Browse content similar to 18/01/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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I think the minister for thd recruiting battle we are allowed to | :00:10. | :00:14. | |
do in Northern Island and that we have just under 7% of the rdserve | :00:15. | :00:20. | |
forces from Northern Ireland against 3% of the population. Maybe the | :00:21. | :00:24. | |
Minister could look at recrtiting more in Northern Ireland and we | :00:25. | :00:27. | |
could carry on the backbone of the armed services. Northern Irdland has | :00:28. | :00:32. | |
always been a really excelldnt recruiting ground for both regulars | :00:33. | :00:35. | |
and reservists. I am conscious author of the fact that beyond the | :00:36. | :00:40. | |
statistics the honourable mdmber mentioned a higher proportion of | :00:41. | :00:42. | |
people from Northern Ireland have been obliged than any other part of | :00:43. | :00:50. | |
the UK. Gas have been mobilhsed My department regularly receivds | :00:51. | :00:54. | |
representations covering a wide range of views on defence m`tters | :00:55. | :00:57. | |
including the replacement of the independent nuclear deterrent. Mr | :00:58. | :01:03. | |
Speaker North Korea recentlx announced that it tested a hydrogen | :01:04. | :01:07. | |
bomb and only yesterday boasted that it had the capacity to obliterate | :01:08. | :01:12. | |
the United aides. To what extent does my right honourable frhend | :01:13. | :01:15. | |
think that North Korea would be deterred in its nuclear ambhtion by | :01:16. | :01:18. | |
the knowledge that somewherd below the surface of the East Dyn`sty and | :01:19. | :01:24. | |
unarmed submarines was lurkhng? LAUGHTER | :01:25. | :01:30. | |
Let me first of all stronglx condemned the nuclear test conducted | :01:31. | :01:35. | |
by North Korea which seriously threatens regional and international | :01:36. | :01:39. | |
security. This government, let me assure my right honourable friend, | :01:40. | :01:43. | |
will not gamble with the long-term security of our citizens. Wd remain | :01:44. | :01:47. | |
committed to maintaining an independent nuclear deterrent. The | :01:48. | :01:51. | |
only thing that a nuclear stbmarines without nuclear weapons is likely to | :01:52. | :01:56. | |
deter is anybody who cares `bout our security from ever voting l`bour | :01:57. | :02:03. | |
again. If the UK were to go down the route of decommissioning its | :02:04. | :02:09. | |
warheads and then in the so,called Japanese style and then werd to | :02:10. | :02:14. | |
decide that it needed to recommence in them at some future point, is | :02:15. | :02:19. | |
that the government assessmdnt that it could do so and remain compatible | :02:20. | :02:25. | |
with the nonproliferation treatment? Let me make it clear that J`pan does | :02:26. | :02:29. | |
not have nuclear powered submarines and Japan does not have nuclear | :02:30. | :02:34. | |
weapons. Talk of some Japandse option is entirely farcical. So far | :02:35. | :02:44. | |
as the honourable gentleman's questions concern we have no | :02:45. | :02:49. | |
intention of decommissioning. Question 11 Mr Speaker. We `re fully | :02:50. | :02:55. | |
committed to supporting Nigdria and its efforts to defeat Boca `round. | :02:56. | :03:00. | |
During his visit and number the Secretary of State committed to a | :03:01. | :03:02. | |
major increase in UK support to the Nigerian Armed Forces with the | :03:03. | :03:05. | |
intent of war than doubling the number of British personnel deployed | :03:06. | :03:10. | |
on training passed in the coming year. I am very grateful for the | :03:11. | :03:14. | |
minister's response because your DJ ties between the United kingdom and | :03:15. | :03:19. | |
Nigeria are important to our country. Can the Minister provide | :03:20. | :03:21. | |
more detailed about what thd deployment of UK troops see | :03:22. | :03:24. | |
anticipates the country makhng over the next 12 months? We expect us to | :03:25. | :03:33. | |
300 military personnel to bd providing assistance over the | :03:34. | :03:37. | |
forthcoming year. They angrx around 30 RAF personnel who have bden | :03:38. | :03:40. | |
deployed this month to deliver worse protection and training to the Air | :03:41. | :03:45. | |
Force and more than 35 personnel from the second Battalion, the Royal | :03:46. | :03:47. | |
Anglican Regiment to bullying later this month to train Nigerian | :03:48. | :03:53. | |
personnel that lead to comb`t global around. Boca around have opdrated | :03:54. | :04:00. | |
not only Nigeria but across borders in the region. We have also seen -- | :04:01. | :04:08. | |
and Al-Qaeda affiliated. Giving your thick even in Burkina Faso over the | :04:09. | :04:11. | |
weekend can see explain what the board is given to that country from | :04:12. | :04:13. | |
the UK armed Forces but what that are being given up across the region | :04:14. | :04:19. | |
into court against Islamic violence. There is a huge effort going on not | :04:20. | :04:23. | |
just from the UK but also whth our partners. The range of things that | :04:24. | :04:27. | |
we are doing as well as ongoing bilateral relationships to build the | :04:28. | :04:32. | |
opacity of their own armed forces we provide a huge amount of tr`ining. | :04:33. | :04:35. | |
Particularly on the issue of women please insecurity. And also tactical | :04:36. | :04:42. | |
support as well. We keep all our time to review but a huge alount of | :04:43. | :04:52. | |
work has been done. MOD housing supports serving members of the | :04:53. | :04:55. | |
Armed Forces and their families While a margin of unoccupied | :04:56. | :05:00. | |
properties is returned retired gas retained,... We have allocated 40 | :05:01. | :05:09. | |
million from libel finds to support projects of running better `nd | :05:10. | :05:12. | |
accommodation including ?8.4 million to Mike Jackson house. I thhnk the | :05:13. | :05:19. | |
minister for that response. We have a number of MOD properties currently | :05:20. | :05:24. | |
standing vacant. Will my honourable friend agree with me to meet and | :05:25. | :05:27. | |
discuss some of these properties and how they could potentially be used | :05:28. | :05:29. | |
for temporary accommodation for military veterans? We do have | :05:30. | :05:36. | |
approximately 10% of our service family accommodation unoccupied but | :05:37. | :05:39. | |
we keep it at that level to ensure that we can cater for tripld | :05:40. | :05:43. | |
postings and people returning from overseas. I am not convinced that | :05:44. | :05:47. | |
the use of service accommod`tion is a sustainable way of supporting | :05:48. | :05:50. | |
veterans however there are ` number of excellent projects around the | :05:51. | :05:53. | |
country and I would be delighted to meet my honourable friend to discuss | :05:54. | :05:56. | |
how we can pursue them in cold tester. -- cold tester. To the | :05:57. | :06:03. | |
minister advised the house on the government support status for | :06:04. | :06:07. | |
homeless veterans who have lental health double, what more can be | :06:08. | :06:15. | |
done? We continue to providd support for veterans in particular `ny | :06:16. | :06:18. | |
mental health area. We have invested a lot of money in recent ye`rs but | :06:19. | :06:21. | |
we do except that the job is not done. There has been a rise of | :06:22. | :06:24. | |
mental health problems both in society and in the armed forces and | :06:25. | :06:28. | |
it is something that we keep under constant review and are detdrmined | :06:29. | :06:36. | |
to tackle. Thank you Mr Spe`ker Of course it will be difficult to | :06:37. | :06:41. | |
respond to the question, it is supporting veterans given that 0% | :06:42. | :06:46. | |
of the MOD estate has been sold off. Also concerning is the invention of | :06:47. | :06:55. | |
laying off 30% of civilian work force including significant job | :06:56. | :06:59. | |
losses in defence equipment and support. At the same time, spending | :07:00. | :07:09. | |
on outside expertise has rocketed to some 30% of the DNS budget. Does the | :07:10. | :07:14. | |
Minister accept further lay,offs will not only drive up constltancy | :07:15. | :07:22. | |
cost but also further exacerbate these skills shortage which the | :07:23. | :07:25. | |
public accounts committee identified as a key reason for the increase is | :07:26. | :07:30. | |
in the cost of military equhpment overall? I do not accept th`t and I | :07:31. | :07:37. | |
make absolutely no apologies as a result of our SBS are to continue to | :07:38. | :07:43. | |
optimise our defence output. -- SBS are. -- SDSR. I had a successful | :07:44. | :07:55. | |
bilateral meeting last Frid`y of which the ever 35 programme came up. | :07:56. | :08:02. | |
Aircraft in line with estim`tes operation capability of the bending | :08:03. | :08:06. | |
and we reliability is improving as more aircraft come on streal and | :08:07. | :08:09. | |
into the programme and logistic support increases. The aircraft | :08:10. | :08:13. | |
remained on petrol to meet our initial operating capabilitx in | :08:14. | :08:20. | |
December 20 18. Will he reassure the house that he will not ring -- bring | :08:21. | :08:27. | |
the current fleet of tornado aircraft out of service unthl the | :08:28. | :08:31. | |
F35 has proven it operation reliability after several ydars of | :08:32. | :08:38. | |
active service? The outstanding air to ground capability of our tornado | :08:39. | :08:42. | |
watch her and has been that all he migrated onto the typhoon platform. | :08:43. | :08:48. | |
Initially, in SDSR November we figured considerable investlent in | :08:49. | :08:52. | |
the RAF combat jet fleet including extending our tornado squadrons out | :08:53. | :08:58. | |
of service date to 2018-19, increasing our type in fleet by two | :08:59. | :09:01. | |
swatches and extending the typhoon out of service date to 2040. In | :09:02. | :09:06. | |
addition we reaffirmed our commitment to acquiring a total | :09:07. | :09:10. | |
148F35s to rely for the programme and buying more aircraft earlier so | :09:11. | :09:23. | |
we have... My priorities ard our operations against bias which I ll | :09:24. | :09:26. | |
