I'll ask the Cabinet Secretary for environment to write
with details concerning the uptake of projects in relation
to micro-hydro plants. The national grid is a
responsibility of UK Government, and both I and my
colleague the Cabinet Secretary have met very recently with
the National Grid, and I can confirm that your assertion is
absolutely right: the grid needs to be strengthened, and
that requires additional infrastructure spend by UK
Government. There are huge opportunities that National
Grid can offer and are looking at—in particular, a scheme
on Deeside industrial estate that could see a particular
plant that they have there become a centre of excellence in
research and development. But underlying all of this is the
need to strengthen the grid as a whole. Actually, one of
the problems that we're facing with the roll-out of
superfast charging points for electric vehicles is the
lack of strength within the existing grid, and to bring the
grid up to a sufficient standard requires a huge amount of
capital spend. So, again, it's absolutely vital that UK
Government looks favourably on the proposals that are being
put to it by National Grid for what I believe would be 50
superfast charging points across the UK in strategic
points, and that we get delivering those points as soon as
possible.
