Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Clean Power

Tuesday 2 June 2026 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government signed a 2.6 billion contract with Rolls-Royce for small modular reactors.
  • The UK aims to drive further and faster on clean power to protect from energy price spikes.
  • Government takes the safety of battery technology for energy storage systems seriously.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jacob Collier Lab Burton and Uttoxeter
Climate Energy
Context

The question arises from the need to increase clean power production due to recent geopolitical events.

Question

What steps he is taking to help increase the production of clean power. The US-Israel war has pushed up prices for my constituents and is yet more evidence that we need to be energy self-sufficient with clean power, so I greatly welcome the £2.6 billion investment in Rolls-Royce for small modular reactors.

Answer from Ed Miliband

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I was pleased to sign that contract with Rolls-Royce in the past few weeks. We are world leaders in small modular reactors and this is a massive innovation, not just for Britain but for the world. It is not just the jobs constructing the SMRs that are really important, but the jobs in the supply chain too.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not specify how GB Energy will invest in such projects

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Q2 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Foreign Affairs Energy
Context

The question arises from the impact of the crisis in Iran on household budgets, highlighting previous failures to invest adequately.

Question

For my Slough constituents, the crisis in Iran and the naval blockade have had a profound impact on household budgets. What measures are the Government taking to invest in cheap, clean, home-grown energy so that my Slough constituents can be protected from those spikes in the cost of living?

Answer from Ed Miliband

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The central fact that we cannot get away from is that we are price takers not price makers when it comes to oil and gas, and that is the fundamental contradiction at the heart of where the Opposition are. We are going to drive further and faster on clean power, including electrification across the economy.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not specify any specific measures for protecting households from cost fluctuations

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Q3 Jacob Collier Lab Burton and Uttoxeter
Energy
Context

The question arises from the need to increase clean power production, particularly with the recent investment in Rolls-Royce SMRs.

Question

That is great news for my constituents, as well as those in Derby and the wider region. Will the Secretary of State say more about how GB Energy will invest in such projects?

Answer from Ed Miliband

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I was pleased to sign that contract with Rolls-Royce in the past few weeks. We are world leaders in small modular reactors and this is a massive innovation, not just for Britain but for the world.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not provide further details on how GB Energy will invest

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Q4 John Milne Lib Dem Horsham
Energy
Context

The question arises from the need to address new safety challenges in battery energy storage systems, following guidance issued by the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Question

To get the best out of intermittent energy producers such as wind and solar, we need to invest in battery energy storage systems. However, these face new safety challenges. Will he agree to a further meeting to specifically address the unmet needs in national construction standards?

Answer from Ed Miliband

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. I know that the Energy Minister has met him and the National Fire Chiefs Council to discuss this issue. We take the safety of battery technology incredibly seriously, and I am sure that the Energy Minister will be happy to meet him again for further discussions.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q5 Robert Jenrick Reform Newark
Climate Environment
Context

The question arises from concerns about the large-scale approval of solar farm projects in rural areas, affecting local communities and agricultural land.

Question

If the 7,000-acre Great North Road scheme, the 2,000-acre Steeple scheme, and the 4,000-acre One Earth scheme are all approved, almost 10% of the land mass of my constituency will be covered in solar farms. How on earth is that fair to local communities?

Answer from Ed Miliband

For reasons that the right hon. Gentleman will understand, I am not going to comment on individual planning decisions, because they have to go through the proper process, but I say to him that solar is the cheapest, cleanest form of power that we have.

Not addressed: The Secretary avoided addressing the fairness issue directly

How: Not Commenting On Individual Planning Decisions

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