Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the potential for Pumped Storage Hydro in ensuring grid stability and reducing constraint payments in respect of renewable energy generated in the south and south west of Scotland.

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

Long duration electricity storage (LDES) allows excess renewable generation to be stored and then used at peak times, helping to maximise the use of low-cost homegrown energy and reduce reliance on expensive global gas markets. New LDES will be built for the first time in over forty years under the cap and floor policy brought in by this government.

Ofgem is the independent regulator and decision maker for the cap and floor scheme appointed by government to deliver the policy. It assessed all projects through its Multi Criteria Assessment framework, with analytical support from NESO on whole system impacts. This assessment included consideration of system balancing and constraint management costs and resulted in Ofgem’s minded to decision on projects to support through window one, which includes 3.9GW of Pumped Storage Hydro in Scotland.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the geographical location of the Long Duration Energy Storage projects on Ofgem's ‘minded-to’ decisions list for cap & floor support in the context of the concentration of intermittent renewable generation capacity operating and planned in the south and south-west of Scotland; and what consultation she has had with Ofgem to ensure that cap and floor support is appropriately correlated with the regional presence of large-scale renewable generation, with particular reference to that area.

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

Long duration electricity storage (LDES) allows excess renewable generation to be stored and then used at peak times, helping to maximise the use of low-cost homegrown energy and reduce reliance on expensive global gas markets. New LDES will be built for the first time in over forty years under the cap and floor policy brought in by this government.

Ofgem is the independent regulator and decision maker for the cap and floor scheme appointed by government to deliver the policy. It assessed all projects through its Multi Criteria Assessment framework, with analytical support from NESO on whole system impacts. This assessment included consideration of locational factors.

Found: Dave Doogan Lillian Jones Mr Angus MacDonald Douglas McAllister Susan Murray Jack Rankin Elaine Stewart

Found: McAllister (Labour; West Dunbartonshire) Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat; Mid Dunbartonshire) Elaine Stewart

Found: McAllister (Labour; West Dunbartonshire) Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat; Mid Dunbartonshire) Elaine Stewart

Found: Ferguson MP (Chair) • Maureen Burke MP • Kirsteen Sullivan MP The event was also attended by Elaine Stewart

At its meeting on 9 September, the Committee agreed to inquire into the Electoral Commission's oversight of the funding and governance of political parties in Scotland, and the policies, processes and safeguards associated with the distribution of Short Money to political parties. Further information on the scope of this inquiry will be published in due course.

The Lord Advocate and her deputy the Solicitor General for Scotland each assume a “dual role” being both senior government legal advisers, and senior public prosecutors. There is a long-standing and ongoing political and constitutional debate within Scotland about whether the dual role should be split to better mitigate actual and/or perceived conflicts of interest between the two functions. This inquiry will appraise the case for and against splitting the dual role, and exploring different options for reform.