Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to increase the number of solar panels on new housing developments.

The Government’s approach to Building Regulations remains technology-neutral, to ensure housebuilders have the flexibility to choose the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for their site. However, we appreciate the benefits of solar panels, including lower bills for households and greater security from fluctuations in electricity prices. That is why in the 2021 uplift to the Building Regulations the performance standards for new buildings were set at a level that means many new homes are already likely to be built with solar panels.

We are clear that rooftop solar, where appropriate, should play an important role as part of new standards to be introduced next year for new homes and buildings. These standards will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. Furthermore, as part of our plans to triple solar capacity, we are consulting on extra measures in the National Planning Policy Framework that highlight the importance of solar power to our clean energy ambitions.