be reviewing that my counterparts later this week. And implemdntation | :09:27. | :09:31. | |
of the security defence revhew decisions to increase the shze and | :09:32. | :09:34. | |
power of our armed forces to keep Britain's eight. -- keep Brhtain's | :09:35. | :09:38. | |
faith. -- Dave. Can ask my right honourable friend | :09:39. | :09:51. | |
what impact these are DJ defence and security review will have on the | :09:52. | :09:55. | |
future size and power of our armed Forces. You may recall I serve as | :09:56. | :09:59. | |
patron to the military prep`ration college which has bathed in my | :10:00. | :10:03. | |
constituency of Eastbourne `nd served a keen interest in the next | :10:04. | :10:07. | |
generation of servicemen and women. I do recall that and indeed my visit | :10:08. | :10:11. | |
to her constituency surely before her election to the way. I lap the | :10:12. | :10:15. | |
commitment to increase the defence budget every year is our arled for | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
this certainty and stabilitx. We are maintaining besides of the @rmy | :10:21. | :10:25. | |
increasing the size of the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the | :10:26. | :10:30. | |
reserves. We will have more ships, warplanes, more helicopters, more | :10:31. | :10:34. | |
troops at readiness and better equipped special forces to protect | :10:35. | :10:38. | |
our people, to project our hnfluence across the world and to prolote our | :10:39. | :10:46. | |
prosperity. In the last two days, reports of the difficulties faced by | :10:47. | :10:48. | |
veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome have reminded of how | :10:49. | :10:52. | |
important it is that we recognise the extra Erick devices madd by our | :10:53. | :10:55. | |
men and women in uniform. Wd must not only ensure that our service | :10:56. | :10:58. | |
people are properly or reported but also looked after properly when they | :10:59. | :11:03. | |
finished serving. Can the Mhnister tell the outlets are the message you | :11:04. | :11:07. | |
think it sends that the govdrnment has chosen to freeze war pension at | :11:08. | :11:10. | |
a time when the basic state pension is to be protected by a triple log | :11:11. | :11:18. | |
and is set to rise by 2.9%? I think the government have actuallx got a | :11:19. | :11:20. | |
good record when it comes to supporting veterans. We havd seen in | :11:21. | :11:24. | |
recent years unlike the previous government major investment when it | :11:25. | :11:30. | |
comes to mental health, vetdrans accommodation and when it comes to | :11:31. | :11:34. | |
veterans... We have the multi million pounds invested when it | :11:35. | :11:39. | |
comes to investing in our vdterans. Something not done under thd | :11:40. | :11:41. | |
previous government. I am stre the Minister will know that this year we | :11:42. | :11:47. | |
are proud to Mike the centenary of the event the boards or in ly | :11:48. | :11:50. | |
constituency. But I invite the Minister to commend the work of | :11:51. | :11:54. | |
Jonathan Weil and his demands regulate on the challenges they may | :11:55. | :11:59. | |
face in next hundred years? I am able to my honourable friend for | :12:00. | :12:02. | |
reminding the house that we do this year celebrates 100 years of the | :12:03. | :12:08. | |
outstanding research effort which was established in response to the | :12:09. | :12:11. | |
threat from chemical weapons during the First World War. Last wdek I | :12:12. | :12:14. | |
reported at the house that we decided to make the STL and | :12:15. | :12:19. | |
executive agency. I'm looking forward to visiting next month and I | :12:20. | :12:24. | |
hope you'll be able to join me to think those who do such a f`ntastic | :12:25. | :12:33. | |
job there. Defence missiles currently being chopped in Syria are | :12:34. | :12:37. | |
estimated to cost in the region of ?150,000 each. With such a lassive | :12:38. | :12:44. | |
financial commitment to the Minister as her the house that the cost of | :12:45. | :12:49. | |
this campaign are being monhtored and that a similar financial | :12:50. | :12:54. | |
contribution will be made towards rebuilding Syria? The honourable | :12:55. | :13:02. | |
Lady is right to identify that assistant munitions are costly. But | :13:03. | :13:07. | |
I can reassure her that we `re keeping a very both watch on | :13:08. | :13:10. | |
stockpiles and ensuring that we have sufficient missiles in stock to meet | :13:11. | :13:15. | |
our requirements. As the prhme minister has said in his hotse | :13:16. | :13:18. | |
during the debate over Syri` is absolutely this government's intend | :13:19. | :13:22. | |
to press for a rebuilding programme for Syria when this terribld double | :13:23. | :13:27. | |
war comes to an end. -- terrible Civil War. The rules surrounding | :13:28. | :13:34. | |
transportation of rifles and ammunition to make it all btt | :13:35. | :13:38. | |
impossible for schools and the debt union to participate in particularly | :13:39. | :13:42. | |
target rifle shooting. Will my right honourable friend meet with me and | :13:43. | :13:45. | |
representatives of the National Rifle Association to discuss how we | :13:46. | :13:48. | |
can get around these that whll rule and impractical and safe pl`n out? I | :13:49. | :13:55. | |
would be delighted to meet with my mobile friend and the National Rifle | :13:56. | :13:58. | |
Association. I should say they'll that while it is clearly a very | :13:59. | :14:02. | |
skilled business, handling youngsters on a rifle range, we | :14:03. | :14:06. | |
cannot find any evidence through any of these for service organizations | :14:07. | :14:15. | |
that there is a particularlx acute shortage although there are some | :14:16. | :14:18. | |
individual cases that have been brought to my attention but I would | :14:19. | :14:20. | |
be delighted to have been mdeting he the just. -- he's the | :14:21. | :14:25. | |
commando Joe's work across goals across the country placing veterans | :14:26. | :14:32. | |
and costumes to share skills and experiences with young people | :14:33. | :14:35. | |
despite robust evidence of the success of their work their | :14:36. | :14:39. | |
government funding is due to end in March of this year placing the | :14:40. | :14:42. | |
organisation in jeopardy. Whll you make representations on it `nd look | :14:43. | :14:45. | |
at what can be done to allow this hugely important work to continue? I | :14:46. | :14:50. | |
would be delighted to meet with the honourable gentleman to discuss this | :14:51. | :14:58. | |
matter and the if we can pursue it. Does my right honourable frhend | :14:59. | :15:03. | |
agree that any moves to weaken our commitment to an independent nuclear | :15:04. | :15:07. | |
deterrent or our leading role in Nato will make us less safe? | :15:08. | :15:13. | |
Absolutely. Our independent nuclear deterrent is the ultimate e`r and | :15:14. | :15:18. | |
Nato's security and necessary insurance in an increasinglx | :15:19. | :15:25. | |
dangerous and uncertain world. Our can conventional nuclear | :15:26. | :15:27. | |
capabilities underwritten bx our commitment to spend 2% of GDP on | :15:28. | :15:32. | |
defence support our leading role in Nato which remained at the heart of | :15:33. | :15:35. | |
our. This government will not put our security at risk. The armed | :15:36. | :15:42. | |
forces are facing here is SNL shortages in some of the most | :15:43. | :15:45. | |
crucial nationalist trade including nuclear engineers and white | :15:46. | :15:49. | |
technicians. Given that a great deal of the expertise is in MOD civilian | :15:50. | :15:54. | |
workforce, which the governlent is planning to cut by 30%, can the and | :15:55. | :16:00. | |
how the government plans to ensure that operational capabilitids are | :16:01. | :16:05. | |
protected when the pets go `head? For particular point in trade there | :16:06. | :16:11. | |
are particular programmes that are ongoing to ensure that we rdtained | :16:12. | :16:19. | |
people but we also recruit. Those training people are offering | :16:20. | :16:22. | |
apprenticeships but also allowing people to move in from the private | :16:23. | :16:25. | |
sector. Those principles ard well established, we are going to also be | :16:26. | :16:29. | |
introducing into our worth hs more flexible working patterns to allow | :16:30. | :16:34. | |
more of that to happen and `llow people to move from regular to | :16:35. | :16:40. | |
reserve forces into civilian contacts and then back into the | :16:41. | :16:42. | |
Armed Forces. This is very luch the direction of travel and for each | :16:43. | :16:46. | |
trade there is a particular plan which is going very well. In fact I | :16:47. | :16:50. | |
think this month we have st`rted recruiting apprenticeships hnto | :16:51. | :16:55. | |
nuclear engineering 35 have started this month alone. Could be secretary | :16:56. | :17:02. | |
of state explain was that the MOD is taking to release their blessed land | :17:03. | :17:06. | |
for housing and could he also explained what progress the MOD has | :17:07. | :17:10. | |
made in selling or renting the control centre in water beach? As | :17:11. | :17:16. | |
part of the government prosperity of gendered the MOD is omitted to | :17:17. | :17:21. | |
really demand for 55,000 hotsing units in this Parliament. I am | :17:22. | :17:24. | |
delighted to announce the fhrst block size which will contrhbute | :17:25. | :17:30. | |
some ?500 million of land rdceived will be reinvested into defdnce and | :17:31. | :17:35. | |
more than -- provide more than 15,000 potential housing unhts. I | :17:36. | :17:39. | |
will place a full list of shtes in the library of the house and I had | :17:40. | :17:42. | |
written to be an view concerned I've had to be in a position before | :17:43. | :17:45. | |
the end of the year to provhde further details including a full | :17:46. | :17:49. | |
list of sites effective. With regard to my honourable friend own | :17:50. | :17:52. | |
constituency I confirm that the whole of that site has now been | :17:53. | :17:55. | |
transferred to our civilian delivery partner. | :17:56. | :18:00. | |
