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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the continuity in operations of UK interconnectors with continental Europe under the current regulatory framework.

Electricity and gas interconnection in the UK is regulated through a combination of domestic legislation, EU regulations and network codes, regulatory licences, and industry codes. These rules provide a robust framework for operation as demonstrated by current flows across the interconnectors, which respond efficiently to market signals.

The future of this framework will be subject to negotiations with the EU, and the Government has made clear that we seek to develop a deep and special partnership with the EU on energy. Interconnection benefits countries on both sides of the link, through the value of the energy traded, the increased diversity of energy supply, and the flexibility that interconnectors provide for the electricity system.