Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what target timescales his Department has set for the determination of offshore wind and grid connection planning applications; and what steps he is taking to reduce delays in consenting for nationally significant energy infrastructure.

In England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 sets statutory deadlines for the Examining Authority and the deciding Secretary of State. These do not differ by infrastructure type.

The Government is taking multiple actions to speed up the planning process including in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, and in its response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review in March 2026.

Planning applications relating to the grid in Scotland are a matter for Scottish Ministers.