV fires is very low. Government continues to work with industry to make solar even safer and ensure best practice. In February 2023 RISCAuthority, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme and Solar Energy UK published an updated Joint Code of Practice on recommendations for fire risk prevention in UK solar systems.

The Electrical Storage Health and Safety Governance Group last met on 13^th March 2023. Member organisations include: the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the National Physical Laboratory, the Health and Safety Executive, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, London Fire Brigade, Kent Fire and Rescue Services, the National Fire Chief’s Council, the Association For Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, the British Association of Electrotechnical Allied Manufacturers Association, the British Standards Institution, the University of Newcastle, the Institute for Engineering and Technology, the Energy Institute, and representatives from both the domestic and grid-scale energy storage industry as well as engineering consultancies.

The Holistic Network Design (HND) was published in July 2022. For offshore wind projects that do not yet have firm connection contracts, the HND recommends network solutions that deliver coordination, cost and efficiency benefits and an overall reduction in new infrastructure. However it cannot mandate changes to projects with pre-existing connection contracts, including many in East Anglia. For these, the Government has launched the £100m capital grant scheme to support the development of voluntary coordination options.

The Offshore Transmission Network Review seeks address the uncoordinated growth of offshore transmission assets and develop a more coordinated approach to the design and delivery of transmission for offshore wind in Great Britain. For projects that already had firm connection contracts, limited changes could be made without breaking those commercial contracts, which is something the government has no power to do. For these projects, the Government has launched a £100m funding scheme to support developers to develop options for voluntary coordination. This could include reconsideration of some cable routes to reduce landing zones and use brownfield sites.

Ensuring environmental protections are maintained is a key component of work being undertaken by Government to facilitate the acceleration of offshore wind. The Energy Bill makes provisions to deliver the Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package (OWEIP), which was announced in the British Energy Security Strategy.

The OWEIP will streamline Habitat Regulation Assessments, develop and implement Offshore Wind Environmental Standards, and create a Marine Recovery Fund to enable environmental compensation to be undertaken at a strategic level. This ensures developments are located where there are lower environmental sensitivities, and/or where impacts can be avoided, reduced, mitigated, or if required, compensated.

In the Government’s consultation response published in April 2022, we proposed the creation of a new, independent Future System Operator (FSO). Depending on a number of factors, including timings of legislation, updating licensing arrangements, amending industry codes, and discussing timelines with key parties, the FSO could be established by, or in, 2024.

The Primary Legislation required to establish the FSO is contained within the Energy Bill 2023, which is currently passing through Parliament. Subject to reaching Royal Assent, we aim to establish the FSO as soon as practicable, while maintaining the safety and stability of the energy systems and ensuring a smooth transition.

No individual pre-emptive assessments are made by the Government to avoid prejudicing planning decisions which are taken on the merits of each individual case.

All projects are consented after thorough consideration of all relevant information, including cumulative impacts. Environmental and socio-economic impacts are considered in line with policy in the National Policy Statements.

The rationale for the Secretary of State’s decision for development consent in relation to Sizewell C, consented offshore wind farms and associated infrastructure are set out in the published decision letters available on the relevant project pages of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website.

The Electricity System Operator has undertaken consideration of the best approach to coordinate offshore transmission infrastructure to deliver greater efficiencies, reductions in planned infrastructure and accelerate the offshore wind delivery. Belgium’s Modular Offshore Grid connects several wind farms via a single cable. The UK’s Holistic Network Design delivers a similar outcome at greater scale, covering 21GW of offshore generation in its first round and 23GW in its second. Our approach will utilise shared connection points for multiple generators and aims to use multipurpose interconnectors to transmit energy from generators to consumers; reducing costs and impacts for developers, communities, and bill-payers.

The Department continually gathers information on the propensity to install measures as it delivers energy efficiency policies. The potential issues these schemes address include financial barriers, information on what measures to install, concerns about the quality of installations and access to installers. Independent evaluation reports are published that summarise key lessons.

All e-bikes and e-scooters must comply with product safety legislation including the batteries used to power them. The Government maintains regular contact with the Fire and Rescue Services and has discussed many issues including fire incidents relating to e-bikes and e-scooters. We encourage users to follow available guidance, including from Electrical Safety First and from the London Fire Brigade, alongside manufacturer instructions on safe use.

