Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the National Planning Policy Framework, updated on 12 December 2024, what steps he is taking to support local planning authorities in assessing the impact of data centre development on (a) electricity grid capacity, (b) land availability and (c) other local infrastructure.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning policies should pay particular regard to facilitating development to meet the needs of a modern economy, including by identifying suitable locations for uses such as data centres.
The Framework also makes clear that Planning policies and decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors.
The availability of land for specific uses and developments is a matter to be considered locally though plan and decision-making.
A policy paper on delivering AI Growth Zones was published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 13 November 2025. The paper sets out actions that the government is taking to support proposals for data centres, including through the provision of additional planning capacity, forthcoming updates to national planning policy and a new National Policy Statement for Data Centres to support NSIP applications. The policy paper can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the future of ports and wharfs as key infrastructure in delivering the supply chain for the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Industrial Strategy recognises the importance of ports to the UK economy by their inclusion as a foundational industry, essential to enabling growth in the strategy’s eight sectors through providing critical inputs and infrastructure.
The UK’s ports industry is largely privately owned and operated, with government’s role primarily to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment supports efficient operation and investment. The Government is streamlining planning and regulatory processes for ports, including by updating the National Policy Statement for Ports. The Government is also committed to investing in road and rail connections to ports to improve the efficient and cost-effective transportation of goods and passengers.
In addition, the Government is working closely with Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator on fundamental reforms to the grid connections process that will release up to 500GW of capacity from the connections queue. This may enable ports to electrify more quickly where capacity is released in port locations.
Finally, the Government is deploying capital at scale through the National Wealth Fund, with ports being one of the five sectors to which it has committed at least £5.8 billion.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to strengthen sovereign capacity in cloud services and cyber resilience.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DSIT is supporting industry in building more data centres in the UK (including via AI Growth Zones), which helps enable cloud providers in the UK to expand. We are working with other government departments to speed up planning permission and grid connection timings to support this.
The Government believes complex issues such as the security of data and digital governance are best addressed through transparent, inclusive multistakeholder engagement. We remain committed to working with international partners within recognised global mechanisms to promote shared understanding and responsible international behaviours, while ensuring support for UK-based data-driven businesses to innovate and grow.
Cyber security is a key part of the Industrial Strategy. DSIT supports the development of sovereign capability in the £13.2 billion UK cyber security sector through its accelerator programmes, including CyberASAP, which commercialises cyber security research, and Cyber Runway, which supports entrepreneurs and companies. Our £187 million TechFirst programme will improve digital skills across the country, including cyber security skills. We are investing significantly in the National Cyber Security Centre, the Government’s technical authority on cyber security, which continues to work to strengthen UK cyber resilience. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will further strengthen UK cyber defences and boost protections for our essential and digital services, including cloud computing.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his expected timetable is for when the Norwich to Tilbury Great Grid upgrade will be fully operational.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
National Grid Electricity Transmission has now submitted its Development Consent Order application to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration. Government does not comment on the merits of live planning applications, which will be subject to rigorous, independent assessment and advice by the Examining Authority, to inform a final Ministerial decision.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department last made an assessment of the effectiveness of the (a) planning practice guidance and (b) other aspects of the safety framework for grid-scale batteries.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In August 2023, the government updated its Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers to consult Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) before submitting applications and for planning authorities to involve FRSs during public consultation. The guidance also advises authorities to refer to National Fire Chiefs Council recommendations. The government has committed to updating planning practice guidance on renewable and low carbon energy development.
The government monitors the safety framework for grid-scale batteries closely. In October, I hosted a roundtable discussion with regulators including the Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency on the safety framework. My department works closely with regulators through the industry-led Health and Safety Governance Group to ensure that the framework remains robust and future proofed.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households not on the national grid for (a) gas and (b) electricity in each constituency in Scotland.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network in Great Britain by country, English regions, local authority and constituency.
For Northern Ireland, data on the total number of gas connections is available via the Annual Retail Energy Market Monitoring Report.
Equivalent figures for the electricity network are not published.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households not on the national grid for (a) gas and (b) electricity in Scotland.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network in Great Britain by country, English regions, local authority and constituency.
For Northern Ireland, data on the total number of gas connections is available via the Annual Retail Energy Market Monitoring Report.
Equivalent figures for the electricity network are not published.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households not on the national grid for (a) gas and (b) electricity in the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network in Great Britain by country, English regions, local authority and constituency.
For Northern Ireland, data on the total number of gas connections is available via the Annual Retail Energy Market Monitoring Report.
Equivalent figures for the electricity network are not published.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the percentage of electricity supplied to the national grid from renewable forms of energy and (b) how much of this is generated from sources in Wales.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data for electricity generated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by fuel, is published in Energy Trends: December 2024, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2019 to 2023 - GOV.UK. Data for 2024 will be published on 18th December 2025.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of electricity supplied to the national grid that was generated in Wales.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data for electricity generated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by fuel, is published in Energy Trends: December 2024, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2019 to 2023 - GOV.UK. Data for 2024 will be published on 18th December 2025.