Written questions by Savage.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on steps to ease the process by which farms connect to the national grid.

The Government is working with Ofgem, NESO and the network companies to fundamentally reform the connections process and reduce unacceptable grid connection delays. These reforms, if approved by Ofgem, will remove stalled projects and accelerate connections for viable customers with viable projects, including those on farms.

If he will make an assessment of the potential local ecological impact of the proposed Lime Down Solar Farm in South Cotswolds constituency.

The Lime Down Solar Farm is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project which is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in the third quarter of 2025. As part of the examination process the Examining Authority appointed by the Planning Inspectorate will consider the potential local ecological impact of the proposal as one of its potential impacts. At the end of the examination process, the Examining Authority will submit its Report to the Secretary of State, who will make his decision based on a careful consideration of all the material planning considerations.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of investment by Macquarie in (a) Lime Down Solar Park and (b) other Nationally Significant Infrastructure Developments.

Ofgem and DESNZ have robust market monitoring schemes to assess electricity generation licence applications. Ofgem’s principal objective is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers through maintaining security of supply and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ofgem considers the experience, capability, and financial stability of each applicant. The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act gives the government powers to scrutinise and intervene in acquisitions that may pose threats to national security. The Government does not routinely comment on specific deals or the applicability of the Act.

Whether his Department is taking steps to help develop deep geothermal energy resources.

We know that to achieve net zero, we must look at how we can accelerate the potential of all low carbon technologies including geothermal. The Government understands that geothermal can play a role in our decarbonisation ambitions. The Green Heat Network ...

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the insulation of housing.

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committe...

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) construction and (b) operational phases of solar parks on (i) traffic and (ii) communities whose main transpor

There are established routes in the planning system, such as the National Policy Statements, which consider the transportation impacts of solar projects throughout their construction and operation. The main traffic impacts are likely to be during construc...