I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a variety of issues, including the cost of energy bills. The Government recognise the challenges posed by cost of living pressures, which is why we are providing on average £3,700 per household from 2022-23 to 2024-25 to support households and individuals with the cost of living.

I am well aware that there are a number a renewable energy schemes that could have a positive benefit on householders in Wales, which is why the UK Government have been so supportive of the potential for floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea, and why, in the last round, we arranged higher strike prices for tidal energy. We are looking at a wide range of renewable energy systems that can bring benefits to people in Wales. At the same time, in recognising the cost of living pressures, the UK Government ensured that we were paying around half the average fuel bills for homeowners during the last winter period.

Neart na Gaoithe’s strike price was increased in April in accordance with the annual strike price adjustment exercise undertaken by the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) in its role as Contracts for Difference (CfD) Counterparty. Strike prices are adjusted annually for all current CfD generators using a formula set out in the contract terms and conditions. The Government does not have a role in this process and has not discussed this case with EDF Renewables or the LCCC. The CfD Register, published on the LCCC’s website, indicates that Neart na Gaoithe expects to start generating on 1^st June 2024.

The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that caps the unit price households pay for electricity and gas. This means that a typical household in Great Britain pays an average £2500 a year on their energy bill over this winter. This is expected to save consumers who use both gas and electricity around £700 this winter.

Through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), the government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic consumers (including UK businesses, the voluntary and public sectors).

The Chancellor has announced a Treasury-led review of energy support to take effect from April 2023. The objective of the review, which is not a formal Government consultation, is to design a new approach that will cost the taxpayer significantly less whilst ensuring enough support for those in need.

The Chancellor will announce the support which will be in effect from April 2023 in due course.

The Government recognises this is still a worrying time for businesses facing pressures due to the significant increases in global gas prices.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met representatives of the UK’s high energy-using sectors frequently in recent months in order to better understand the impact on their business, and extensive engagement with industry continues across government at both a ministerial and official level. The Government’s priorities are to ensure supplies of energy are maintained.

In order to help ensure our industry remains strong and competitive, between 2013 and 2020, total relief to energy intensive industries for electricity policy costs of over £2billion was provided. This has so far helped over 270 businesses across the UK. In 2020 alone, the Government provided relief to Energy Intensive Industries for electricity policy costs worth over £470million.

In 2018, the Government announced £315 million of funding for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, which is supporting businesses with high energy use to cut their bills until 2024.

We are currently undertaking a review of the schemes which will enable decisions to be taken on their future format.

The Government is monitoring the significant increases in wholesale energy prices closely, and meeting regularly with Ofgem, suppliers and consumer groups to understand the future impact on consumers as well as to discuss potential mitigations.

The Government is committed to protecting energy customers, especially the most vulnerable. The Government has announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23. This includes a £200 discount on their energy bill this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain. This will be paid back automatically over the next 5 years. There will be a £150 non-repayable rebate in Council Tax bills for all households in Bands A-D in England. Additionally, the Government announced £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax rebate.

The Energy Price Cap will continue to protect consumers, ensuring they pay a fair price for their energy this winter. Low income and fuel poor households will continue to be supported with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with a £140 discount. Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments will ensure that the most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes through the winter. The £500 million Household Support Fund will support vulnerable households with essentials over the coming months.

The Government is monitoring the significant increases in wholesale energy prices closely, and meeting regularly with Ofgem, suppliers and consumer groups to understand the future impact on consumers as well as to discuss potential mitigations.

The Government is committed to protecting energy customers, especially the most vulnerable. The Government has announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23. This includes a £200 discount on their energy bill this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain. This will be paid back automatically over the next 5 years. There will be a £150 non-repayable rebate in Council Tax bills for all households in Bands A-D in England. Additionally, the Government announced £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax rebate.

The Energy Price Cap will continue to protect consumers, ensuring they pay a fair price for their energy this winter. Low income and fuel poor households will continue to be supported with their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with a £140 discount. Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments will ensure that the most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes through the winter. The £500 million Household Support Fund will support vulnerable households with essentials over the coming months.

The Oil and Gas Authority as the regulatory body for the UK’s upstream oil and gas industry meets during the year with trade union leaders and are in regular contact with them outside of these meetings.

BEIS Ministers and officials have had no direct meetings with trade unions on these issues since 1 March. However, I will be attending the virtual MER UK Forum on 11 June to which trade union leaders are also invited to participate. This forum allows for an open exchange of information on the challenges facing the industry and its workforce stemming from the COVID-19 crisis and the low oil price.

The government is not planning to make an assessment focusing specifically on offshore helicopter operators in the North Sea. However, the government will consider the offshore helicopter sector as part of its wider work on how it can best support the aviation sector and ensure it remains resilient.

