Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has to update regulatory framework to support the use of underground electricity infrastructure in national projects.

Ofgem, as the independent regulator of network developers, is responsible for updating the regulatory framework for electricity networks, including on the use of underground infrastructure. The Government is responsible for planning policy, which for major electricity network infrastructure projects is set out in National Policy Statement EN-5 which sets out the planning framework for overhead lines and other electricity network infrastructure. This policy is currently under review following a consultation in April and any changes will be published in due course.