Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
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 adequacy of the cyber resilience of UK energy infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government monitors and assesses the cyber resilience of UK energy infrastructure through a combination of annual regulatory assurance returns, on-site inspections conducted under the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations, and regular engagement with industry. This is supported by technical assessments and threat intelligence provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
The cyber threat continues to evolve, and the Government keeps the resilience of the energy sector under continual review to ensure our defensive posture is appropriate and proportionate to the cyber threat. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will further strengthen resilience by expanding the scope of cyber regulation and enhancing requirements to manage cyber risk and respond to incidents.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of expected electricity demand growth arising from (a) data centres and (b) artificial intelligence by 2035.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Future electricity demand for both data centres and artificial intelligence overall is inherently uncertain. This is because different scenarios for capacity, efficiency, utilisation and ramp-up rates of data centres, as well as scenarios for AI adoption and speed of technological change, interact in complex ways and translate into varying annual electricity consumption.
The Government continues to work with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and industry to monitor developments and test how a range of scenarios interface with final consumption.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
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 adequacy of UK gas storage capacity for winter 2026/27.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK uses diverse gas supply sources to meet winter demand, including domestic UK Continental Shelf production, pipeline and interconnector imports, and Europe’s second largest LNG import infrastructure.
Gas storage, filled from these sources, provides system flexibility to respond to short-term changes in supply and demand. In winter 2025/26, gas storage supplied 5% of total GB gas use and we expect it to contribute a similar amount this winter.
As set out in our interim response to the Gas System in Transition: Security of Supply consultation, we recognise that gas infrastructure needs may change through the energy transition. We will further assess whether additional infrastructure, including strategic gas storage, is required, and will publish a full response in due course.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help improve smart-meter coverage in tenement buildings.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy suppliers are extending smart metering Home Area Network connectivity in properties including tenement buildings where there are obstacles such as concrete floors between the apartment and the meter.
'Dual band' communications hubs serve many previously hard to reach properties. For the minority of properties where these cannot provide connectivity, the Alternative Home Area Network solution provides an additional smart metering HAN connectivity option for properties such as the higher floors of high-rise buildings. Finally, the Crowded Meter Room Resolution model is now available in buildings where meter room space constraints previously prevented installation of the Alt HAN solution.
Asked by: Gordon McKee (Labour - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking with Rolls-Royce to maximise the role of domestic manufacturing capability within the Small Modular Reactor programme supply chain.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has an ambition that 70% of supply chain products will be British built across the small modular reactor (SMR) fleet, including both on-site and off-site activity. We intend for this ambition to be met.
Now that GBE-N and Rolls Royce SMR have entered into contract, the two organisations are working jointly to progress supply chain planning.
GBE‑N is actively considering, as part of an SMR Industrial Strategy, the critical enablers needed to ensure the UK nuclear supply chain is match-fit and globally competitive. GBE-N's SMR Industrial Strategy is expected to be submitted to government later this year.