The Government is closely monitoring developments related to potential impacts on the upstream oil and gas sector from the collapse in the oil price and COVID-19 and is in regular contact with industry and the Oil and Gas Authority. I have held telephone meetings with representatives from the sector including business leaders, trade associations and the Oil and Gas Authority to discuss these issues.

In response, Government has announced an unprecedented financial package to support businesses and has committed to do whatever it takes to get our nation through the impacts of this coronavirus pandemic. This includes a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as a host of measures to help businesses in this period with £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. Additionally, responding to feedback from business, a Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme will ensure that more firms are able to benefit from government-backed support during this difficult time. It will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million.

We know that the offshore oil and gas sector and particularly its supply chain has a key role to play as we move to a net zero economy and we have committed to supporting this energy transition with a transformational Sector Deal.

The Government is closely monitoring developments related to potential impacts on the upstream oil and gas sector from the collapse in the oil price and COVID-19 and is in regular contact with industry and the Oil and Gas Authority. I have held telephone meetings with representatives from the sector including business leaders, trade associations and the Oil and Gas Authority to discuss these issues.

In response, Government has announced an unprecedented financial package to support businesses and has committed to do whatever it takes to get our nation through the impacts of this coronavirus pandemic. This includes a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as a host of measures to help businesses in this period with £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. Additionally, responding to feedback from business, a Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme will ensure that more firms are able to benefit from government-backed support during this difficult time. It will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million.

We know that the offshore oil and gas sector and particularly its supply chain has a key role to play as we move to a net zero economy and we have committed to supporting this energy transition with a transformational Sector Deal.

The UK benefits from a diverse source of gas supplies and there are no gas security of supply concerns from Forties being offline. While wholesale gas prices rose initially they have since fallen. Energy suppliers typically buy their energy well in advance, limiting the impact of any temporary rise in prices on consumers.

As I said, the facts do not bear out what the hon. Gentleman says. Food prices have fallen by 0.5% over the past year and by 6% since 2014. We monitor the situation closely. The annual living costs and food survey closely measures the poorest households in particular and how much they spend on food, and the situation has remained remarkably stable over the past decade.

The main drivers of changes in food prices are energy costs and exchange rates, and those forces affect all countries, whether or not they are members of the EU. In 2008, there was a steep spike in food prices, which continued to rise until 2014. Since 2014, food prices have fallen by 6%. Despite the depreciation of sterling last summer, retail food prices have remained relatively stable, with an overall fall during 2016 of 0.5%.

The Department is currently reviewing the findings of the Ecofys international energy price comparisons report. We are considering publication options but the report found that the increase in electricity prices for energy intensive industries varies considerably by country depending on their climate change policy landscape.

The Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy is under constant review by the Oil and Gas Industry Council, on which industry and trade unions are represented. The Council last met in November 2014. Discussions on the implications of the effect of recent reductions in oil prices took place at the January meeting of Pilot, on which industry and trade unions are also represented. The next meeting of the Industry Council is on 24th March 2015.

In December 2014, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published in partnership with Oil and Gas UK and OPITO (the Oil and Gas Skills body), “Fuelling the next generation: A study of the UK upstream oil and gas workforce”. This report gives an assessment of the skills base of the oil and gas industry, though the evidence was gathered before the full extent of the current fall in oil prices became apparent.

I am aware that some companies have since declared redundancies. We will continue to work closely with industry through Pilot, the Oil and Gas Industry Council and with the newly formed Scottish Energy Jobs Taskforce to assess the impact of the present low oil price on the preservation and development of the oil and gas industry skills base.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Andy Samuel, Chief Executive designate of the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), on 15 January and asked him to accelerate work with industry to identify key risks to oil and gas production in the UK Continental Shelf and identify what further measures might be taken by government and industry to mitigate them. This is in the light of the recent falls in global oil prices and is complementary to the strategic work the OGA is being set up to lead. I met Dr Samuel on 13 January and asked him to present his findings by the end of February. The OGA is scheduled to become operational as an Executive Agency of DECC from 1 April 2015.

[holding answer 30 October 2013]: Stockton-on-Tees, the Tees Valley, and the North East of England are within the Public Electricity Supply (PES) region “North East”. The change in average annual energy bills over the last five years is shown in the following table for the North East PES region.

These are based on an assumed annual consumption of 3,300 kWh of electricity and 18,000 kWh of gas per year. These estimates can be found in table 2.2.3 (electricity) and 2.3.3 (gas) of DECC's Quarterly Energy Prices publication.

The Government has entered into dialogue with NNB Generation Company Ltd regarding potential transitional arrangements ahead of the implementation of electricity market reform (EMR) for NNB’s Hinkley Point C project on the basis set out in the Technical Update on electricity market reform published in December 2011. These discussions are ongoing, and it is not possible to say when they may conclude. If agreement is reached on a contract for difference for Hinkley Point C, there will be transparency over the terms offered (including the strike price).