Member

I understand that many of these proposals for solar farms are being put forward by foreign investment companies. I question whether the Government are aware of these and whether they are in the UK’s interest. There is a register of overseas entities, requiring foreign companies owning UK land to register, but does the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 also make it mandatory to be transparent about long leases, as many of these companies will be leasing land and taking it out of UK food production for up to 60 years? To come back to my earlier point about resilience, some foreign powers might see this as a subtle way of reducing the UK’s food security. Is the UK monitoring the proposals in this regard and understanding who is truly behind them? Do the Government have any policies on who can buy land in the UK? Can the Minister clarify whether these foreign investors are given tax breaks to invest in these solar farms?