Source · Select Committees · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted in Part
Require Government to provide ten sitting weeks for Select Committee National Policy Statement scrutiny.
Recommendation
Given that the Government, in its Planning and Infrastructure Bill, is seeking to disapply the current requirement for the Secretary of State to respond to any resolutions made by a committee in either House of Parliament, we recommend that the Government, in future, ensures that: a. Select Committees are provided with at least ten sitting weeks in which to consider future National Policy Statements and proposed amendments to an existing NPS, b. this period should never commence before the conclusion of the department’s related public consultation process, and c. Parliament has a period of at least ten sitting days, in which consideration of the recommendations of a Select Committee can take place, before the NPS or amended NPS is designated by the relevant Secretary of State. (Recommendation, Paragraph 9) The new strategic framework for energy infrastructure planning
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that Select Committees should have sufficient time for scrutiny but rejects committing to a fixed minimum review period of ten sitting weeks due to the need for flexibility and pace in energy delivery. It commits to ensuring that future scrutiny periods will encompass the public consultation and allow additional time for committees to report and debates to occur, acknowledging the importance of parliamentary consideration.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Government agrees that Select Committees should be provided with sufficient time to comprehensively consider relevant updates to the NPSs. We also recognise that there is an urgent need to move at pace to deliver clean, homegrown energy to protect billpayers and boost Britain’s energy independence, whilst ensuring the views of Committee are considered with clarity. To balance the need for pace with collaboration, we cannot commit to a minimum review period for Select Committee scrutiny of NPS updates that binds future Governments to a timeframe that may not reflect the breadth and materiality of any future updates. Government will ensure that the relevant period specified for consideration of proposed NPS updates allows sufficient time to encompass the period of public consultation, which is statutorily required, plus sufficient time when Parliament is sitting beyond that to allow for Committees of either House to report and debates to take place if required. In addition to the relevant period specified by the Secretary of State, the Planning Act 2008 sets the requirement of a 21 sitting-day consideration period before designation of new NPSs or publication of updated NPSs.