Asked by: Baroness Freeman of Steventon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to use heat recovery systems in artificial intelligence growth zones, such as Culham, to combine the cooling of data infrastructure with the heating of local homes and amenities.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Data centres produce significant heat, most of which is currently wasted into the environment. The technology exists to capture this heat and reuse it in district heating networks, or for heat intensive industries. We welcome the inclusion of heat recovery systems within applications for AI Growth Zones alongside other sustainable solutions.
We are engaging with developers and operators to determine whether further interventions are necessary and appropriate to encourage adoption of heat recovery. The Greater London Authority is currently developing a pilot to test heating up to 10,000 homes and at least one hospital from London-based data centres.
Asked by: Baroness Freeman of Steventon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization, what plans they have to ensure sufficient long-term resources for the National Biosurveillance Network to enhance the UK’s early warning systems and improve the biosurveillance evidence available for policy decisions.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Enhancing the UK’s early warning capabilities, including through scoping a National Biosurveillance Network (NBN), was a commitment in the 2023 UK Biological Security Strategy - adopted by this Government in October 2024. The Government will work to ensure that it has the capabilities it needs to protect the public from a spectrum of biological threats. Decisions on funding for future years will be made as part of the ongoing comprehensive Spending Review.