Source · Select Committees · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Acknowledged
Government delayed granting adequate time, hindering effective parliamentary scrutiny of National Policy Statements.
Conclusion
We find it immensely frustrating that the Government chose to act in a way which appeared to acquiesce to our requests for additional time to consider its draft National Policy Statements on Energy but only after we had compressed our schedule and carried out two oral evidence sessions on the same day. Obviously, had we been afforded the courtesy of notification of the arrangements in advance, we could, and would, have waited until the end of the public consultation period before commencing using the information arising from that process to inform our oral evidence sessions and create the added value, by test and challenge, that the process was designed to encourage. In the event, the additional time, while it allowed a less rushed consideration of the evidence before us, did not provide significant opportunity to broaden, or deepen, the scrutiny we could bring to bear as it came too late for us to change the questions that we were able to put to our witnesses. (Conclusion, Paragraph 6)
Government Response Summary
The government notes the committee's concerns regarding insufficient time for parliamentary scrutiny of draft energy National Policy Statements (NPSs). It explains that the tight timeline was necessary to meet a 12-month review commitment and publish NPSs within 2025, particularly to integrate onshore wind updates and provide clarity to the planning system.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Government notes the concerns of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee2 that insufficient time was given to them to undertake parliamentary scrutiny of these three draft energy National Policy Statements (NPSs). The timeline for this NPS review has been to ensure that DESNZ delivers on the Chancellor’s announcement in July 2024 of a ‘12-month’ review of relevant NPSs and DESNZ’s commitment to align as closely as possible to that timeline. To include important updates to energy NPSs reflecting the reintroduction of onshore wind into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, it was necessary to delay public consultation on the draft NPSs until after the Statutory Instrument for onshore wind was laid in Parliament (March 2025). To complete the review and publish the NPSs within 2025, we sought Committee scrutiny to occur concurrently with public consultation, with the Committee scrutiny period encompassing the consultation period and extending 3 weeks beyond, in alignment with Committee Guidance. As part of future NPS reviews, we will ensure early liaison with Committee which allows sufficient time for comprehensive scrutiny of updates. Government is grateful to the Committee for their detailed scrutiny of the three energy NPSs, in the time given, which forms an important element of the process. The NPSs were shared with the Committee when the public consultation launched and the relevant period for the Committee was 28 April – 23 June. The NPSs were laid on 22 May and the relevant period for Parliament ran to 22 July. The Committee report was published 7 July, enabling government to thoroughly scrutinise the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations within the Committee’s timeframe. For future relevant NPS updates, we will ensure that we engage openly and transparently with the Committee on timescales. Parliamentary scrutiny is a crucial and valued part of the update process, which provides challenge and alternative views on the government’s proposals. The energy NPSs were substantively reviewed and updated, and published in January 2024 following public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. Most of the updates in the 2025 review are therefore non-material, textual updates to provide greater clarity to those involved in the planning process. A delay in the review, update and publication of the NPSs would have led to uncertainty and ambiguity in the planning system, potentially impacting government’s ability to achieve Clean Power 2030 targets. The onshore wind Statutory Instrument comes into force on 31st December 2025 and associated guidance for applicants and decision-makers is contained in the NPS updates. In the ‘transitional period’ (while the required processes to complete updates are in progress), the existing NPS applies to decision-making (but does not include guidance on onshore wind development); proposed updated versions can also be a material consideration. It is therefore desirable to both applicants and decision-makers to provide clarity on expectations by completing this transition as quickly as possible. In addition to the Committee scrutiny period and the relevant period for Parliament, there will be a 21-sitting day consideration period when the documents are laid in Parliament in their final form before publication.