Condition 26 of Ofgem’s gas and electricity supply licence conditions requires suppliers to identify consumers who are eligible for the Priority Service Register and offer to add any, or all, of the Minimum Details to the Priority Services Register during interactions. Condition 29 of Ofgem’s gas supply licence conditions requires suppliers to provide a gas safety check free of charge to vulnerable consumers. Further details on support available for those on the Priority Service Register can be found on the Ofgem website.

Placing new or innovative products on the market requires the same product safety requirements to be met as is required for existing products. Guidance is available for businesses to help set what is required so that they have a clear route for getting their products to market.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), acts as the prime channel through which Government incentivises business-led technology innovation. It funds innovation through the allocation of competitively awarded grants and funding is available to all businesses undertaking innovation, irrespective of the technology or sector in which they are working. The UKRI Gateway, available via UKRI’s website, provides data on all funded research and innovation projects.

Innovate UK also helps to connect innovative businesses with the right partners and expertise to help them bring their ideas to market, and grow and scale their companies, through the Knowledge Transfer Network and Innovate UK EDGE.

Placing new or innovative products on the market requires the same product safety requirements to be met as is required for existing products. Guidance is available for businesses to help set what is required so that they have a clear route for getting their products to market.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), acts as the prime channel through which Government incentivises business-led technology innovation. It funds innovation through the allocation of competitively awarded grants and funding is available to all businesses undertaking innovation, irrespective of the technology or sector in which they are working. The UKRI Gateway, available via UKRI’s website, provides data on all funded research and innovation projects.

Innovate UK also helps to connect innovative businesses with the right partners and expertise to help them bring their ideas to market, and grow and scale their companies, through the Knowledge Transfer Network and Innovate UK EDGE.

Businesses have a legal duty to notify market surveillance authorities where they have identified a safety issue with a product they have placed on the market, including online. To support the best use of this information, in 2019, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) launched the UK’s Product Safety Database. The database allows authorities to access and exchange data securely and effectively to ensure swift and appropriate action can be taken to protect consumers. If consumers have a concern about the safety of a product, or other consumer concerns relating to quality or faults, they can contact Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland or Consumer Advice Service. They will refer suspected breaches of consumer law on to Trading Standards for enforcement action where appropriate.

In order to further support consumers, OPSS publishes alerts on GOV.UK about unsafe products and recalls using information from the database. This includes regular Product Safety Reports. These contain information about individual products, including electrical products, that have been investigated and found to present a risk to the health and safety of consumers. Reports include details about the product, photos of the product, the risks it presents (such as electrical shock), the details of distributor and/or manufacturer, whether it was sold on an online marketplace, details of non-compliance, and the corrective actions taken by businesses.

OPSS does not currently record information regarding electric shocks, or other injuries such as burns, caused by electrical items purchased online. However, OPSS is currently trialling information sharing with some NHS hospitals and continues to examine how we can make the best use of available data.

In relation to counterfeit goods, the Government works with industry and enforcement agencies on a range of initiatives. The Intellectual Property Office collects intelligence on counterfeit items and works in partnership with Trading Standards, law enforcement, and industry groups to reduce the sale of counterfeit goods on e-commerce stores and via links from social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram.

Businesses have a legal duty to notify market surveillance authorities where they have identified a safety issue with a product they have placed on the market, including online. To support the best use of this information, in 2019, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) launched the UK’s Product Safety Database. The database allows authorities to access and exchange data securely and effectively to ensure swift and appropriate action can be taken to protect consumers. If consumers have a concern about the safety of a product, or other consumer concerns relating to quality or faults, they can contact Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland or Consumer Advice Service. They will refer suspected breaches of consumer law on to Trading Standards for enforcement action where appropriate.

In order to further support consumers, OPSS publishes alerts on GOV.UK about unsafe products and recalls using information from the database. This includes regular Product Safety Reports. These contain information about individual products, including electrical products, that have been investigated and found to present a risk to the health and safety of consumers. Reports include details about the product, photos of the product, the risks it presents (such as electrical shock), the details of distributor and/or manufacturer, whether it was sold on an online marketplace, details of non-compliance, and the corrective actions taken by businesses.

OPSS does not currently record information regarding electric shocks, or other injuries such as burns, caused by electrical items purchased online. However, OPSS is currently trialling information sharing with some NHS hospitals and continues to examine how we can make the best use of available data.

