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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (a) what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing ongoing ringfenced support for tidal stream projects in the next contracts for difference scheme; and (b) what the timetable is for announcing the structure of Allocation Round 5 of that scheme.

The Government is currently developing auction parameters for Allocation Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for tidal stream, taking into account evidence of the pipeline of available projects. The Government will publish details of these parameters ahead of the round opening in March 2023.