Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government which individual infrastructure planning National Policy Statements will be updated by summer 2025, and which will be updated on a slower timetable.

The government intends to consult shortly on draft amended Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) ENs-1, 3 and 5, and the NPS for Ports. These draft amended NPSs will also be laid in Parliament for consideration as prescribed by the Planning Act 2008. Completion of the update processes is subject to the outcome and timings of the consultation and Parliamentary timings.

Consultation on the draft new nuclear NPS EN-7, which will be applicable to nuclear power stations expected to deploy beyond 2025, closed on 3 April. Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft NPS is expected to be completed by 23 June. Depending on the completion and outcome of these processes, the Government aims to designate this new NPS before the end of the year.

Further to this, we are introducing legislation through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make at least five-yearly reviews of all NPSs a legal requirement. This would include a transitional period in which NPSs that are currently out of date (i.e. more than 5 years old at the time of Royal Assent) will have 2 years from the bill being enacted to update their NPSs in line with the legislation.