Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 ensure all solar developments do not include components linked to forced or slave labour.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to eradicating forced labour in supply chains, and we expect solar developers to do everything in their power to remove any instances of it that they find.
Legislation and guidance are already in place to help businesses take action against modern slavery. However, we are working across government to see where we can go further, keeping all potential policy options under review.
We are closely monitoring the industry-led supply chain assurance scheme, the Solar Stewardship Initiative. Further information on the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient and free from forced labour will be set out in the Solar Roadmap, to be published shortly.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his plans to introduce independent (a) oversight and (b) accountability mechanisms to monitor solar development supply chains.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Legislation and guidance are already in place to help businesses and contracting authorities to oversee supply chains. Further information on the actions needed to develop sustainable supply chains will be set out in the Solar Roadmap, due to be published shortly.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to provide further information on its long-term plans for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is making long-term plans to enable UK industry to decarbonize and reach Net Zero. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will update stakeholders as soon as possible on Funds that will be available to industry after the upcoming Spending Review, which will conclude in late spring.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many large area solar proposals going through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process are requesting planning approval to acquire freehold land.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
An application for development consent can include a request for the granting of rights to compulsorily acquire or temporarily possess land to facilitate the development of the proposal.
Each application for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP), including solar NSIPs, has a dedicated webpage on the Planning Inspectorate’s website which sets out its intention to acquire land or not: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/.
As part of the application process, a ‘Book of Reference’ is uploaded to the relevant proposal’s webpage listing the Classes of Rights which are being sought over each plot, including acquiring freehold, if applicable.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many large area solar proposals going through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process have been initiated by foreign investors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many ministerial visits he has made to Suffolk since 4 July 2025; and where those visits took place.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State and the Ministerial team conduct visits across the UK on a regular basis including in Suffolk. A central list of every visit conducted is not publicly available.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what fire prevention policies battery energy storage systems sites are required to follow.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates battery energy storage systems (BESS) under a framework which requires responsible parties to take measures to ensure health and safety throughout all stages of a BESS’s deployment. Of particular relevance to fire prevention, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) sets minimum requirements for the protection of workers and others from fire and explosion risks.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 (a) the effectiveness of fire prevention policies and (b) potential fire hazards at battery energy storage systems sites following the fire in Liverpool in 2020.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) oversees a robust regulatory framework which covers batteries and requires responsible parties to take measures to ensure health and safety throughout all stages of a battery system’s deployment.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether battery energy storage systems sites are required to have fire insurance.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) oversees a robust regulatory framework which covers batteries and requires responsible parties to take measures to ensure health and safety throughout all stages of a battery system’s deployment.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the design of (a) branding and (b) logos for (i) his Department and (ii) arms-length bodies is outsourced to third parties.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All branding for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is completed in-house by government designers.
The departmental logo was designed with the Cabinet Office to align to Her Majesty’s Government Identity Guidelines, as with all government departments.
Data for arms-length-bodies is not held centrally. However, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has provided design support for the set-up of Great British Energy. All branding and logo design for Great British Energy was done in-house by government designers.