Written questions, answers and statements

Carbon Emissions: Regulation

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Question for Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

UIN 84783, tabled on 11 November 2022

Question

Dr Alan Whitehead
Labour
Southampton, Test
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to update the Ofgem's Strategy and Policy Statement to enable it to regulate for Net Zero.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Graham Stuart
Conservative
Beverley and Holderness
Commons

Answered on

18 November 2022

The Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989 state that Ofgem’s principal objective is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, including their interests in the reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases. These Acts define emissions and targeted greenhouse emissions as being the same as in Part 1 of the Climate Change Act 2008.

Therefore, Ofgem already has a decarbonisation objective in law, which will be supported by the Strategy and Policy Statement setting out the Government’s priorities as a guide for the regulator. The Government aims to publish a consultation on the Strategy and Policy Statement soon.

Answered by

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
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