Speeches by Young.

“Public support for renewable energy infrastructure and building out the electricity grid drops markedly if they are to be built in a local area. How do the Government intend to bridge that gap in support?”

“And on the broader question of advice?”

“I talked to a local farmer recently about the barriers that you have already covered: planning, access to the grid and costs. He also mentioned access to advice. On anaerobic digesters specifically, he suggested that they are not suitable for the vast majority of farmers, and that it is more complex than most people re…”

“The Minister indicated that Mandelson assured the Prime Minister that his relationship with Epstein was of a different nature. Can he explain what sort of relationship with a convicted paedophile would be acceptable in that role? Will the Prime Minister come back to the House to make a specific statement on the advice …”

“It is irrelevant.”

“That is helpful. You suggested that you are not sure how it will contribute to greater balancing flexibility in the grid more widely, in answer to the Chair’s question. You do not think that it will necessarily reduce grid pressure and the need for network investments if P441 comes in. That is not your expectation.”

“Continuing on this P441 theme, you said that it provides a catch-all and simplifies things. Also, we were hearing earlier about definitions and the importance of definitions if you are going to prioritise something or give beneficial treatment to something. Is there a conflict there?”

“Marzia, do you have any comments about how it might contribute to reducing grid pressure and network investments?”

“Great British Energy said that it was looking to you to set that, and yet you are saying that you are not going to comment on the mix between community and local. You have your 8 GW ambition, or whatever it is, which is for community and local energy. Technically, you could deliver it all through local if you wanted to…”

“I am going to be jumping back and forth at this point because we have covered half the questions. Just going briefly back to planning, we have heard that the socioeconomic benefits of community energy projects are proportionally higher than for commercial developers. How can that be recognised in the regulatory and pla…”

“I have a different question now. We have increasingly anti-net zero voices, which are feeding into potential resistance to large-scale renewable infrastructure. We know there are examples of community projects contributing to tackling fuel poverty and improving social cohesion at a very local level. Should the Governme…”

“Stepping back from P441 for a moment, but staying with you, Marzia, we have heard previously on the issue of consumer-led flexibility that it would reduce bills overall. All of our constituents, whatever they think about any of the rest of this stuff to do with energy, want to see their bills cut. Do you think that loc…”

“What more do you think can be done to roll out that community-led local balancing and local flexibility more widely? You have just said that you will only really see the benefit when you have a significant amount on the system”

“I have one overall question now. There is this 8 GW target. That is for community and local energy and we have heard how they are different. Is it more about getting the locally-led and trying to get the benefits that that brings, potentially, to reduce costs in transmission and investments? Is it about getting the com…”

“Stepping back from P441 for a moment, but staying with you, Marzia, we have heard previously on the issue of consumer-led flexibility that it would reduce bills overall. All of our constituents, whatever they think about any of the rest of this stuff to do with energy, want to see their bills cut. Do you think that loc…”

“You are saying that it is all back on DESNZ.”

“That is helpful. You suggested that you are not sure how it will contribute to greater balancing flexibility in the grid more widely, in answer to the Chair’s question. You do not think that it will necessarily reduce grid pressure and the need for network investments if P441 comes in. That is not your expectation.”

“I understand what you are saying, Emma, about tracking and taking action if it is not being met, but what is worrying me goes back to this issue of the mix. It was quite clear from the previous panel that GB Energy and Ofgem were both looking to the Government to give some steer on what was expected in terms of that mi…”

“Marzia, do you have any comments about how it might contribute to reducing grid pressure and network investments?”

“What more do you think can be done to roll out that community-led local balancing and local flexibility more widely? You have just said that you will only really see the benefit when you have a significant amount on the system”