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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to provide funding to Morlais on Anglesey for research and development into the interaction of marine mammals and tidal stream turbines after the end of 2023; and whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of ringfencing tidal steam energy in the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round Five.

There are no current plans for the Government to provide funding of this kind after the end of 2023. The Morlais project is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and has received funding from the Welsh Government through the North Wales Growth Deal.

The Morlais project on Anglesey secured a Contract for Difference award in Allocation Round 4. The Government is currently developing Allocation Round 5 auction parameters for all technologies, including for tidal stream, taking into account evidence from stakeholders. Full parameters will be published in the Budget Notice in March 2023.