Does the Secretary of State have any more concerns about the arms in | :18:01. | :18:07. | |
Saudi Arabia giving its ratds and the fact that it has been documented | :18:08. | :18:11. | |
by Amnesty International by others that is a clear risk of UK `rms | :18:12. | :18:18. | |
being used to read... The United Kingdom has some of the strhctest | :18:19. | :18:23. | |
arms export criteria in the world. We are obviously concerned that were | :18:24. | :18:27. | |
any of our arms are exported to their use should be in full | :18:28. | :18:33. | |
compliance with internation`l humanitarian law and that is | :18:34. | :18:35. | |
something I discussed regul`rly with my counterpart the deputy crown | :18:36. | :18:40. | |
prince, the defense minister of Saudi Arabia and my other | :18:41. | :18:44. | |
colleagues. My right honour`ble friend inform what support they are | :18:45. | :18:54. | |
offering veterans making cl`ims for what happened during the Ir`q war? | :18:55. | :19:04. | |
Let me make it clear to My Noble friend that we take it seriously our | :19:05. | :19:09. | |
duty to provide support for the balloon may be facing proceddings | :19:10. | :19:12. | |
arising from the past service would pay for independent legal advice in | :19:13. | :19:18. | |
all such cases. I am extrem` concerned that the number of claims | :19:19. | :19:23. | |
now being brought on an indtstrial scale and we are considering steps | :19:24. | :19:26. | |
to stem the outflow with options including restricting legal aid | :19:27. | :19:31. | |
limiting the time in which claims can be brought in limiting the | :19:32. | :19:35. | |
territorial advocation of the rights that those claims are in. I'm | :19:36. | :19:43. | |
convinced that Trident has ` crucial role to play in the defense of our | :19:44. | :19:49. | |
country. The economic aspects are important as well and there are a | :19:50. | :19:52. | |
huge number of workers in otr country waiting with some anxiety to | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
see whether or not Parliament is prepared to pick a final approval | :19:57. | :20:02. | |
for success the programme. @nd I asked was suggested to give an | :20:03. | :20:05. | |
assurance that he will not `llow any unnecessary debate to get in the way | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
of the need to bring the mahn gate proposals to the floor of hhs house | :20:10. | :20:16. | |
for debate in the decision? I give the honourable Lady the asstrance | :20:17. | :20:24. | |
she seeks. It takes more th`n ten years to build one of the stbmarines | :20:25. | :20:27. | |
and we need to get on and rdplace the existing boats that will be | :20:28. | :20:33. | |
obsolescent towards the end of the 20 20s we have set out our | :20:34. | :20:37. | |
commitment in the strategic review at the end of November to rdplace | :20:38. | :20:42. | |
all four bodes and I hope it will not be too long before Kruglan is | :20:43. | :20:48. | |
asked to endorse that commitment. -- boats. -- Parliament. Despite the | :20:49. | :20:56. | |
obvious differences with Russia over Crimea and the Ukraine will the | :20:57. | :20:58. | |
Secretary of State give asstrance that he would redouble efforts to | :20:59. | :21:02. | |
engage with his Russian counterparts on fighting collaboratively against | :21:03. | :21:09. | |
Daesh and Syria? I do not h`ve to tell my... I am not currently | :21:10. | :21:12. | |
engaged in any discussions with my Russian counterpart. The illegal | :21:13. | :21:18. | |
annexation of Crimea and 2004 and Russia's continuing support to | :21:19. | :21:24. | |
separatist in eastern Ukraine do not allow a return to normal engagement. | :21:25. | :21:30. | |
However, in the interest of air and maritime safety, I have authorized | :21:31. | :21:34. | |
MOD officials to undertake limited military to military engagelent with | :21:35. | :21:40. | |
the Russians to ensure that our own airspace is properly protected. ... | :21:41. | :21:55. | |
Also Chauveau Forge Masters, the Secretary of State said the | :21:56. | :21:58. | |
government position is to maintain... Will be used in British | :21:59. | :22:06. | |
filled? The honourable gentleman will be interested in a statement | :22:07. | :22:08. | |
that immediately follows thdse questions in relation to wh`t the | :22:09. | :22:14. | |
government majors are making in British steel. We are keen to ensure | :22:15. | :22:17. | |
that British manufacturers have an opportunity to compete for defense | :22:18. | :22:22. | |
contracts with significant steel components and they'll be continuing | :22:23. | :22:27. | |
to be the case. On Thursday have a great pleasure to company mx | :22:28. | :22:34. | |
visiting the defense support decision... Man salute this | :22:35. | :22:39. | |
innovation by my honourable friend who is doing fantastic work and | :22:40. | :22:43. | |
assessing Britain's defense need and as well as assessing the technology | :22:44. | :22:50. | |
opportunities. May ask my honourable friend to give continuing thought to | :22:51. | :22:55. | |
the effort of the high-altitude record-holder which fantasthc | :22:56. | :23:00. | |
surveillance... In which my great friend and late friend was ` part | :23:01. | :23:10. | |
of. I'm very grateful to my honourable friend for giving me the | :23:11. | :23:15. | |
credit for establishing the defense solution center it would only be | :23:16. | :23:19. | |
fair to the House into my ftture career if I placed the credht where | :23:20. | :23:23. | |
it is properly due at the fdet of my right honourable friend the | :23:24. | :23:27. | |
Secretary of State and his former role. I did enjoyed our visht to the | :23:28. | :23:35. | |
DFC, bait are doing a great job to place UK innovation of the heart of | :23:36. | :23:38. | |
the defense industrial supply chain globally endangered he would have | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
noted that in the STS are wd did make reference to investing in a | :23:43. | :23:47. | |
unique British capability for advanced surveillance was I know | :23:48. | :23:55. | |
will interest him. -- which I know. The placement of the nuclear weapon | :23:56. | :23:59. | |
system, how much does the government think that will cost? As to make | :24:00. | :24:12. | |
crystal clear in the -- SCSR we recalculated the cost which we | :24:13. | :24:18. | |
estimated at ?31 billion and added a ?10 billion in to that. We have no | :24:19. | :24:22. | |
intention at this point to replace the warhead, a decision on that will | :24:23. | :24:28. | |
be taken later. Therefore, higher to the honourable gentleman to focus on | :24:29. | :24:34. | |
the 31 billion MMU plus the 10 billion commitment as the cost that | :24:35. | :24:41. | |
is relevant today. The Minister of State for small business industry | :24:42. | :24:52. | |
and enterprise. Minister of State. Mr Speaker, it is with regrdt that I | :24:53. | :24:56. | |
find myself having to updatd the House on further job losses in the | :24:57. | :25:00. | |
steel sector. This morning Tartarus still announced plans to make over | :25:01. | :25:07. | |
1000 redundancies as part of their continuing restructuring pl`n. The | :25:08. | :25:15. | |
proposals involve 750 job losses, 200 redundancies and support | :25:16. | :25:20. | |
functions at another location. Tarter have also announced with | :25:21. | :25:26. | |
Hunter redundancies at steel mills in three other places. This is a | :25:27. | :25:29. | |
difficult time for all workdrs and their families, our thoughts must be | :25:30. | :25:33. | |
with them. By immediate focts will be on helping any workers who lose | :25:34. | :25:37. | |
their jobs back into employlent as quickly as possible. We also | :25:38. | :25:40. | |
continue to support the stedl industry. Given the United Kingdom's | :25:41. | :25:45. | |
dilution settlement, much of the support that can be offered to | :25:46. | :25:49. | |
workers and Tarter in south walls will come from the Welsh government. | :25:50. | :25:54. | |
The United Kingdom government wants Internet Port Talbot has a | :25:55. | :25:58. | |
commercial and a sustainabld future, encouraging the Welsh government to | :25:59. | :26:02. | |
large task force this week, they meet on Wednesday for the fhrst time | :26:03. | :26:05. | |
to support those affected bx today's announcement. We offer our support | :26:06. | :26:10. | |
to the task force chair and we will continue to work with the Wdlsh | :26:11. | :26:14. | |
government going forward. I therefore welcome the commitment by | :26:15. | :26:18. | |
the First Minister made tod`y to work posted with the United Kingdom | :26:19. | :26:22. | |
government and I am confident that they will see to our request that we | :26:23. | :26:30. | |
are a full part in that task force. I can assure members that wd are | :26:31. | :26:33. | |
also working closely with the Secretary of State for Wales, that | :26:34. | :26:38. | |
is where he is today which hs why he is not here in the House. Mr | :26:39. | :26:41. | |
Speaker, it is important to remember that the fundamental problels facing | :26:42. | :26:45. | |
our steel industry are as follows. It is the fault of the world is | :26:46. | :26:50. | |
caused by the overproduction and under consumption of steel, we know | :26:51. | :26:55. | |
that the price for slab is `lmost half in the last 12 months. We also | :26:56. | :27:00. | |
know that Tarter have been losing ?1 million a day as a result of this | :27:01. | :27:07. | |
slump in the steel prices. @lthough the industry has asked for hs a | :27:08. | :27:13. | |
level playing field and that is what we are achieving. I can inform the | :27:14. | :27:18. | |
House that the government h`s been working closely with Tarter to do | :27:19. | :27:24. | |
all we can to reassure a sustainable future for it in the United Kingdom, | :27:25. | :27:33. | |
app or top... It is encouraging that they have announced capital as the | :27:34. | :27:41. | |
preferred bidder. We remain in contact with them. The government | :27:42. | :27:44. | |
stands ready to play our part in helping secure the long-terl future. | :27:45. | :27:50. | |
Returning to today's announcement, the same offer is there Port Talbot. | :27:51. | :27:55. | |
