Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to EDF's media release entitled January 2024 project update, published on 23 January 2024], whether her Department had discussions on the scale of (a) overruns and (b) overspends announced in that update before that information was published.

Hinkley Point C (HPC) is not a Government project and its financing is a matter for EDF and its shareholders. The Department engages regularly with EDF on HPC’s progress and related matters. Officials were aware the HPC were likely to make an update to cost and schedule in advance, with the precise details only being shared at the time of publication.