Energy Infrastructure National Policy Statements
(3 days, 5 hours ago)
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The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)
I laid three updated energy national policy statements before Parliament for parliamentary approval on 13 November 2025: EN-1 (the overarching NPS for energy), EN-3 (renewable energy infrastructure), and EN-5 (electricity networks infrastructure). I am therefore pleased to inform Parliament that I am today publishing them as national policy statements under the provisions of Section 6(9)(a) of the Planning Act 2008, and laying copies before you as required by Section 6(9)(b) of the same Act. The statements are made under the Planning Act 2008, which applies to England and Wales.
The updated national policy statements support Government’s clean power 2030 mission and our efforts to build an energy system that meets clean power by 2030 and net zero objectives. These national policy statements provide clarity for industry and stakeholders on the Government’s clean power mission and are pivotal to our reforms to provide the UK with clean, affordable energy security.
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Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery
(3 days, 5 hours ago)
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The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)
On 30 June 2025, I made an oral statement regarding the deeply disappointing news that Prax Lindsey oil refinery had entered insolvency, and I made a written ministerial statement on 1 July 2025. I also made a written ministerial statement on 22 July 2025 providing further information on the insolvency process led by the official receiver. Today, I am updating the House on the sale of the site and the assets.
The insolvency process at PLOR is led by the court-appointed official receiver, who must act in accordance with his statutory duties and independently of Government.
After a thorough process to identify a buyer for the site, the official receiver has determined Phillips 66 Ltd is the most credible bidder that can provide a viable future for this site. The sale is expected to complete in the first half of 2026.
Phillips 66 is an experienced and credible operator, and this sale allows it to quickly expand operations at its neighbouring Humber refinery, with all remaining 250 staff guaranteed employment until the end of March 2026.
Phillips 66 plans to integrate key assets into its Humber refinery operations. This will expand Phillips 66’s ability to supply fuel to UK customers from the Humber refinery, boosting domestic energy security, securing jobs including hundreds of new construction jobs over the next five years, and driving future growth opportunities for renewable and traditional fuels.
This agreement marks the next step in securing an industrial future for the site and the workers, who were badly let down by their former owners.
The former owners left the company in a poor state and gave the Government very little time to act. That is why the Energy Secretary immediately demanded the Insolvency Service launch an investigation into their conduct and the circumstances surrounding insolvency. That investigation is ongoing.
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Intelligence and Security Committee: Cloud Technologies Report
(3 days, 5 hours ago)
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The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
I have received the Intelligence and Security Committee’s closed report on cloud technologies.
I thank the Committee for the comprehensive report and their diligent work throughout this inquiry. I value the independent and robust oversight which the Committee provides.
The Government will share a formal closed response to this report with the ISC in due course.
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Government Cyber Action Plan
(3 days, 5 hours ago)
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The Minister for Digital Government and Data (Ian Murray)
Today I am publishing the Government cyber action plan, which sets out how we will transform cyber-security and resilience across Government and the public sector.
Public incidents demonstrate the devastating real-world consequences of inadequate cyber resilience. The recent incident affecting the Legal Aid Agency compromised personal data and impacted the organisation’s ability to digitally process legal aid applications and bills.
Similarly, the attack on Synnovis—a supplier of pathology services to the NHS—caused delays to over 11,000 outpatient and elective procedure appointments and, tragically, contributed to the death of a patient.
This reality underscores the fact that cyber-security is not a luxury; it is a fundamental component of business continuity, and all organisations should take steps to defend themselves.
Digitisation offers substantial opportunities to transform lives, deliver better public services, and drive economic growth and digital government. By investing in secure and resilient foundations, we do more than protect and transform public services; we drive innovation and growth within the UK’s cyber-security sector.
This Government have taken important steps in understanding and mitigating cyber risk across Government and the public sector. The Government Cyber Co-ordination Centre, also known as GC3, enables us to respond as one Government to cyber incidents, threats and vulnerabilities. Our secure-by-design approach enables us to “fix forward”, ensuring future digital services are designed to achieve cyber-security resilience outcomes. GovAssure, our cyber assurance process now entering its third year of operations, offers an unprecedented picture of current resilience levels and the fundamental blockers to progress.
However, the evidence is clear: we must do far more to address the persistent threat. We must move from a model where individual organisations act alone to one where the Government truly defend as one.
Today’s Government cyber action plan sets out a radically new model for how Government will operate differently to deliver this necessary transformation. It is backed by investment of over £210 million, led by the Government cyber unit within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The unit is taking decisive action to rapidly address the recommendations from both the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee by holding Departments to account for their cyber-security and resilience risks, as well as providing them with more direct support and services, and co-ordinating response to fast-moving incidents.
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