Tarter are working with consultants to develop a plan to address the | :27:56. | :27:59. | |
competitiveness of its business at Port output. We in the Welsh | :28:00. | :28:03. | |
government are in regular dhalogue with them. This dialog incltdes my | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
right honourable friend the Secretary of State for business as | :28:08. | :28:11. | |
well is my official and mysdlf. On the future Port Talbot must be | :28:12. | :28:17. | |
commercially led will help where we can. Mr Speaker, I want to lake it | :28:18. | :28:22. | |
absolutely clear that we ard unequivocal, steel is a vit`l | :28:23. | :28:25. | |
industry this government is determined to make sure that steel | :28:26. | :28:34. | |
is produced, not just that ... And that has a sustainable future. We | :28:35. | :28:40. | |
are creating the level playhng field that the industry has asked of us. | :28:41. | :28:44. | |
They set out five ask when we had are still some inactive end of last | :28:45. | :28:54. | |
year. -- our steel summit. @pproval to pay for the conversation to | :28:55. | :28:57. | |
energy intensive instruments that include steel, to include rdnewable | :28:58. | :29:01. | |
policy cost we have party p`id around ?60 million to the steel | :29:02. | :29:04. | |
industry to help litigate the cost of existing policies. The ndw state | :29:05. | :29:09. | |
approval will not enable us to us extend the scope of compens`tion. | :29:10. | :29:15. | |
Enabling steel and other industry intensive industries to apply. I | :29:16. | :29:20. | |
will save the still industrx about ?100 million over the financial | :29:21. | :29:27. | |
year. Roughly 30% of their dnergy bills. Mr Speaker we will go | :29:28. | :29:32. | |
further, exempt EI eyes frol most of these costs, support for thdse | :29:33. | :29:35. | |
industries will save them htndreds of millions of pounds over the next | :29:36. | :29:48. | |
five years -- EIIs. ... The Environment Agency have accdpted | :29:49. | :29:52. | |
Tarter steel Pozo for deleg`tion for improving, subject with | :29:53. | :29:57. | |
consultation. Once approval will give them a further six years to | :29:58. | :30:04. | |
improve emission levels, power plants have been in included in the | :30:05. | :30:08. | |
national plan which the UK has submitted to the European Union | :30:09. | :30:13. | |
This implemented until June 202 further four years to meet the | :30:14. | :30:16. | |
initial requirements, these actions will save the industry millhons of | :30:17. | :30:20. | |
pounds. We have also published and further updated the permit guidance. | :30:21. | :30:30. | |
Specific and properly so about procurement. We have issued new | :30:31. | :30:35. | |
guidance we are the first country in the European Union to take `dvantage | :30:36. | :30:38. | |
of them and implement these new flexibilities. Social impacts, job | :30:39. | :30:42. | |
impact, staff safety have not been taken into account. In short, there | :30:43. | :30:48. | |
is no excuse not to and every reason to, by British steel. I want to make | :30:49. | :30:56. | |
it clear and put it on the record that if those procurement roles | :30:57. | :31:04. | |
include alimony am. I have been heard it said that the government | :31:05. | :31:07. | |
has blocked the trade investigation and they have not. The government | :31:08. | :31:13. | |
has been acting decisively to safeguard the United Kingdol's steel | :31:14. | :31:17. | |
industry. In July and again in November of last year we voted in | :31:18. | :31:21. | |
favor of anti-dumping measures on certain steel imports. It w`s the | :31:22. | :31:28. | |
United Kingdom that lobbied successfully in support of hndustry | :31:29. | :31:31. | |
calls for an investigation hnto imports of reinforcing steel, I hope | :31:32. | :31:36. | |
we will have an announcement soon on the result of those actions that | :31:37. | :31:40. | |
have been led by the excelldnt leadership of the Secretary of State | :31:41. | :31:43. | |
for business. The European Commission has taken this forward | :31:44. | :31:46. | |
swiftly including responding quickly to industry request to register | :31:47. | :31:52. | |
import, it was the United Khngdom who secured an extraordinarx meeting | :31:53. | :31:55. | |
at the EU competitive Counchl and agreed fast action. They ard | :31:56. | :32:02. | |
returning to follow up at a conference next month. The review on | :32:03. | :32:05. | |
business rates will concludd this year, the Welsh government has a | :32:06. | :32:13. | |
responsibility for business rates at Port Hopwood and other parts in | :32:14. | :32:18. | |
Wells. -- Port Tolbert. It seems that the steel industry rem`ins | :32:19. | :32:24. | |
under pressure, the immediate causes of these are beyond the govdrnments | :32:25. | :32:28. | |
control. I can assure the House that we will continue to do all we can to | :32:29. | :32:33. | |
help this industry and we whll stand by all of those workers who face | :32:34. | :32:36. | |
redundancy in South Wells and other parts of the United Kingdom. It is | :32:37. | :32:47. | |
welcome at the government h`s come to this house to make a statement on | :32:48. | :32:54. | |
steel. By urging questions on this side of the House, it is | :32:55. | :32:58. | |
disappointing given the serhousness of this issue that the Secrdtary of | :32:59. | :33:01. | |
State does not seem to fit to make this statement himself. Howdver I | :33:02. | :33:06. | |
do welcome the honourable L`dy to her place. I welcome the ministers | :33:07. | :33:11. | |
intention to work closely whth the Welsh government to mitigatd the | :33:12. | :33:15. | |
effects of these job losses on local communities, especially I wdlcome | :33:16. | :33:20. | |
the Corporation on business rates. There has been no action taken on by | :33:21. | :33:24. | |
this government on business rates in England. Tarter's announcemdnt of | :33:25. | :33:34. | |
1050 job losses across Port Talbot is devastating news for all of the | :33:35. | :33:37. | |
workers, their families and the close-knit communities who `re | :33:38. | :33:41. | |
affected. Our hearts, Mr Spdaker, go out to them. This latest bolbshell | :33:42. | :33:47. | |
comes on to job losses at their Newport win last year along with | :33:48. | :33:54. | |
thousands of job losses across the sector including a complete closure. | :33:55. | :34:01. | |
Mr Speaker, always seem to give him his government is one word, but very | :34:02. | :34:06. | |
little concrete action. -- this government. In the three months | :34:07. | :34:13. | |
since the emergency steel stmmit, only one of the things have been | :34:14. | :34:17. | |
delivered. What think that steel is the foundation of many of the UK's | :34:18. | :34:21. | |
important sectors. Including automotive, Eric and constrtction. | :34:22. | :34:24. | |
-- Aaron. The government has been splht back | :34:25. | :34:34. | |
to well, they have not been tough enough with the Chinese are active | :34:35. | :34:38. | |
enough with the European Unhon. They have made no concessions on the | :34:39. | :34:41. | |
business rates systems which penalizes those who invest hn | :34:42. | :34:46. | |
expensive infrastructure to improve productivity. There is no shgn that | :34:47. | :34:50. | |
the technical change to procurement roles is making any difference in | :34:51. | :34:56. | |
the government contracts to help our domestic industry. Mr Speakdr, when | :34:57. | :35:00. | |
are we going to get effective action from his government and not just one | :35:01. | :35:06. | |
words? Countries like China are engaging in uncompetitive practices | :35:07. | :35:12. | |
that are destroying our stedl industry. We have raised it with the | :35:13. | :35:22. | |
Chinese at subsequent meetings. The slow response in the EU to the | :35:23. | :35:28. | |
synonymy of Chinese steel... I make this point in no uncertain terms I | :35:29. | :35:34. | |
was meeting with representatives last week. They need to takd action | :35:35. | :35:39. | |
now and at this government should be leading the charge to reforl EU | :35:40. | :35:42. | |
trade defense instruments, they re actually resisting reform to speed | :35:43. | :35:49. | |
them up. Mr Speaker this cotntry desperately needs an industrial | :35:50. | :35:52. | |
strategy so that our steel hndustry can survive and thrive. The kids | :35:53. | :35:56. | |
were once declared that Britain will be carried aloft on the march.. | :35:57. | :36:04. | |
Five years on, there was a gap between his rhetoric and thd great | :36:05. | :36:08. | |
reality. Many factoring exports have slumped in manufacturing output is | :36:09. | :36:11. | |
still below its level of seven years ago. Mr Speaker on the deficit that, | :36:12. | :36:19. | |
the Chancellor has built evdry test he set himself. There is no | :36:20. | :36:25. | |
substantial industrial strategy insight, is there any wonder we have | :36:26. | :36:33. | |
a Business Secretary would not even let the words crossed his lhps. | :36:34. | :36:36. | |
Because the government will not deliver what the creating an | :36:37. | :36:39. | |
advisory board of experts and business industries and trade unions | :36:40. | :36:44. | |
to lead work on the developlent of a proper industrial strategy for the | :36:45. | :36:50. | |
UK. Mr Speaker, with the Minister not tell us what size is stdel | :36:51. | :36:55. | |
industry in the UK that she required as sustainable? When will the | :36:56. | :37:01. | |
government start cozying up to China and confront their cheap stdel on | :37:02. | :37:07. | |
the UK market. With the Minhster assured his house that the puestion | :37:08. | :37:12. | |
of market economy status in China will not be resolved until they stop | :37:13. | :37:17. | |
dumping cheap steel in the TK Woods can the House of his governlent is | :37:18. | :37:24. | |
blocking the modernization of EU trade defense instruments which | :37:25. | :37:26. | |
would do with unfair trade before such damage is done to our domestic | :37:27. | :37:33. | |
producers? Water was welcomd progress in the UK State application | :37:34. | :37:38. | |
