To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether staff at the National Energy System Operator are permitted to own shares in National Grid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether staff at the National Energy System Operator are permitted to own shares in National Grid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data his Department holds on the average time taken by the National Grid to (a) process applications for solar panel installations and (b) issue Distributor Network Operator reference numbers in each of the last three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data his Department holds on the average time taken by the National Grid to (a) process applications for solar panel installations and (b) issue Distributor Network Operator reference numbers in each of the last three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the National Grid is under a (a) statutory and (b) regulatory obligation to process solar panel installation applications within a specified timeframe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the National Grid is under a (a) statutory and (b) regulatory obligation to process solar panel installation applications within a specified timeframe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the National Grid has had discussions with RAF Wattisham on the Norwich to Tilbury pylon proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the National Grid has had discussions with RAF Wattisham on the Norwich to Tilbury pylon proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the National Grid on the NeuConnect project for an electricity interconnector between the UK and Germany.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the National Grid on the NeuConnect project for an electricity interconnector between the UK and Germany.

Committee stage. Clause 270, discussed with clauses 271 to 273, new Government clauses and schedules. Clauses 270 to 273 negatived on division (5 to 8, 4 to 8, 5 to 8 and 5 to 8). Clause 132, schedule 7 agreed to, with schedule 7 amended. Clauses 133 to 138, schedules 8 to 9 agreed to. Clause 139 agreed to as amended. Government new clauses considered: 9 (Retention of information and samples), 10 (Preparation and agreement of information and samples plans), 11 (Information and samples plans: supplementary), 12 (Information and samples coordinators), 13 (Power of OGA to require information and samples), 14 (Prohibition on disclosure of information or samples by OGA), 15 (Power of Secretary of State to require information and samples), 16 (Power of OGA to give sanction notices), 17 (Enforcement notices), 18 (Financial penalty notices), 19 (Revocation notices), 20 (Operator removal notices), 21 (Duty of OGA to give sanction warning notices), 22 (Publication of details of sanctions), 23 (Subsequent sanction notices), 24 (Withdrawal of sanction notices), 25 (Sanctions: information powers), 26 (Appeals in connection with Chapter), 27 (Procedure for enforcement decisions), 28 (Interpretation of Chapter), 29 (Designation of hydrogen transport counterparty), 31 (Designation of hydrogen storage counterparty), 32 (Direction to offer to contract with eligible hydrogen storage provider) and 52 (Principle objectives of Secretary of State and GEMA). New clauses 9 to 32 and 52 agreed to.

Committee stage. Clause 270, discussed with clauses 271 to 273, new Government clauses and schedules. Clauses 270 to 273 negatived on division (5 to 8, 4 to 8, 5 to 8 and 5 to 8). Clause 132, schedule 7 agreed to, with schedule 7 amended. Clauses 133 to 138, schedules...

This briefing looks at the Energy Bill's clauses on electricity and gas markets, including the Independent System Operator and Planner, governance of gas and electricity industry codes, market reform and consumer protection.

This briefing looks at the Energy Bill's clauses on electricity and gas markets, including the Independent System Operator and Planner, governance of gas and electricity industry codes, market reform and consumer protection.

Clause 1, discussed with new clause 1 (Resolution of compensation disputes in electricity-related land acquisition cases), disagreed to. Clause 2 agreed to, with amendments. New clause 1 agreed to. Title amended. Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 234). Bill to be considered on 24 February.

Clause 1, discussed with new clause 1 (Resolution of compensation disputes in electricity-related land acquisition cases), disagreed to. Clause 2 agreed to, with amendments. New clause 1 agreed to. Title amended. Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 234). Bill to be considered on 24 February.

Motion that the House sit in private. Negatived on questions. Second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Public Bill Committee.

Motion that the House sit in private. Negatived on questions. Second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Public Bill Committee.

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Electricity transmission is something on which we all depend and, simultaneously, tend to take for granted. The upgrading of the network is necessary to ensure that we improve the efficiency and resilience of our system. It will enable...

