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

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a cap and floor funding approach for the development of new pumped storage capacity in Scotland.

We are investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory and policy barriers. We will be publishing a call for evidence on a smart systems route map, including storage, shortly. In addition, DECC is in regular dialogue with prospective developers of new pumped hydro storage projects, both in and outside of Scotland, and is keen to understand the extent to which any barriers to deployment can be overcome in a way that is affordable to consumers.