on the renewable, can the Mhnister confirm that until approval for its | :37:39. | :37:43. | |
second application is received it leaves some companies and the steel | :37:44. | :37:49. | |
and other sectors with out `ccess to much-needed composition is still | :37:50. | :37:52. | |
exposed to some 70% of plandt change policy cuts. When will therd be any | :37:53. | :37:57. | |
progress on business rates which penalize new investments to increase | :37:58. | :38:02. | |
productivity. When, in short, as the government finally going to turn his | :38:03. | :38:07. | |
warm words into a real and trgent action to save our steel industry? I | :38:08. | :38:14. | |
am very sorry that the honotrable Lady did not listen to what I said. | :38:15. | :38:22. | |
While we are dealing... I do not issue has been dealing in f`ct, can | :38:23. | :38:26. | |
I remind the House that the number of people in 1998 that workdd in the | :38:27. | :38:32. | |
British steel industry was some 68000 and by 2010 the number had | :38:33. | :38:41. | |
fallen to dirty 3000 and by 201 it risen by 30 5000. I do not think it | :38:42. | :38:53. | |
is right for the members opposite to lecture us. Well I will contend in | :38:54. | :38:55. | |
the last few months we have done more to support it then the last | :38:56. | :39:01. | |
parliament in 13 years. I do not think it helps anybody in m`king | :39:02. | :39:11. | |
cheap political points. It hs so tempting not to when you he`r such | :39:12. | :39:14. | |
palpable nonsense coming from the party opposite. Mr Speaker, the | :39:15. | :39:20. | |
steel industry including thd union makes five ask of us. Energx costs, | :39:21. | :39:26. | |
delivered. Industrial omisshons delivered. Procurement, delhvered. | :39:27. | :39:37. | |
Dumping, delivered. Mr Speaker, in July we for the first time voted to | :39:38. | :39:43. | |
protect our steel industry. Such was the surprise of other peopld sitting | :39:44. | :39:48. | |
around the table. The offichals from the EU went back to the United | :39:49. | :39:52. | |
Kingdom delegation to check if they heard correctly. Because never | :39:53. | :39:57. | |
before had we voted to protdct our steel industry as we did in July. We | :39:58. | :40:03. | |
have it again in November and we have supported rebar, we have | :40:04. | :40:08. | |
delivered on that. The only thing, Mr Speaker, I have to confess | :40:09. | :40:11. | |
because I like to be honest is on business rates. The deal is | :40:12. | :40:16. | |
continuing, I hope come that time of the reviews, when it is finhshed | :40:17. | :40:20. | |
that the Chancellor will be able to save the can help all of those who | :40:21. | :40:26. | |
invest in plant and machinery so they do not get penalized whth | :40:27. | :40:31. | |
higher rates of their busindss rates, which does seem rathdr | :40:32. | :40:34. | |
perverse. Those arguments, those discussions are continuing. I would | :40:35. | :40:39. | |
suggest that we have done a very good job in protecting our steel | :40:40. | :40:43. | |
industry and will continue to do so. We are not a party that does have a | :40:44. | :40:48. | |
pop lit incense at a meeting. This is a government that delivers and | :40:49. | :40:55. | |
meets the demands asked. I will do with the issue of China quickly and | :40:56. | :40:58. | |
the allegation that somehow we have been cozying up. The Prime Linister | :40:59. | :41:05. | |
has been frank with the president when he came over. In relathon to | :41:06. | :41:09. | |
him he asked this is a decision that will be made by the European Union | :41:10. | :41:13. | |
and it is a very good argumdnt that we would want China to have market | :41:14. | :41:18. | |
status. We also made it verx clear that if you want to be a part of the | :41:19. | :41:22. | |
game then you have to play by the rolls. That seems a very sensible | :41:23. | :41:28. | |
approach if I do say so mysdlf. -- rules. People were very concerned to | :41:29. | :41:34. | |
hear the news of job losses in my constituency. I will do everything I | :41:35. | :41:39. | |
possibly can to help those `ffected. One question I do have relates to | :41:40. | :41:44. | |
the issue of Chinese dumping. What steps are the Minister taking to | :41:45. | :41:47. | |
apply pressure on the Europdan Union to take the strongest possible line | :41:48. | :41:53. | |
with the Chinese and also to make sure that these dumping | :41:54. | :41:58. | |
investigations are expedited? For the first time in July and then | :41:59. | :42:01. | |
again in November we took that action, the Secretary of St`te of | :42:02. | :42:07. | |
this emergency meeting to ptt pressure on the European Unhon. We | :42:08. | :42:10. | |
arty seen a very big change in the way that they're operating to the | :42:11. | :42:18. | |
dumping. It is not just the a Chinese issue. One rebar we have | :42:19. | :42:21. | |
seen then taking action in ` way that has not been seen before and as | :42:22. | :42:25. | |
a direct result of the work being done by this government objdct our | :42:26. | :42:37. | |
steel industry. These redundancies are terribly sad. I would s`y from | :42:38. | :42:47. | |
our part, solidarity and thoughts are with all of those who f`ce an | :42:48. | :42:52. | |
uncertain future. I will, hd she said on procurement on the fact that | :42:53. | :42:59. | |
we have been exceptionally difficult environment for steel production. | :43:00. | :43:06. | |
Partly driven by ?645 million of excess supply this year. Chhnese | :43:07. | :43:10. | |
steel exports are alone are likely to exceed 100 million comes along. | :43:11. | :43:22. | |
Can ask the Secretary of St`te to press for fast tracking of the | :43:23. | :43:26. | |
investigation into Chinese steel exports. All of the governmdnts must | :43:27. | :43:31. | |
support with the communities affected by all of these | :43:32. | :43:37. | |
announcements... And the prhmary focuses on maintaining a vi`ble | :43:38. | :43:42. | |
future. I understand they'rd serious interest. Can ask the UK Government | :43:43. | :43:47. | |
to be as positive and forthcoming as possible within the rules that apply | :43:48. | :43:52. | |
in support of any viable buxers for any of the plans. Can I ask two | :43:53. | :43:58. | |
specific questions. She said a number of things which I welcome. | :43:59. | :44:02. | |
Can ask the department to kdep it under close review, to make sure | :44:03. | :44:09. | |
should this be insufficient additional help can be provhded | :44:10. | :44:15. | |
that it estimate the earliest opportunity. This steel indtstry is | :44:16. | :44:24. | |
vitally important menu has suffered from the absence, over decades, of | :44:25. | :44:30. | |
an industrial strategy. We discussed this in the debate last week. Can I | :44:31. | :44:36. | |
ask the Minister to bring forward or have the government bring for it at | :44:37. | :44:40. | |
the earliest opportunity a credible coherent industrial and export | :44:41. | :44:45. | |
strategy, which is centered on steel? Absolutely. It has bden a | :44:46. | :45:02. | |
pleasure to work with him. H fully back all efforts. I hope very much | :45:03. | :45:09. | |
that a buyer can be found in any support that can be given whll be | :45:10. | :45:13. | |
given by the UK Government. He makes a good point about energy costs as | :45:14. | :45:18. | |
he knows state aid rules ard strict when it comes to any support. When | :45:19. | :45:25. | |
he talks about the future, what I would say is this, one of the things | :45:26. | :45:30. | |
we have done that has never been done before, we have looked at all | :45:31. | :45:35. | |
of the huge infrastructure projects we are putting together. Thd huge | :45:36. | :45:41. | |
cost to the taxpayer, and wd have assessed the need, ... If I can use | :45:42. | :45:56. | |
that expression down the tr`ck about the sort of work we are doing as | :45:57. | :46:00. | |
government investing in our infrastructure. The steel | :46:01. | :46:06. | |
requirement in putting that to the industry, it is our intention, I may | :46:07. | :46:09. | |
sound emotional, but we are determined that the steel that is | :46:10. | :46:17. | |
used will be made in this country. We also want to ensure that there | :46:18. | :46:26. | |
are liens and South Wales. ,- plans. And we are working towards that | :46:27. | :46:40. | |
She has such changes in European law and rules that she can actu`lly | :46:41. | :46:47. | |
specify that all railway stdel and construction steel is paid for by | :46:48. | :46:50. | |
Britain will be British. Th`t is what I want. I am amazed at the | :46:51. | :46:57. | |
honourable gentleman would take such a view. What matters most of all, we | :46:58. | :47:06. | |
are good friends, we agree on many things. The most important point is | :47:07. | :47:09. | |
this is that we have changed Ings and we aren't the first of `ny | :47:10. | :47:16. | |
country in EU to do this. -, we are the first. There is no excuse for it | :47:17. | :47:22. | |
not to include absolute buyhng the British steel and indeed other | :47:23. | :47:24. | |
metals. I can assure the minister, the | :47:25. | :47:36. | |
people of my constituency are listening carefully to what is being | :47:37. | :47:40. | |
said today. I can also ensure that there is a palpable sense of anger | :47:41. | :47:45. | |
and frustration amongst my constituents. Acclaimed acthon on | :47:46. | :47:48. | |
energy is still not implemented Lame action on procurement `mounts | :47:49. | :47:55. | |
to so-called advertising whhle there's still no British stdel. The | :47:56. | :47:59. | |
government uses the EU as an excuse to delay while being China's chief | :48:00. | :48:03. | |
cheerleader in Europe. Is it not clear that to the minister trgent | :48:04. | :48:08. | |
action to sustain a steel industry here is the matter of the hhghest | :48:09. | :48:13. | |
national priority? No more dxcuses, no more dodges or delays. Whll the | :48:14. | :48:17. | |
government confirmed here and now that they will not support larket | :48:18. | :48:25. | |
economy status for China? Whll the government established a strong | :48:26. | :48:29. | |
long-term steel strategy with Mac top of steel and the union? If they | :48:30. | :48:33. | |
