Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK’s decision to suspend some arms exports licenses with Israel on intelligence-sharing with that country.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It is a long-standing policy that we do not discuss detailed intelligence matters and so I regret I am unable to provide any additional detail.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support (a) international climate commitments and (b) other global nuclear energy initiatives.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to restoring the UK’s global climate leadership, building on its mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will work with countries to deliver on the Global Stocktake agreed at COP28. We intend to announce our own ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2035 at COP29, accelerate action through initiatives such as the Global Clean Power Alliance and push for an ambitious new global climate finance goal at COP29. The UK actively supports the safe and secure use of nuclear energy through our work at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and International Energy Agency.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs' oral statement of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of suspending some arms exports to Israel on levels of community cohesion.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government is alert to the damage to community relations caused by the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October last year and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, and that there remains potential for events to cause this to become heightened. For this reason, my Department constantly monitors trends relating to community tensions based on information from local government, the police and civil society partners including, since 2 September, representatives of a range of Jewish community organisations. Communities have expressed a wide range of responses to the announcement on 2 September, and we understand the concerns that have been raised by some Jewish communities. We continue to engage closely with our partners across communities to provide reassurance, reduce tensions and encourage cohesion.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to streamline regulatory approval processes for new nuclear projects.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK has an enabling, robust and rigorous energy regulatory regime. The Government is taking steps towards speeding up and streamlining the planning process and will continue to work with the regulators to understand the potential for additional streamlining or removing of duplication from the regulation of energy projects including new nuclear projects. Evidence received from the Alternative Routes to Market for New Nuclear Projects consultation will allow us to further explore how the existing nuclear regulatory framework can accommodate new technologies and new use-cases.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK has the (a) skills and (b) workforce to support the expansion of nuclear energy as part of the net-zero transition.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK nuclear industry has the necessary skills needed to deliver our nuclear ambitions.

Recognising the need for urgent action, the nuclear sector across civil and defence are responding collaboratively to deliver sustained long-term action that will develop a robust nuclear skills base, including through the delivery of the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the quantity and proportion of energy infrastructure that will be required to meet his (a) onshore and (b) offshore power targets that will be sourced from Chinese companies.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we have different interests, and challenge where we must. Alongside efforts to de-risk our supply chains, we will therefore also continue to work with our international partners to manage the continued implications of overreliance on any one actor.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the quantity and proportion of energy infrastructure that will be required to meet his solar power targets that will be sourced from Chinese companies.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Solar power is a mature technology with well-established and competitive global supply chains, with industrial-scale solar panel manufacturing mainly concentrated in Asia, the US and EU.

We have relaunched the Solar Taskforce which will be focusing on identifying and taking forward the actions needed to develop resilient, sustainable and innovative solar supply chains, to support our ambition of radically increasing the UKs solar power capacity by 2030.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of deploying Small Modular Reactors on the Government's net-zero targets.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government is clear that new nuclear power stations, such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and small modular reactors (SMRs), will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. Great British Nuclear (GBN), the government’s expert nuclear delivery body, is running an SMR technology selection process procurement. In September 2024, GBN concluded the initial tender phase of the procurement and down-selected to four companies. In the next stage of the process, bidders will be invited to enter negotiations with GBN.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of reliance on China-owned companies for the supply of energy infrastructure on national security.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government will carry out an audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) the United States and (b) Australia on the potential merits of expanding Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement to include Canada.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were consulting with Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II. This collaboration on a project by project basis was discussed again at the AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting in London on 26 September.

Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to work together as members of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a collaboration of 14 countries and the European Union, to catalyse public and private investment in responsible critical minerals supply chains globally.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of inviting Canada to join Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were consulting with Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II. This collaboration on a project by project basis was discussed again at the AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting in London on 26 September.

Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to work together as members of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a collaboration of 14 countries and the European Union, to catalyse public and private investment in responsible critical minerals supply chains globally.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the requirement to secure critical minerals supply chains for the development of the AUKUS agreement.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

In recognition of the enduring partnership the UK holds with Canada, alongside Canada's close bilateral defence partnerships with each member of AUKUS, the Prime Minister, President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese, announced on 17 September that we were consulting with Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II. This collaboration on a project by project basis was discussed again at the AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting in London on 26 September.

Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to work together as members of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a collaboration of 14 countries and the European Union, to catalyse public and private investment in responsible critical minerals supply chains globally.

Found: Declaration of interests Andrew Bowie, Jack Brereton and Chris Green declared their intere sts, in accordance

Found: Bowie .

Found: Bowie .

Found: Negatived on division _11 Andrew Bowie .

Found: Bowie .

Found: Bowie .

Found: _11 Andrew Bowie .

Found: Negatived on division _11 Andrew Bowie .

Found: Negatived on division _11 Andrew Bowie .

Found: _11 Andrew Bowie .

Found: _11 Andrew Bowie ★.