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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made about the estimated cost of the Eastern Link undersea electricity link between Scotland and England.

The Government supports Ofgem and network companies in delivering the critical national infrastructure required to achieve our Net Zero target, including supporting 40GW of offshore wind generation by 2030. The progression of the Eastern Link undersea electricity link between Scotland and the North of England is the responsibility of National Grid Electricity Transmission, Scottish Power and SSEN Transmission, as the developing transmission owners, under the regulatory supervision of Ofgem.

Current estimates are that the Eastern Link could cost over £3bn. Ofgem plans to consult soon on the development of the project so far. Its final decision on whether the project should be funded is expected to be reached in 2022, following a full consideration of the benefits and costs.