Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cross-border Connection

Tuesday 13 October 2026 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister has expressed willingness to meet John Lamont and local Scottish Borders councillors to discuss their concerns about the cross-border connection.
  • Decisions on applications related to the cross-border connection are the responsibility of the Scottish Government.
  • The Government prioritize overhead pylons over undergrounding due to higher costs associated with undergrounding.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Scotland
Context

The Scottish Borders council is concerned about the impact of the cross-border connection on local residents and the environment, particularly in John Lamont's constituency.

Question

What discussions has the Minister had with the Scottish Borders council on the cross-border connection? The mega-pylons will have a major impact on residents, and local councillors and residents feel powerless to influence developments such as data centres, wind farms, and battery storage plants. Will the Minister meet me and local Scottish Borders councillors to discuss their concerns? Will the Government support my Energy and Digital Infrastructure (Planning) Bill to provide certainty to local communities?

Answer from Michael Shanks

The Minister has met the hon. Gentleman in the past and is willing to meet again to discuss these issues, but decisions on such applications are the responsibility of the Scottish Government. The Government are committed to bringing communities with them on this process and announced that communities hosting such infrastructure will benefit from bill discounts directly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific support for the Energy and Digital Infrastructure (Planning) Bill was not addressed

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Q2 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Scotland
Context

Residents and local councillors are concerned about the impact of the cross-border connection, including the potential for additional developments such as data centres and wind farms.

Question

Will the Minister meet me and local Scottish Borders councillors to discuss their concerns about the impact of the cross-border connection, and will the Government support my Energy and Digital Infrastructure (Planning) Bill to provide certainty to local communities and the council?

Answer from Michael Shanks

The Minister is willing to meet again to discuss these issues, but decisions on such applications are made by the Scottish Government. The Government are committed to bringing communities with them on this process and announced that communities hosting such infrastructure will benefit from bill discounts directly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific support for the Energy and Digital Infrastructure (Planning) Bill was not addressed

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Q3 Julie Minns
Energy
Context

The proposed route of the cross-border connection passes through four sites of special scientific interest in Julie Minns' constituency, raising concerns about the environmental impact.

Question

Will the Minister urge National Grid to maximise undergrounding on the north Cumbria section of the project to minimise the environmental impact, given that the route cuts through four sites of special scientific interest?

Answer from Michael Shanks

The Government have a preference for pylons over undergrounding, as it is four or five times more expensive and consumers pay that additional cost. Undergrounding is not the Government's preference for building the grid, which is critical to getting clean, cheaper power to people's homes and businesses.

Not addressed: Request to maximise undergrounding

How: Changing The Subject To The Government'S Preference For Pylons

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