Written questions by Bloore.

What steps he is taking to ensure the publication of regional substation capacity data to support demand-side connections for housing and industry.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of network constraint payments on the unit cost of electricity for industrial consumers.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to increase competition in the onshore connection market through the use of Independent Distribution Network Operators.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of global gas turbine supply chain lead times on the delivery of dispatchable power capacity.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking through the Energy Resilience Strategy to mitigate risks to national grid stability.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking through the Energy Skills Passport to ensure a pipeline of specialist engineers for the (a) construction and (b) maintenance of energy infrastructure.

Awaiting answer.

What steps Skills England is taking to integrate (a) applied financial literacy and (b) technical innovation modules into Level 3 technical qualifications.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in requiring platforms to detect and label AI-generated content.

Awaiting answer.

What steps NHS England is taking to protect the NHS (a) brand and (b) logo from unauthorised AI-generated deepfake communications.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the impact of energy infrastructure procurement times on the delivery timeline for nationally significant data centres.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to identify alternative financing models for flexible gas generation that ensure price stability for households and businesses.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Contracts for Difference scheme in decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility for household consumers.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to identify alternative financing models for flexible gas generation that ensure price stability for households and businesses as the grid decarbonises.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Contracts for Difference scheme in decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility for household consumers.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impacts of different market models on decoupling wholesale electricity prices from gas price volatility.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of marginal electricity pricing on the Consumer Prices Index since July 2024.

Forecasting the economy, including the impact of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR has not published a specific estimate of the impact of marginal electricity pricing on Consumer Price Index inflation.The electricity market operates on the principle of marginal cost pricing, where gas-fired generation frequently sets the wholesale price, meaning electricity prices have closely tracked gas prices. This is link is already weakening as more renewable energy comes online. The Government is taking further steps to reduce this link: we will set out plans for legacy low-carbon generators to move onto fixed-price arrangements from 2027, and the Electricity Generator Levy's rate has been increased, and it will be extended beyond its scheduled end date. Further details on these measures will be provided in due course. As reliance on gas falls, electricity prices are expected to be set increasingly by lower-cost generation, including renewables.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the marginal pricing mechanism on the revenues of renewable and nuclear electricity generators.

We will bring forward plans later this year to offer legacy low carbon generators the option of fixed price arrangements, with an intention to run an allocation process in 2027. Government will only offer contracts to electricity generators where it represents clear value for money for consumers. Further details will be set out in due course, with plans to consult later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the 25% administration reduction target set out in the Regulation Action Plan on the baseline annual compliance costs of small and medium-sized enterprises.

We have established a baseline of the annual administrative burden of regulation on UK businesses, including SMEs. As set out in the technical annex to the policy paper ‘A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, we used a pragmatic, top-down approach, building on the previous Administrative Burden Reduction Programme (2005-10), which was based on detailed feedback from businesses, including SMEs, in individual sectors.Our approach was also informed by DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey, which draws from a large, representative sample of businesses across sectors and sizes to ensure our reforms are targeted effectively.

What steps his Department is taking through the Regulation Action Plan to align regulatory frameworks with the Modern Industrial Strategy.

The Industrial Strategy sets out how targeted regulatory reform will support key sectors to unlock investment and increase productivity. This is reinforced by the Regulation Action Plan which aims to tackle the regulatory burden and complexity; reduce uncertainty and challenge risk aversion to drive growth.This is supported by targeted regulatory reviews in growth-driving sectors. For example, DBT is working with Defra and the Regulatory Innovation Office on a regulatory review of agri-tech as a frontier industry, to help SMEs navigate the regulatory landscape and support farmer adoption. This approach ensures regulation supports innovation and investment while maintaining essential protections.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of sector-specific administrative cost baselines on measuring the 25% reduction in business compliance costs targeted under the Regulation Action Plan.

We have established a baseline of the annual administrative burden of regulation on UK businesses, including SMEs. As set out in the technical annex to the policy paper ‘A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’, we used a pragmatic, top-down approach, building on the previous Administrative Burden Reduction Programme (2005-10), which was based on detailed feedback from businesses, including SMEs, in individual sectors.Our approach was also informed by DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey, which draws from a large, representative sample of businesses across sectors and sizes to ensure our reforms are targeted effectively.