Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 viable investment for projects is being considered in the development of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) will start from a baseline, comprising network and generation included in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, and projects which have regulatory funding. Regulatory funding includes contracts for difference, capacity market contracts, interconnector cap and floor arrangements, funding designation through the nuclear Regulated Asset Base model or merchant interconnector approvals.
When developing the SSEP, the National Energy System Operator is considering deliverability by analysing the practical ability of developers to deliver the pathways and technology volumes recommended by the SSEP.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he expects to publish the outcome of the consultation entitled Gas system in transition: security of supply, published on 26 November 2025.
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: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the National Energy System Operator has considered the potential for new nuclear development in Scotland as part of its Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The National Energy System Operator has been commissioned by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments to produce the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) on a three-yearly basis. As per Scottish Government policy, the first SSEP will not be able to consider the potential for new nuclear in Scotland.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of whether Torness could host (a) Small Modular Reactors and (b) large-scale nuclear development.
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, whilst the government has also tasked GBE-N with identifying suitable sites that could host a potential large-scale new nuclear project.
GBE-N will report to Ministers by Autumn 2026 on potential sites to inform future decisions in the next Spending Review and beyond.
Areas of Scotland such as Torness, which have previously hosted nuclear power stations, will have positive attributes for new nuclear.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 merits of (i) Torness and (ii) Hunterston hosting new nuclear.
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. GBE-N's study will conclude shortly.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the most recent assessment carried out on the future potential of existing nuclear power sites 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. GBE-N's study will conclude shortly.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the most recent assessment he has made of the potential of (i) Torness and (ii) Hunterston to host new nuclear power.
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. GBE-N's study will conclude shortly.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he last carried out an assessment of the future potential of nuclear power sites 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.
The Government is committed to new nuclear including the potential of sites in Scotland, however we recognise the current Scottish Government's block on this at present.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2026 to Question 101610 on Offshore Industry: Security, what guidance his Department has issued to the operators of offshore oil rigs and installations in the North Sea on steps to take in the event of threat or intimidation from Russian military assets.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Operators follow general security guidance from a range of sources, including the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), and Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).
Operators are required to follow risk assessments and contingency planning embedded within approved safety cases under the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005.
The Government closely monitors the security of energy infrastructure and regularly assesses potential threats, working with the Ministry of Defence, which keeps Russian military capabilities under continuous review as part of routine defence intelligence and strategic assessments.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 international regulatory harmonisation on the speed of delivery of civil nuclear projects in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
International cooperation and regulatory harmonisation have the potential to streamline deployment for nuclear energy deployment around the world and help achieve economies of scale.
The UK continues to explore opportunities for regulatory harmonisation in nuclear to speed up the deployment of new nuclear in the UK, demonstrated by the recent Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, which builds on existing UK-US collaboration.
ONR as the UK’s independent regulator will need to be satisfied that any design to be deployed in the UK meets UK safety standards and complies with UK law.