Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Oral Statement of 18 July 2024 on the Clean energy superpower mission, Official Report, columns 188-191, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of new solar infrastructure on (a) food security, (b) local economies and (c) the natural environment when developing the Government's Land Use Framework and Spatial Energy plan.

The planning system provides important checks and balances when new solar infrastructure is built, including environmental surveying and statutory environmental and habitat impact assessments.

The biggest risk to food security and the natural environment is the climate and nature crisis. That is why the government is committed to 2030 clean power, including rapidly expanding solar power generation in the UK.

As part of our efforts to become a clean energy superpower, we are commissioning a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), which will be the first ever GB-wide spatial energy plan. DEFRA are the lead department for the Government’s Land Use Framework, and officials from the Department are supporting their work to ensure the two plans are consistent.