do that there is a feature hf not there is a wasteland. It is all | :48:34. | :48:39. | |
about all of those men and their families and women and their | :48:40. | :48:45. | |
families who work in the Tata Steel. That is what this is about today and | :48:46. | :48:50. | |
our thoughts are with them. I had pictured you to some of the work of | :48:51. | :48:56. | |
the honourable to have done and I hope that we can continue the | :48:57. | :48:58. | |
discussion because there is much that can be done. Can I just say to | :48:59. | :49:02. | |
the honourable gentleman it would really help if we all work together | :49:03. | :49:09. | |
on that. We all agree... I will not say that about China and MES at all. | :49:10. | :49:13. | |
There is a good argument th`t they should have been dated that advice | :49:14. | :49:19. | |
they -- have at this status, but as I say they have to show as that if | :49:20. | :49:23. | |
they are in the game they h`ve to play by the rules and it will be | :49:24. | :49:27. | |
where the EU to look at all the evidence before it makes its | :49:28. | :49:36. | |
decision on that. Chinese steel manufacturers are offering `dded | :49:37. | :49:40. | |
value services such as steel polishing and finishing fred of | :49:41. | :49:45. | |
charge, making the UK steel industry business is less competitivd. Can my | :49:46. | :49:48. | |
right honourable friend outline what steps the government are taking to | :49:49. | :49:52. | |
support UK business is offering the added value services? I strongly | :49:53. | :49:57. | |
suspect Mr Speaker it is quhte a long list to what I will undertake | :49:58. | :50:01. | |
to do is to write to the honourable lady in full with exactly the sort | :50:02. | :50:06. | |
of detail that she wants. It is a government that absolutely get and | :50:07. | :50:09. | |
understands business and we British business wherever it may be. Job | :50:10. | :50:18. | |
losses announced today are huge blow to communities across South Wales | :50:19. | :50:23. | |
with workers in my constitudncy also directly affected as well as those | :50:24. | :50:29. | |
workers import Talbot where the mill was not bald last year. We `re | :50:30. | :50:34. | |
thinking of them today. I know steel workers make huge sacrifices over | :50:35. | :50:36. | |
the years and have done everything they can to help the companx during | :50:37. | :50:41. | |
particularly tough times. C`n the government and on heart say they | :50:42. | :50:44. | |
have done the same because despite what the minister said todax | :50:45. | :50:46. | |
industry and union they acthon has been far too slow. I am in danger of | :50:47. | :50:53. | |
repeating all the things I've been about what we have done but what I | :50:54. | :50:56. | |
will do and agree with the honourable lady on is that we do not | :50:57. | :51:00. | |
forget the eight huge impact in upset and it follows mothballing | :51:01. | :51:06. | |
last summer. What I will do is play huge -- what I will do is p`y a huge | :51:07. | :51:10. | |
tribute to all those working in the steel industry. They are all highly | :51:11. | :51:13. | |
skilled and prized workers. I know that for many reasons that H am | :51:14. | :51:17. | |
always reminded of my visit to red car and all that workforce that | :51:18. | :51:22. | |
worked at as as eye. These `re highly skilled people and fhnally Mr | :51:23. | :51:27. | |
Speaker -- as as I. The onlx thing say if there is note debate, a large | :51:28. | :51:32. | |
number of steelworkers have made considerable that devices btt when I | :51:33. | :51:37. | |
went to Hamburg and met a group of workers bear represented be`utifully | :51:38. | :51:40. | |
and brilliantly by an excellent trade union leader, was strhking | :51:41. | :51:48. | |
that these were men and womdn who had absolutely taken pay cuts, had | :51:49. | :51:54. | |
made the ultimate sacrifice of so this is a very sad day and ht is not | :51:55. | :51:58. | |
lost on us but we are deterlined Bastille will continue to bd | :51:59. | :52:01. | |
produced in South Wales and in Scunthorpe. As one was brought up in | :52:02. | :52:11. | |
Sheffield, will the Minister accept that the deadly combination of EU | :52:12. | :52:20. | |
energy law, EU subsidy Law `nd EU dumping law means that the | :52:21. | :52:24. | |
government may want to achidve a solution to this problem but | :52:25. | :52:27. | |
actually ultimately it cannot do so without leaving the European Union? | :52:28. | :52:34. | |
Here is a surprise but I do not agree with the honourable | :52:35. | :52:38. | |
gentleman's analysis. Nor indeed his conclusions. If I may say, when the | :52:39. | :52:43. | |
secretary of state went over to Brussels and led the charge, both he | :52:44. | :52:48. | |
and I through conversations I had with my equivalent ministers | :52:49. | :52:51. | |
throughout the EU actually H think we have all come together and I | :52:52. | :52:55. | |
think by working together wd can ensure not just the future of the | :52:56. | :52:58. | |
steel industry in our country but throughout the European Union. The | :52:59. | :53:03. | |
minister has just invited us to believe that Europe offers `n | :53:04. | :53:07. | |
equivalent to her. There yot are. You learn something new every day. | :53:08. | :53:13. | |
Landlord was mentioned so ldt's hear from the fellow. -- gunned the | :53:14. | :53:29. | |
of will she confirmed that when the foreign secondary state at that | :53:30. | :53:37. | |
dispatch box and said that the government would judge markdt | :53:38. | :53:40. | |
economy status through the prism of steel that there would be no drawing | :53:41. | :53:46. | |
back from that position? I `lways try to be honest and helpful to the | :53:47. | :53:50. | |
honourable Benjamin. I did not hear that from him but I will take that | :53:51. | :53:53. | |
up with them. I can assure him of that. As he also knows we are | :53:54. | :53:55. | |
working very hard to security feature of the blast earnings that | :53:56. | :54:00. | |
have come to her because as I say we are determined that British steel is | :54:01. | :54:05. | |
still continuing to be made in this country and it has a sustainable | :54:06. | :54:12. | |
future. Today's announcement will be a bit of a blow to all commtnities | :54:13. | :54:18. | |
with relations between the tnions and Tata Steel management h`ve been | :54:19. | :54:20. | |
excellent. My right honourable friend mentioned that the government | :54:21. | :54:24. | |
will be participating in thd task force be assembled to adjust this | :54:25. | :54:29. | |
issue. Can GE confirm in particular that the Department for work and | :54:30. | :54:32. | |
pensions will be heavily involved so as to ensure that all possible those | :54:33. | :54:39. | |
are affected by redundancy will be reemployed? I completely agree with | :54:40. | :54:43. | |
his analysis of the effect throughout South Wales. It hs not | :54:44. | :54:47. | |
just the workers who face rddundancy when we know it had a huge hmpact on | :54:48. | :54:52. | |
the economy locally. Right there the supply chains. Absolutely I can get | :54:53. | :54:56. | |
him the assurance that we whll be working with the DWP in these | :54:57. | :55:00. | |
circumstances. They do then and almost emergency teams that start | :55:01. | :55:05. | |
the work. Now before any colpulsory redundancies are made. That work | :55:06. | :55:08. | |
will be done because it is being done. The minister did own tp to the | :55:09. | :55:20. | |
failure to implement reform of business rates as part of the is | :55:21. | :55:27. | |
confronted by the steel indtstry. Can the Minister examined and give | :55:28. | :55:36. | |
assurances that in advance of the business rate proposal coming next | :55:37. | :55:39. | |
year that they will look at putting a special package in ways to give | :55:40. | :55:43. | |
some relief to this beleagudred industry? I did not say that we had | :55:44. | :55:51. | |
failed because we have a review going on and it has not comd to a | :55:52. | :55:54. | |
conclusion. What the honour`ble gentleman must remember is that in | :55:55. | :55:59. | |
whale be matter of business rate is devolved so it is up to the Wells | :56:00. | :56:02. | |
government if they want to do anything or can do anything to is | :56:03. | :56:07. | |
that Tata Steel there. The dditing that had absolutely to be s`id is | :56:08. | :56:11. | |
that yes of course we will do everything we can to support our | :56:12. | :56:14. | |
steel industry but always whthin the unfortunate confines of the state | :56:15. | :56:21. | |
aid will. -- eight aid rules. I do not impede minister answered the | :56:22. | :56:27. | |
horrible friend she said shd just a agreed with them. It seems to me why | :56:28. | :56:32. | |
clear that if we were not in the European Union we could havd at it | :56:33. | :56:35. | |
differently and quicker. Wotld see at least agree with that? I do not | :56:36. | :56:40. | |
agree with that at all. I think we are better within a reformed | :56:41. | :56:44. | |
European Union. This is a vdry good example of the benefits of our | :56:45. | :56:49. | |
attending membership with the EU. -- continuing membership. What | :56:50. | :56:58. | |
consideration has the UK government made for employer national hnsurance | :56:59. | :57:02. | |
contributions to help with employment cost with? It sedms that | :57:03. | :57:11. | |
if the conversation I am more than likely to have with the right | :57:12. | :57:14. | |
honourable Donovan. I am more than happy to discuss that with him - | :57:15. | :57:21. | |
right honourable gentleman. Following the collapse of the cup | :57:22. | :57:27. | |
are all group PWC administr`tors have been able to salvage a | :57:28. | :57:30. | |
considerable amount of the business securing local jobs including in my | :57:31. | :57:33. | |
constituency. Not with ending the accident she had taken on issues to | :57:34. | :57:40. | |
do with steel which he agred with me that you questions need to be | :57:41. | :57:42. | |
answered about the financial management to the go borrow group | :57:43. | :57:48. | |
which led to its collapse in the first place. I do not know but I am | :57:49. | :57:53. | |
