Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to reform (a) planning and (b) land consents arrangements to help reduce the cost of delivering new energy network infrastructure.

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) planning reforms are underway, led by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities which published an Action Plan in February and is due to consult on details soon. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is considering improvements to the land rights and consents processes for electricity network infrastructure and plans to publish details this year. Strategic network planning including the Holistic Network Design (HND) and Centralised Strategic Network Planning are bringing forward more co-ordinated networks infrastructure proposals reducing costs overall; for the HND these cost savings are estimated at £5.5bn from 2030.