Written questions by Sullivan.

What information his Department holds on the weighting that Ofgem gives (a) social value, (b) domestic economic impact and (c) onshore manufacturing when allocating the first round of the cap and floor contracts.

Ofgem has published a Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to determine which Long Duration Electricity Storage projects will be awarded a cap and floor regime. This framework examines each project across an economic, strategic and financial assessment. Ofgem will assess the impact of each project on the Socio-Economic Welfare of consumers, producers and the LDES asset owners themselves, alongside wider impacts on the GB electricity system and wider social and economic impacts. Ofgem plans to take an in-the-round approach of not setting weightings in advance between these assessments.

Whether he has had recent discussions with community groups on the implementation of the Local Power Plan.

My Department and Great British Energy have engaged extensively with the community energy sector in developing the Local Power Plan.I will shortly be making a statement to this House about the Local Power Plan which represents an unprecedented £1bn investment in community energy across our country.

Whether he plans to repurpose national infrastructure originally used in the fossil fuel sector for new green technology sectors.

Repurposing existing offshore and onshore infrastructure could make a significant contribution to the UK’s drive to net-zero. In 2022, analysis by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) identified more than 100 pipelines which could be suitable for CCS or hydrogen projects. The NSTA supports government and others to identify opportunities for repurposing, including for carbon dioxide or offshore hydrogen transportation and storage projects. We are already seeing this in practice. HyNet will be served by a combination of new and existing infrastructure, with more than 90 miles of offshore and onshore pipeline being repurposed.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of (a) the report and (b) recommendation 27 of the report by the National Infrastructure Commission entitled Second National Infrastructure Assessment, published on 1 October 2023.

The government is working with regulators to ensure that the future telecommunications requirements of the energy, water and transport sectors are understood. And the government will draw on the National Infrastructure Commission’s analysis for the forthcoming 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help prepare local authorities to deliver the Local Power Plan.

We are working with stakeholders, including local authorities, on how GBE could support local and community energy. The UK will work closely with Scottish Government on this matter as part of the Vision Statement signed in October which committed to exploring joint working on community energy.