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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the Government will publish a draft National Policy Statement for data centres for consultation, and which Department will lead this following the machinery of Government changes.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is leading the development of the Data Centres National Policy Statement. The National Policy Statement, once published, will explain to prospective developers what is required to apply under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime and set out the policy framework for the relevant Secretary of State to make decisions on applications. We expect to publish the draft National Policy Statement in due course and will launch a public consultation shortly after its publication.