Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of the grid connections between the proposed new town at Tempsford and the Eaton Socon sub-station to facilitate a new town.

Ofgem regulates the network companies to ensure they are investing to operate, maintain and upgrade electricity infrastructure. For the next transmission and distribution network price controls, Ofgem has identified the need for significant investment in new capacity to transform Great Britain’s electricity networks to support clean power and economic growth. Ofgem published their Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) policy framework decision on 2 April and RESPs will feed into planning by Distribution Network Operators to guide network planning decisions and ensure strategic investment in capacity for local areas, like Tempsford.

How many employees Great British Energy had on 1 April 2025.

To ensure Great British Energy can begin delivering quickly once the parliamentary process has been completed, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has taken steps to assign resource including the appointment of Juergen Maier to the role of start-up chair for Great British Energy, Dan McGrail as interim CEO, and five start-up non-executive directors. Additional DESNZ resource has been assigned to Great British Energy, focusing on a small number of essential roles.Once Great British Energy is formally established by the Bill, work will begin to fully resource Great British Energy.

What level of fire service coverage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project solar farms are required to have.

Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.

What level of fire service coverage solar farm applications are required to have in order to be approved as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.

How many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.

Since 5th July 2024, officials at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have reported the loss of 78 phones and 6 laptops. No other electronic devices have been reported as lost.

What upgrades his Department plans to make to the Eaton Socon sub-station in Cambridgeshire in order to accommodate greater capacity.

Ofgem regulates the network companies to ensure they are investing to operate, maintain and upgrade electricity infrastructure, including substations. For the next transmission network price control (RIIO-ET3 2026-2031) and distribution network price control (RIIO-ED3 2028-2033), Ofgem has identified the need for significant investment in new capacity ahead of need, based on strategic planning, and regulatory changes to transform Great Britain’s electricity networks to enable clean power and economic growth.

What assessment he has made of the level of additional power supply that will be created for the new Universal Studios theme park.

The electricity networks in Great Britain are owned and operated by private companies and regulated independently by Ofgem. Specific details of the connection requirements, such as the level of power supply and associated substation for individual projects are held in private connection contracts between the relevant parties.

When he plans to publish the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan will be published by the National Energy System Operator in 2026.

Whether he has made an assessment of potential trends in the level of additional power demands on the National Grid by the new Universal Studios theme park.

The electricity networks in Great Britain are owned and operated by private companies and regulated independently by Ofgem. Specific details of the connection requirements, such as the level of power supply and associated substation for individual projects are held in private connection contracts between the relevant parties.

What steps he taking to ensure that the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan ensures that new energy infrastructure projects are located in the most appropriate areas.

In October 2024, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments commissioned the National Energy System Operator to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). This commission included the development of a methodology to set out in more detail how the SSEP will be produced. The SSEP will not recommend project-specific locations, but will set out the potential for the development of energy infrastructure in different areas of Great Britain through economic and geospatial modelling. The methodology is subject to final approval by the Secretary of State and is due for publication in May.

Which electricity sub-station will provide the power connection for the new Universal Studios theme park.

The electricity networks in Great Britain are owned and operated by private companies and regulated independently by Ofgem. Specific details of the connection requirements, such as the level of power supply and associated substation for individual projects are held in private connection contracts between the relevant parties.

How much grant funding has been allocated through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

The Department has allocated over £2.9 billion in grant funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme over the financial years 2020/21 to 2025/26. Further grants are currently being allocated for the financial years 2025/26 to 2027/28 from the budget of more than £1 billion for public sector decarbonisation announced in Autumn Budget 2024.

What the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme budget was in financial year (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26.

The budget for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was £449 million in 2023/24, £427 million in 2024/25, and is £401 million for 2025/26.

Which Government departments have received grant funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme since 5 July 2024.

Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was launched in September 2024 and closed to applications in November 2024. Applications are currently being processed by Salix Finance, the non-departmental public body that administers the scheme on behalf of the Department. The full list of grant recipients and funding awarded will be published in due course at the following site: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme.

What the maximum amount of best and most versatile land is that could be (a) used in a solar farm development designated as NSIP and (b) granted a Development Consent Order.

There is no set maximum amount of best and most versatile land that may be used in a nationally significant infrastructure development. Each case is judged on its own merits in line with the requirements in the Planning Act 2008 and relevant policy, such as the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) which states at 2.10.29: “Where the proposed use of any agricultural land has been shown to be necessary, poorer quality land should be preferred to higher quality land avoiding the use of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land where possible”, and at 2.10.30: “Whilst the development of ground mounted solar arrays is not prohibited on Best and Most Versatile agricultural land, or sites designated for their natural beauty, or recognised for ecological or archaeological importance, the impacts of such are expected to be considered”.

What the evidential basis is for the solar Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project threshold of 100Mw.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 March to Question UIN 39647. The Government set out the evidence for increasing the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project threshold for solar to 100MW in its response to the consultation on the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system which can be found here. The Impact Assessment for this provision, which was rated green by the RPC, was published here.

How many partnerships with Great British Energy are currently in place; and what the total value is of those partnerships.

Great British Energy (GBE) has partnerships with The Crown Estate, the Scottish Government, and the National Wealth Fund. GBE is also developing partnerships with the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive. We have not quantified the total value of these partnerships, but these partnerships are important to support GBE’s early delivery and to ensure that it is working in alignment with the wider clean energy institutional landscape. GBE is also working closely with the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care to deliver solar panels for schools and hospitals in FY2025/26, as announced on 21 March.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the Second Reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 24 March 2025, Official Report, column 659, how protecting high-quality agricultural land will impact the use of best and most versatile land in energy infrastructure projects.

The National Planning Policy Framework and National Policy Statements were updated in 2024 and make clear that energy infrastructure should always be located in areas of poorer quality land rather that higher quality land where possible. A Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is also being developed to ensure new energy infrastructure projects are located in the most appropriate areas across the UK.

On which date the increased threshold for Nationally Significant Infrastructure projects for solar will take effect.

Subject to parliamentary approval, the higher threshold of 100MW for solar projects will come into force on 31 December 2025.

Whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of extending the £250 reduction in electricity bills for who live within 500m of a pylon to those living near to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project level solar farms.

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.