09:25 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Amanda Solloway)

The past few years have brought unprecedented changes and uncertainty to Great Britain’s energy system, but we have remained resilient. Last year, we laid the foundations for an energy system fit for the future with the landmark Energy Act 2023, the largest piece of energy legislation in the United Kingdom in a generation, which is world-leading in legally mandating net zero. The changes in that Act, including the powers to establish a National Energy System Operator—NESO—and new duties for Ofgem, mean that now is the right time to reaffirm the Government’s strategic priorities and policy outcomes in this strategy and policy statement.

Absolutely. That is the very reason we are doing this—to make sure that we achieve our net zero targets.

I refer the Minister to the 16th report of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, which was published earlier this month on 7 March. It details the fact that there was consultation with Scottish and Welsh Ministers, as the Minister said. However, additional information provided by her Department makes it clear that the Welsh Government asked for the Welsh net zero targets to be included in the SPS, and that the Scottish Government asked for the same for the Scottish net zero targets and also for the networks section to be strengthened. According to her Department, information was added to the introduction for the Welsh and Scottish net zero targets, but I cannot find it in the introduction. I wonder if the Minister could provide clarity on where that was included in the documents.

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09:32 Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (Lab)

The power to designate a strategy and policy statement, as the Minister has set out, has been in place since the passing of the Energy Act 2013. That Act envisaged, among other things, that a strategy and policy statement would be an essential tool in aligning the actions of Government and of Government agencies and bodies, such as Ofgem, and ensuring that they were marching in lockstep as far as the development of strategic priorities was concerned. Indeed, this strategy and policy statement is very important in making sure that, with the designation of a net zero mandate for Ofgem, which took place in the recent Energy Act 2023, the alignment is complete with the issue of the strategy and policy statement. However, I point out that these strategy and policy statements are supposed to last for five years and to be reviewed at the end of a five-year period—or, significantly, should an election take place in the meantime.

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09:41 Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)

“to consider consumers’ interests in the Secretary of State’s compliance with the net zero targets”.

“By 2024, an appropriate policy to enable investment in large-scale long-duration electricity storage consistent with cost-effective decarbonisation.”

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09:50 Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)

We have a combination of factors. I agree that we need a whole energy plan in the future, and the Government are, rightly, in order to achieve net zero, trying to accelerate this strategy. However, what worries me is that they are accelerating it without necessarily having done the work. I give credit to the Government for making this strategic change, which was absolutely necessary as we move away from gas and coal. Inland, we had a hub and spokes approach. We are now bringing in most of our energy from the coast and abroad, so we do need to work through the impacts of that. What I am concerned about is the acceleration that is being proposed in a different way. Communities want certainty. What they do not want is a botched job along the way, which is the risk of aspects of what we are being asked to endorse today.

That is the problem. I do not understand what direction is being given to the ESO, or indeed to Ofgem, in this policy statement about what happens when, after a community has gone through all that, a change is made to the NSIP. Basically the developers can change their mind and hold the Government to ransom, because otherwise they would not have proceeded with the project at all, and we know we need to get to net zero. That is an example where co-ordinating and planning was done—years ahead of where we are today—and yet we were screwed over by ScottishPower Renewables. That is why there is a lack of trust in what is happening in the acceleration of this plan.

“meeting our statutory decarbonisation targets and promoting coordinated, efficient and economical systems”.

I know that the acceleration is all about trying to get to 2030, and I appreciate—I say this frankly to the Opposition—that since the Conservatives came into Government in 2010, we have generated 99% of the amount of renewable energy that has been created, as opposed to what had happened previously. However, I am also conscious that as we hurtle towards that date, we are not taking into account the whole-system impact or the lifetime understanding of the value for the future.

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10:25 Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)

We have had the Energy White Paper 2020, “The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution” 2020, the “Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener” 2021, the “British energy security strategy” 2022, the energy security plan 2023, the net zero growth plan 2023 and the transmission acceleration action plan 2023. My gosh, we have gone over this stuff again and again! We do not need another statement just to repeat it. The Government say in their own statement:

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10:30 Amanda Solloway

In response to the hon. Member’s question on Scotland’s net zero targets, I should say that the SPS notes that Scotland and Wales have established their own net zero targets. Then, on a further point, Ofgem is established as a non-ministerial Government Department so, like other Government Departments, it is accountable to Parliament. I will write to the hon. Member if I have failed to address any other queries.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet asked how the SPS will focus on the switch to renewables. The SPS is clear that driving a net zero transition by achieving Government targets for renewable and low-carbon deployment is a strategic priority for Government.

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