Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the National Energy System Operator’s report, Whistleblowing investigation: final report, published on 19 October, as sufficiently comprehensive to ensure no local or nationwide blackouts will occur over the next three years.

The whistleblowing investigation was launched to consider specific allegations of record keeping and control room influence. It was led by an external law firm and was independent of senior management.

The report shows none of the allegations can be substantiated by the evidence. However, the independent review raised areas for cultural improvement in NESO where we expect significant action without delay. The Government will keep progress under close review and reserves the right to intervene further.

Great Britain has a highly resilient electricity system and the likelihood of large-scale power outages remains low. The separate Ofgem update on the technical review (based on NESO’s preliminary report) confirms customer demand was met and electricity system frequency maintained in statutory limits throughout the summer. However, it is right that we learn lessons from the summer heatwave to ensure NESO continue to have the right tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios. We will support Ofgem and NESO in delivering the full review as soon as possible.