Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if the Department will establish a publicly accessible national register of proposed and operational data centres, including for each facility its (a) location, (b) planning status, (c) floorspace, (d) electricity requirement, (e) water requirement, (f) cooling technology and (g) number of permanent jobs.

Data centres are critical national infrastructure, providing the computing power Britain needs for economic growth, public services and national security. The Government’s priority is to ensure the UK builds the capacity it needs, while communities hosting new infrastructure see clear benefits and local resources are protected.

Information on proposed and operational data centres is already held through planning authorities, network operators and other relevant bodies. There is currently no single national public register. We are working with industry, regulators and local authorities to strengthen the national evidence base and support better infrastructure and investment decisions.