Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support communities that are affected by energy infrastructure projects.

In the Clean Power Action Plan, we made it clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should feel tangible and enduring benefit of doing so.

The Government has already announced bill discounts for communities living nearest to new electricity transmission infrastructure and published guidance on community funds for electricity transmission infrastructure and onshore wind in England. Solar Energy UK is also expected to publish guidance this year.

In addition, in May, the Government published a working paper on mandatory community benefits and facilitating shared ownership and is in the process of reviewing responses.