Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland report, what assessment he has made of the types of reactor technology that could be deployed at the sites identified in the report.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy – Nuclear's (GBE N's) study of Scotland's potential for new nuclear indicates that it has land areas with high potential for future new nuclear development of all scales - microreactors, Small Modular Reactors, Advanced Modular Reactors, and gigawatt-scale reactors.
While the Scottish Government currently opposes new nuclear power stations, UK Ministers remain open to discussions regarding opportunities for new nuclear in Scotland.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland report, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that could be supported by new nuclear developments at the sites identified in the report.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
GBE N's study of Scotland's potential for new nuclear indicates that it has land areas with high potential for future development.
New nuclear projects can deliver billions of pounds of investment and thousands of high-quality jobs to a region. While the Scottish Government currently opposes new nuclear power stations, UK Ministers remain open to discussions regarding opportunities for new nuclear in Scotland.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland report, what assessment he has made of the potential generating capacity that could be delivered if new nuclear power stations were developed at the sites identified in the report.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
GBE N's study of Scotland's potential for new nuclear identified potential land areas rather than specific sites, and does not make an assessment of potential generating capacity.
However, the report indicates that Scotland has land areas with high potential for future development and UK Ministers remain open to discussions regarding opportunities for new nuclear in Scotland.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland report, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the report's findings.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers commissioned GBE N's study of Scotland's potential for new nuclear last autumn.
The study indicates that Scotland has land areas with high potential for future development.
We remain open to discussions with the Scottish Government regarding opportunities for new nuclear in Scotland.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the consultation on gas system resilience.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department welcomes engagement on such an important issue and is making an assessment of all the evidence submitted. A response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what impact the delay in responding to the gas resilience consultation will have on (a) energy security and (b) preparedness for future supply shocks.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The GB gas system has a strong track record of reliability, consistently meeting demand, including during periods of global uncertainty. We work closely with Ofgem, NESO and National Gas to monitor security of supply; and are confident that National Gas, as system operator, has the tools to balance supply and demand effectively. The government is analysing responses to its consultation on Britain’s long-term gas security of supply and will publish its response in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has issued guidance to energy companies on engagement with local historians, museums, and independent researchers with specialist knowledge of wartime crash sites.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
When a developer applies for consent for a new development, the Planning Guidance is clear that they must do a thorough assessment of all likely impacts.
This will include talking to relevant bodies about specific issues. Relevant bodies may include Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland for military heritage issues.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what due diligence is required of energy transmission developers to assess the presence of protected military remains on proposed development sites.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
When a developer applies for consent for a new development, the Planning Guidance is clear that they must do a thorough assessment of all likely impacts.
This will include talking to relevant bodies about specific issues. Relevant bodies may include Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland for military heritage issues.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he will publish the results of Great British Energy - Nuclear’s study into potential sites for new nuclear development in Scotland.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In autumn 2025, Great British Energy - Nuclear (GBE-N) was commissioned by Department Ministers to assess Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power, including around areas that have previously hosted nuclear stations, such as Torness and Hunterston.
There is still more to do before Government can share the outcome of GBE-N’s assessment, but we remain open to discussions with the Scottish Government on deploying new nuclear technologies in Scotland.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many barrels of oil equivalent in oil and gas are estimated to be in the UK Continental Shelf that have not received any licence for development from the North Sea Transition Authority.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The most recent North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) report was published in October 2025 and is available on the NSTA’s website.