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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to Operation Yellowhammer: HMG Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumptions paragraph 5, what estimate she has made of the level of change to electricity prices in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

The Government recognises the importance to businesses and households of having access to an affordable, secure and sustainable supply of energy. The Yellowhammer Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumptions are not based on a single forecast of expected prices. Many factors impact electricity prices including factors such as fuel prices, exchange rates and generation mix.

We expect that any change in electricity prices in Great Britain as a result of changes to interconnector trading arrangements would fall within the normal range of market volatility.

We assume in this Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumption that the Single Electricity Market (SEM) shared between Northern Ireland and Ireland may not be able to continue. If this is the case we would expect higher and more volatile electricity prices in Northern Ireland as a result of losing benefits from the more efficient, shared market. By far the best outcome for electricity in Northern Ireland is to maintain the SEM and the Government remains committed to seeking to maintain the SEM in any scenario.