more than happy to have that discussion because if it is right | :57:54. | :57:58. | |
that is a very serious mattdr. The people of the the site are still | :57:59. | :58:07. | |
dealing with the ... They'll be sending their solidarity and | :58:08. | :58:10. | |
thoughts to the people of work Tolbert and other areas that lost | :58:11. | :58:16. | |
their jobs as well in the l`st two days. The minister still refused | :58:17. | :58:21. | |
today to acknowledge the impact that the market economy status of China | :58:22. | :58:26. | |
will give. This will be trading future of British steel makhng | :58:27. | :58:29. | |
because it will facilitate Chinese dumping which the minister dxalted | :58:30. | :58:34. | |
and picked the lock. That is not the case and I are too big again and out | :58:35. | :58:38. | |
market economy status or sign-up. Of course I listen to the honotrable | :58:39. | :58:41. | |
lady bot might argument it hs always good to have that debate with her. | :58:42. | :58:45. | |
What I am saying is not that it is all sorted on dumping. What I am | :58:46. | :58:52. | |
saying is that we have started. . Mr Speaker... We have ticked the box in | :58:53. | :58:55. | |
terms of getting on and doing something about it but no doubt | :58:56. | :58:58. | |
they'll be more concerned that the steel industry will raise bdcause | :58:59. | :59:03. | |
they raised concerns would be used. -- E you will thought it is really | :59:04. | :59:07. | |
rich coming from the opposition Ready for time we voted in favour of | :59:08. | :59:13. | |
a that option. Not just oncd but twice and now we have rebar so we | :59:14. | :59:19. | |
are making good progress. Does my honourable friend agree that UK | :59:20. | :59:22. | |
companies who want to export their products need to soars the cheapest | :59:23. | :59:29. | |
deal they can if they are to be competitive in the world market | :59:30. | :59:32. | |
width and realistically, thd UK skills that their will alwaxs | :59:33. | :59:38. | |
struggle in the long-term if competitors can forgive the LG brand | :59:39. | :59:43. | |
and we can -- can produce yhelds deeper than we can. One of the bank | :59:44. | :59:49. | |
that is absolutely striking about the British steel industry hs the | :59:50. | :59:53. | |
quality of the product and that is one of the main reasons why people | :59:54. | :59:57. | |
want to buy British steel hd could they know it is the best in the | :59:58. | :00:05. | |
world. Many years since the steelworks in my constituency closed | :00:06. | :00:11. | |
and some would say that the local economy had never fully recovered. | :00:12. | :00:18. | |
My constituent understand wdll the period that will exist in the | :00:19. | :00:21. | |
community in South Wales and elsewhere in the country after the | :00:22. | :00:23. | |
news today. And I asked the Minister to be clear with the house `bout | :00:24. | :00:27. | |
exactly where the government stand on this question of market dconomy | :00:28. | :00:33. | |
status for China and how it relates to anti-doping rules? The H`stert -- | :00:34. | :00:43. | |
anti-dumping. The decision will be made by the European Union. We also | :00:44. | :00:50. | |
take the view and IM repeathng it, but I think it's important, that for | :00:51. | :00:54. | |
China to get that it must show that it will play by the rules and it | :00:55. | :00:58. | |
must the evidence that it is playing by the rules. By right honotrable | :00:59. | :01:04. | |
friend is absolutely right `bout the quality of it is still but the | :01:05. | :01:10. | |
quality of some imports is luch to be desired. What leads to bd divided | :01:11. | :01:16. | |
of the standards of quality around steel so that British steel can | :01:17. | :01:21. | |
flourish was white in number of companies I am thinking of seltzer | :01:22. | :01:27. | |
who met they are a Cardiff ,based company were very keen to m`ke this | :01:28. | :01:30. | |
point about whether or not hmports work of the same quality. Yds we | :01:31. | :01:34. | |
have looked at the standard. Sadly we have not always made progress | :01:35. | :01:38. | |
because is an independent body and makes these decisions and not the | :01:39. | :01:41. | |
job of government unfortunately we have no influence over them but he | :01:42. | :01:44. | |
makes a very important point and it is one we advance all the thme. Job | :01:45. | :01:54. | |
losses have devastated the people and communities in South West Wales. | :01:55. | :02:01. | |
Many of my constituency. Thdre. I endorsed the words of right | :02:02. | :02:05. | |
honourable friend and asked again what urgent action will the | :02:06. | :02:08. | |
government take a had apart from warm words? I will go through all | :02:09. | :02:14. | |
the things we have done but what I will assure the honourable lady is | :02:15. | :02:17. | |
that we will work with the was government. We have asked to be part | :02:18. | :02:21. | |
of their task forth and I vdry much hope that they will have thd United | :02:22. | :02:26. | |
Kingdom government as part of their task forth. I think that is very | :02:27. | :02:31. | |
important. -- Welsh governmdnt. And I think the minister for all the | :02:32. | :02:34. | |
work and support you have provided to those of affected in Scunthorpe. | :02:35. | :02:39. | |
It is really appreciated and the commitment going forward to support | :02:40. | :02:43. | |
the sale of the site which ly cup and other low MPs will be mdeting | :02:44. | :02:48. | |
later this week. On the edgd of support to affected by job losses | :02:49. | :02:53. | |
thus far ?9 million Haggartx come our way. One issue would have come | :02:54. | :02:56. | |
up at our local task force `t how much of that money can be used and | :02:57. | :03:01. | |
how flexibly to the bar new jobs as well as the job. If we made a than | :03:02. | :03:06. | |
patient can see as or is a laximum like abilities of the money game | :03:07. | :03:08. | |
used to create new as well `s existing jobs. I start answdr is yes | :03:09. | :03:14. | |
was will plead you Mr Speakdr. As the honourable 80s for Right Guard | :03:15. | :03:17. | |
knows when I hear and find out if there were any good book I do not | :03:18. | :03:21. | |
mess about in getting them started. So we do not want any nonsense it in | :03:22. | :03:25. | |
the honourable gentleman knows my door is always open so we c`n sort | :03:26. | :03:32. | |
things out. The minister had spoken of the state aid rules and get the | :03:33. | :03:36. | |
Italian government has avidly permissibly provided systems to aid | :03:37. | :03:39. | |
your industry on the basis that it constitutes environmental | :03:40. | :03:43. | |
protection. My father worked for steel for 40 years and I know the | :03:44. | :03:48. | |
sacrifice as the many steel working families over so many years in this | :03:49. | :03:52. | |
industry. Don't they deservd a government now that does so much | :03:53. | :03:57. | |
more than this one is willing to do? I pay tribute to all those hncluding | :03:58. | :04:02. | |
my honourable friend whose grandmother worked in skill. I think | :04:03. | :04:06. | |
my own great grandmother did. The most important thing is to lake this | :04:07. | :04:12. | |
absolutely clear that we know the great value of all the Steelworkers. | :04:13. | :04:16. | |
He did ask me a question whhch I have now completely forgottdn. | :04:17. | :04:22. | |
Italy! Another huge myth. The Italian government is in thd process | :04:23. | :04:28. | |
of selling that he'll industry. We will see if there are any btyers. | :04:29. | :04:36. | |
Can I pay tribute to the minister. I am unaware of the -- aware of the | :04:37. | :04:43. | |
impact he had on job losses but is he reasserting out that the | :04:44. | :04:46. | |
investment the government is putting into retraining and rescaling | :04:47. | :04:49. | |
workers will end up in the pockets of those workers and not with | :04:50. | :04:53. | |
consultants or accountant and people of such interest was was whhte | :04:54. | :05:01. | |
absolutely. We know in the path that has not always been the casd. We | :05:02. | :05:07. | |
come from areas where there were always concerned to whether or not | :05:08. | :05:10. | |
government is in tagged Bears money was being properly spent and I am | :05:11. | :05:13. | |
hopeful, in fact I am sure that the money we made available for the | :05:14. | :05:17. | |
workers will we properly thhnk and if it is not I want to know about it | :05:18. | :05:24. | |
and we will sort it out. Can I press the minister, will the treasury find | :05:25. | :05:28. | |
a way to provide the extra resources to the Welsh government to reduce | :05:29. | :05:33. | |
business rates at Tata Steel to help keep heal alive"? They did want to | :05:34. | :05:41. | |
have that as part of their devolution settlement and there is a | :05:42. | :05:46. | |
good argument that if you gdt what you ask for you have to takd the | :05:47. | :05:48. | |
consequences. At the moment, no such request has been made but it request | :05:49. | :05:52. | |
is made and whatever it maybe we will always listen. When I walked | :05:53. | :05:59. | |
through the crossrail tunnel with the James Ward select committee the | :06:00. | :06:03. | |
boxes they are really stressed the high level of British procurement as | :06:04. | :06:06. | |
part of that project. Does the Minister agree with me that we can | :06:07. | :06:09. | |
really win hearts and minds on the head test to project -- HS2 project | :06:10. | :06:15. | |
by putting British steel at the heart of this billions of pounds | :06:16. | :06:19. | |
project. Absolutely and we `re hugely proud of the fact th`t | :06:20. | :06:26. | |
crossrail, a fantastic multh-billion pound project has been built with | :06:27. | :06:30. | |
British still because it is the best. -The 20th next door to Guy | :06:31. | :06:39. | |
many of my work force travel... There is a real risk that the | :06:40. | :06:46. | |
critical mass of Steelworkers is going to be endangered by the job | :06:47. | :06:49. | |
losses. Can we have an assurance from the minister that therd will be | :06:50. | :06:53. | |
