Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 6
Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) National Policy Statement for Energy
Published 25 Feb 2022
Paragraph 34
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Energy National Policy Statements All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The purpose of reviewing the current NPS was to update it to bring it in line with the Government’s Energy White Paper. However, since then, the Government has published a number of key policy documents which are relevant for the effective delivery of nationally significant infrastructure to deliver net zero. We recommend that before the final version of the revised NPS for Energy is laid before Parliament it is further updated to bring it in line with current policy, especially, for example, on 22 Revised (Draft) National Policy Statement for Energy the Government’s plans for hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage. It would be a missed opportunity if the revised (draft) NPS was not fully up to date and in line with current Government policy on energy.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Ninth Report - Revised (Draft) National Policy Statement for Energy (HC 1151), paragraph 34, 25 February 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 April 2023 (deadline 25 April 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it has accepted some of the Committee's 13 recommendations, partially accepted others and not accepted others, and is re-consulting on revised draft energy National Policy Statements following the British Energy Security Strategy.
- On hydrogen, the government "accepts the Committee's recommendation" to update draft EN-1 and EN-2 for the Hydrogen Strategy, saying EN-1 has been updated and amendments to EN-2 "are not needed". It also accepts the recommendation on fossil fuel resilience, adding a new paragraph 1.1.4 to draft EN-4.
- It does not accept the recommendation on undergrounding, saying that recommending it in draft EN-5 on resilience grounds "would be unnecessary" and "could slow the delivery of critical infrastructure".
- On a single National Policy Statement across sectors, the government "has no plans" to create one, though DLUHC "will however consider the merits and possibility of consolidating NPSs over the longer term".
- On onshore wind, the government agrees it is "an important part of the energy mix" but says local councils will remain responsible for applications. It commits to consult on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.