Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of domestic regulatory options through the National Grid and Ofgem on allowing merchant gas assets to remain competitive until changes to EU law are implemented.

The UK benefits from a diverse range of gas sources. Merchant gas assets (including gas interconnectors and gas storage assets) play key roles in a flexible energy system and offer significant benefits by facilitating the efficient transport, storage, and trading of gas, and by promoting efficient wholesale prices through increased competition. EU legislation currently underpins the regulation of these merchant assets, with domestic regulation overseen by Ofgem, the independent regulator. The government aims to maximise the benefits of gas interconnection as part of its future relationship with the EU.