Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Callum Anderson and Michael Shanks

Tuesday 24th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Callum Anderson (Buckingham and Bletchley) (Lab)]

T7. I recently visited the Gawcott Fields Community Solar project, which is a local solar farm that uses the income from the clean energy it produces to invest in energy saving and environmental projects, and it is anticipated that it will invest £2.8 million over 25 years. Can the Minister update the House on how the Government will use the local power plan to ensure that even more of my communities—particularly rural and low-income ones—can take control of their own energy?

[The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)]

I congratulate all those in my hon. Friend’s constituency on what sounds like a fantastic project, and it is an example of what we want to see all across the country. The local power plan unlocks £1 billion of investment, with the ambition that communities right across the UK should be able to own and operate their own energy infrastructure, and the profits from that should flow into local communities.