Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the local community response to the pre-planning consultations for Bradwell B and Sizewell C Power Stations.

It is the responsibility of developers to consult with local communities at the pre-application stage of proposals for nationally significant energy infrastructure which require development consent under the Planning Act 2008.

Applications for such projects are examined by the Planning Inspectorate which reports with its recommendation to my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who will then decide whether or not to grant development consent.

The Secretary of State will take into account the community consultations carried out by the developer in reaching his decisions on whether or not to grant development consent but it would not be appropriate for the Department to comment on those consultations at the pre-application stage in the process.