Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has with the Secretary of State for Defence on the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array, in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Defence, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have worked closely together on how best to unlock the development of up to 3 gigawatts of further onshore wind capability in the Eskdalemuir area. This would contribute up to £2 billion of investment in UK based companies.
Options to unlock this capacity – including through regulations pursuant to powers granted by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill – are subject to joint consultation due to be launched by the DESNZ and the Scottish Government.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to engage with local communities in Scotland on the Community Ownership Fund.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
The Community Ownership Fund is a £150 million fund over 4 years to support community groups across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.
In the lead up to launching the fund we engaged widely with stakeholders across the United Kingdom. This included webinars and joint promotion of the fund through community infrastructure, membership and networking organisations, who support local voluntary and community sector groups. The same approach to wide stakeholder engagement will be taken in future rounds of the fund.