In relation to counterfeit goods, the Government works with industry and enforcement agencies on a range of initiatives. The Intellectual Property Office collects intelligence on counterfeit items and works in partnership with Trading Standards, law enforcement, and industry groups to reduce the sale of counterfeit goods on e-commerce stores and via links from social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram.

The Experimental Statistics on Heat Networks published by the Government in 2018 showed that approximately 440,000 of all UK heat network customers are residential. The specific geographical distribution in terms of number of residential customers can be found in Figure 1 below.

The latest 2020 Fuel Poverty Statistics published shows that only 3% (i.e. 92,000) of all fuel poor households in England has central heating systems that use ‘other’ fuels, which consist of propane, bulk LPG and community heating or heat networks. Therefore, the proportion of fuel poor households served by district heating systems are likely to be much smaller than 3%.

The Government’s Heat Network Consumer Survey published in 2017 estimated that the proportion of heat network customers living in more energy efficient buildings such as flats or social housing are significantly higher than the general England and Wales population. Given most flats or social housing tend to have energy efficiency ratings higher than EPC Band D, it therefore indicates heat network customers are much less likely to experience fuel poverty in comparison to the wider population.

The Government is aware of the steep increases that some consumers on communal networks are facing. For this reason, the government is taking action worth more than £9.1bn supporting households through initiatives such as the Energy Bills Rebate, the Household Support Fund, Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments. These measures are intended to cover heat network consumers and the government is engaging closely with industry and consumer groups to understand the specific impacts in the heat network sector and continue to assess whether further options are needed to help households through this challenging period.

I refer the noble Lord to the answers given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth to the Hon. Member for Battersea on 28 February to Questions 125466 and 125467. We need to ensure heat network consumers receive a fair price for their heating and that is why we are committed to legislating within this parliament to regulate the heat networks sector and in December 2021 we announced that Ofgem will take on the role of regulator. We will be giving Ofgem new powers to regulate prices in this sector as a matter of priority. This will enable equivalent protection for domestic heat network customers as well as ensuring heat network operators are securing good purchasing deals for their consumers. This will mean that consumers are charged a fair rate for heating whilst encouraging investment in heat networks.

The Experimental Statistics on Heat Networks published by the Government in 2018 showed that approximately 440,000 of all UK heat network customers are residential. The specific geographical distribution in terms of number of residential customers can be found in Figure 1 below.

The latest 2020 Fuel Poverty Statistics published shows that only 3% (i.e. 92,000) of all fuel poor households in England has central heating systems that use ‘other’ fuels, which consist of propane, bulk LPG and community heating or heat networks. Therefore, the proportion of fuel poor households served by district heating systems are likely to be much smaller than 3%.

The Government’s Heat Network Consumer Survey published in 2017 estimated that the proportion of heat network customers living in more energy efficient buildings such as flats or social housing are significantly higher than the general England and Wales population. Given most flats or social housing tend to have energy efficiency ratings higher than EPC Band D, it therefore indicates heat network customers are much less likely to experience fuel poverty in comparison to the wider population.

The Government is aware of the steep increases that some consumers on communal networks are facing. For this reason, the government is taking action worth more than £9.1bn supporting households through initiatives such as the Energy Bills Rebate, the Household Support Fund, Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments. These measures are intended to cover heat network consumers and the government is engaging closely with industry and consumer groups to understand the specific impacts in the heat network sector and continue to assess whether further options are needed to help households through this challenging period.

I refer the noble Lord to the answers given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth to the Hon. Member for Battersea on 28 February to Questions 125466 and 125467. We need to ensure heat network consumers receive a fair price for their heating and that is why we are committed to legislating within this parliament to regulate the heat networks sector and in December 2021 we announced that Ofgem will take on the role of regulator. We will be giving Ofgem new powers to regulate prices in this sector as a matter of priority. This will enable equivalent protection for domestic heat network customers as well as ensuring heat network operators are securing good purchasing deals for their consumers. This will mean that consumers are charged a fair rate for heating whilst encouraging investment in heat networks.

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. The potential impact of an international exhaustion regime on author incomes is likely to form part of the overall assessment, alongside the potential effect on other sectors of the economy. The Government will provide an update on this consultation in due course.