Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on easing planning rules for data centres.

The Secretary of State has regular formal and informal conversations with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on a range of issues. I welcome the proposed changes to planning policy that would facilitate growth in UK data centre capacity and subsequent growth in the digital economy.