Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of solar power infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency.

Solar is at the heart of the Government’s clean energy mission, and we are taking steps to support rapid deployment.

In green-belt areas like Surrey Heath, solar infrastructure is more likely to be found on rooftops than in fields. Permitted development rights mean that the vast majority of rooftop projects no longer require an application for planning permission. New building standards will ensure that most new houses will be built with solar panels. We recently conducted a call for evidence about solar canopies in car parks. £13.2bn has been allocated to the Warm Homes Plan, to help people with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements, such as rooftop solar.