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Electricity transmission is something on which we all depend and, simultaneously, tend to take for granted. The upgrading of the network is necessary to ensure that we improve the efficiency and resilience of our system. It will enable...

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his impassioned speech. Does he agree that we in this place should always encourage people to do the right thing, as the Bill hopefully will? I am concerned that it sounds, from his introduction, as though that company is not doing the right...

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his impassioned speech. Does he agree that we in this place should always encourage people to do the right thing, as the Bill hopefully will? I am concerned that it sounds, from his introduction, as though that company is not doing the right...

I am not questioning whether the company wishes to do the right thing, but in practice it has not behaved in a way that is acceptable to me as a representative of the people of North Somerset. I therefore suggest that we need new mechanisms to ensure that what I...

I am not questioning whether the company wishes to do the right thing, but in practice it has not behaved in a way that is acceptable to me as a representative of the people of North Somerset. I therefore suggest that we need new mechanisms to ensure that what I...

As the country moves to decarbonise and away from fossil fuels, a conservative estimate is that the requirement for electricity will double—it may triple—in the next 20 to 30 years, and an inevitable consequence is that we will need many more pylon routes. Does my right hon. Friend agree that...

As the country moves to decarbonise and away from fossil fuels, a conservative estimate is that the requirement for electricity will double—it may triple—in the next 20 to 30 years, and an inevitable consequence is that we will need many more pylon routes. Does my right hon. Friend agree that...

I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for making that point so clearly. At the moment, it is a relatively small geographical problem that affects a relatively small number of us, but it is going to be a much bigger problem in the future, affecting many more constituencies across...

I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for making that point so clearly. At the moment, it is a relatively small geographical problem that affects a relatively small number of us, but it is going to be a much bigger problem in the future, affecting many more constituencies across...

My right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) has proposed a mechanism to ensure fairer treatment for those whose rights or land are subject to acquisition. I declare my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I have a wayleave on my little farm, and I...

My right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) has proposed a mechanism to ensure fairer treatment for those whose rights or land are subject to acquisition. I declare my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I have a wayleave on my little farm, and I...

Does my hon. Friend agree that there is something strange in how there are built-in compensation mechanisms for projects such as HS2 and Crossrail, which tend to affect more urban populations, but there is little protection, if any, for projects such as those he describes, which affect more rural locations?

Does my hon. Friend agree that there is something strange in how there are built-in compensation mechanisms for projects such as HS2 and Crossrail, which tend to affect more urban populations, but there is little protection, if any, for projects such as those he describes, which affect more rural locations?

That is the reason I am here today: the system is skewed to disadvantage rural populations, who carry quite a lot of the burden of energy distribution. What we are looking for is fairness.

I praise the work that Western Power does in my constituency to supply homes with the energy...

That is the reason I am here today: the system is skewed to disadvantage rural populations, who carry quite a lot of the burden of energy distribution. What we are looking for is fairness.

I praise the work that Western Power does in my constituency to supply homes with the energy...

It is a pleasure to be called to speak in this debate. May I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) on introducing the Bill. We recently co-operated on what became the Down Syndrome Act 2022. He has again found an area where there is...

It is a pleasure to be called to speak in this debate. May I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) on introducing the Bill. We recently co-operated on what became the Down Syndrome Act 2022. He has again found an area where there is...

I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) on introducing the Bill. The transmission of electricity is at the heart of our energy security in the UK. Energy sources are an essential part of our move towards net zero, which is crucial if we are...

I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) on introducing the Bill. The transmission of electricity is at the heart of our energy security in the UK. Energy sources are an essential part of our move towards net zero, which is crucial if we are...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friends the Members for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) and for North Herefordshire (Sir Bill Wiggin), and my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox). There seems to be a theme; perhaps what we are debating only affects people in...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friends the Members for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) and for North Herefordshire (Sir Bill Wiggin), and my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox). There seems to be a theme; perhaps what we are debating only affects people in...