Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government over the suitability of modern cable ploughing technology for the installation of 132kV electricity transmission infrastructure.

The Government consultation on the draft energy National Policy Statements closed on 23 June and we are reviewing the responses. This included that overhead lines should be the strong starting presumption for electricity networks developments but that in nationally designated landscapes the strong starting presumption will be that the applicant should underground the relevant section of the line. Decisions on which technology would be used for construction would be a matter for the developer. Government officials engage and meet with all devolved administrations, including Welsh Government, as required for policy development and evaluation.