interim relief in business rates at least because that is the bhg issue | :06:54. | :06:59. | |
that is going to make or brdak the viability of that works and the job | :07:00. | :07:06. | |
there. Is a good argument btt not one to but at my door because this | :07:07. | :07:09. | |
is the responsibility of thd whilst government because it is devolved. I | :07:10. | :07:13. | |
think there is other work wd can do and one of the things we were | :07:14. | :07:16. | |
discussing with Tata Steel for a long time is about whether or not | :07:17. | :07:21. | |
all the land that is there hs being best used and I think there is a lot | :07:22. | :07:25. | |
of work that we can do with the board to make a more viable and look | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
at other ways of making certain that we make full use of the port by port | :07:30. | :07:39. | |
Albert. Today is a sad day for the steel industry. Particularlx with | :07:40. | :07:44. | |
the workers who live in my constituency. There has over the | :07:45. | :07:51. | |
weekend bent quite a bit of rhetoric regarding responsibility th`t live | :07:52. | :07:54. | |
here at Westminster according to him for the recovery. There are many | :07:55. | :08:00. | |
things at Cardiff Bay that could be used particularly as this r`tes Was | :08:01. | :08:04. | |
he with me that the first Mhnister would be better employing a time | :08:05. | :08:08. | |
ensuring that these are used rather than engaging in tribal polhtics was | :08:09. | :08:19. | |
? I agree. If the time for dveryone to come together and the best thing | :08:20. | :08:25. | |
that written steel industry -- written's steel industry. There is | :08:26. | :08:29. | |
no excuse not to buy British steel. Can I ask her what she said with | :08:30. | :08:34. | |
former colleague of the Minhstry of defence for British steel for | :08:35. | :08:38. | |
contacts and particularly whether she expressed the dividends of. . | :08:39. | :08:48. | |
Short answers are yes and yds. The value of Sheffield is not lost on | :08:49. | :08:54. | |
anybody especially those of us who are concerned about the futtre of | :08:55. | :09:01. | |
our defence sector. In an e`rlier answer my honourable friend talked | :09:02. | :09:06. | |
about playing by the rules `nd then added there is no reason whx HS | :09:07. | :09:09. | |
cannot use British steel. As I understand it the EU law me`ns that | :09:10. | :09:13. | |
my honourable friend cannot guarantee that. Is that not correct? | :09:14. | :09:20. | |
I do not think it is as simple as cannot guarantee it. We livd in a | :09:21. | :09:24. | |
free market economy and that means that anybody must be free to buy | :09:25. | :09:28. | |
from whomsoever they feel whll give them the best deal. I think the | :09:29. | :09:32. | |
point that we are saying is that when it comes to our own procurement | :09:33. | :09:37. | |
rules at government with a spare's money we have maybe ruled stch that | :09:38. | :09:42. | |
there is no egg use for anybody not to buy British steel and because it | :09:43. | :09:45. | |
is so good there is every rdason why they should. The measures announced | :09:46. | :09:51. | |
by the government are welcole however very limited. Was hd not | :09:52. | :09:54. | |
accept that unless we tackld the question of Chinese dumping in the | :09:55. | :10:00. | |
whole future of the whole UK industry is prayed in that clock is | :10:01. | :10:03. | |
ticking and we do not have luch time left with Matt it is import`nt but | :10:04. | :10:07. | |
it is not the answer. One of the reasons why the price of stdel has | :10:08. | :10:10. | |
plummeted is not just because of the worldwide overproduction th`t | :10:11. | :10:15. | |
because consumption of steel has not even got to where it was before the | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
crisis. It is not as simple as Chinese dumping. The ministdr talks | :10:21. | :10:30. | |
tough on procurement, why then are UK companies capable of producing | :10:31. | :10:36. | |
the large forgings for the think the point reactor not being givdn the | :10:37. | :10:39. | |
opportunity even to tender for the work? Under the terms of thd | :10:40. | :10:43. | |
contract stuff between this government and EDF? Could bd it | :10:44. | :10:47. | |
minister say specifically what independent evaluation has our | :10:48. | :10:52. | |
department undertaken of EDF's assertion that there are no UK | :10:53. | :10:54. | |
companies with the relevant experience? My honourable friend the | :10:55. | :11:01. | |
secondary day of paper energy is hearing that the OC and I whll | :11:02. | :11:05. | |
discuss it and we will writd to the honourable gentleman. I welcome the | :11:06. | :11:16. | |
belated announcement and support for the steel industry. When can we | :11:17. | :11:19. | |
expect similar announcement for support of other parts of UK | :11:20. | :11:24. | |
manufacturing? As I pay procurement rules are not just apply to feel | :11:25. | :11:27. | |
they apply to other metals, I think they apply to almost everything I | :11:28. | :11:32. | |
need to go back and check on that but let's be absolutely cle`r I am | :11:33. | :11:38. | |
very proud of this government's record and the last governmdnt's | :11:39. | :11:41. | |
record. If you look at the back there are over 2 million more people | :11:42. | :11:46. | |
in work, I know it is lost to most people on the bench is sitthng | :11:47. | :11:48. | |
opposite, that is a proud rdcord of this country. The minister gave the | :11:49. | :12:00. | |
house details of the updated procurement guidance and as my | :12:01. | :12:04. | |
honourable friend pointed ott maybe statement that there is no dxcuse | :12:05. | :12:08. | |
not to and every reason to buy British deal. Of course the ability | :12:09. | :12:12. | |
to do that by the industry hs constrained by the fact that they're | :12:13. | :12:20. | |
range of capabilities as behng - has been lost and limited to a great | :12:21. | :12:24. | |
degree over the last few decades. In other words British still does not | :12:25. | :12:29. | |
make the range of components and a specialised range of skill that it | :12:30. | :12:32. | |
did years ago. What is the government wanting to do to support | :12:33. | :12:35. | |
the industry as we propose to do with Ford's Masters in securing | :12:36. | :12:42. | |
investment and development of a new range of capabilities because we are | :12:43. | :12:46. | |
not going to see high UK content in our infrastructure projects and we | :12:47. | :12:50. | |
address that issue. The honourable Lady made a good point but H think | :12:51. | :12:54. | |
the most important thing is in the face of these unprecedented price is | :12:55. | :12:59. | |
across the hall of gas crisds across the whole of the world, what this | :13:00. | :13:03. | |
government is determined to do and we have already started that work in | :13:04. | :13:07. | |
figuring it the long-term sustainability of both in Antwerp | :13:08. | :13:12. | |
and in South Wales -- Scunthorpe to produce steel. Honourable mdmbers | :13:13. | :13:18. | |
can attend to Ron about what other European Union countries ard doing. | :13:19. | :13:24. | |
We have examined evidence and there's a lot of mythology `bout all | :13:25. | :13:27. | |
this. This country have takdn the action that is needed, involved in | :13:28. | :13:32. | |
saying quite clearly to Tat` Steel and Krehbiel we will help you in any | :13:33. | :13:37. | |
way we can in securing this deal and also to occur when abhorred Talbot. | :13:38. | :13:40. | |
We will do everything we can to support you guys Port Talbot. | :13:41. | :13:49. | |
On the issue of anti-dumping, at a European level why had UK government | :13:50. | :13:55. | |
let a blocking minority to prevent trade performance was like H am | :13:56. | :14:02. | |
afraid I just do not accept this Mr Speaker. The secretary of State has | :14:03. | :14:04. | |
led the charge. He went over to Brussels, he set up an emergency | :14:05. | :14:09. | |
committee to look specifically at the problems facing the stedl | :14:10. | :14:13. | |
industry. I think we are dohng the right thing. I think one of the most | :14:14. | :14:22. | |
frustrating things for Stew`rt in my own visit to the imparted across all | :14:23. | :14:25. | |
the other end of the UK is that they know the previous government was | :14:26. | :14:30. | |
warned again and again and `gain about the challenges facing the | :14:31. | :14:33. | |
industry and while the minister that out the actions had taken the last | :14:34. | :14:37. | |
few months many that she dods I welcome, can see they had done hard | :14:38. | :14:40. | |
that the previous deal minister and Chancellor did everything they did | :14:41. | :14:43. | |
good when they were warned `bout the crises? Gas. What I will sax about | :14:44. | :14:50. | |
my department is to do this we have a conservative Secretary of State. | :14:51. | :15:09. | |
-- --. Yes. Was the minister's. . As I have said we are determindd, the | :15:10. | :15:13. | |
Prime Minister has said that is a vital industry. We are absolutely | :15:14. | :15:19. | |
determined that we will havd a sustainable deal industry producing | :15:20. | :15:23. | |
steel at Scunthorpe and in South Wales in blast furnaces. Prhor to | :15:24. | :15:34. | |
Christmas, the UA CD had a leeting on steel which the Chinese | :15:35. | :15:38. | |
delegation reviewed to attend. Obviously every other country that | :15:39. | :15:41. | |
was there wanted to talk as glee about Chinese dumping. It is the | :15:42. | :15:45. | |
government's addition in relation to Chinese market economy statts that | :15:46. | :15:58. | |
they... Whether China's wind up for the agreement signed in Parhs. Can | :15:59. | :16:05. | |
the Minister tell us how on earth we will have a manufacturing sdctor at | :16:06. | :16:09. | |
all if China is allowed to dump in such a way without any control | :16:10. | :16:13. | |
whether in this life or the European Union would like as I have said MAF | :16:14. | :16:18. | |
is a matter for the European Union and as I have also said probably we | :16:19. | :16:23. | |
are in favour of it that we have made it very clear that China will | :16:24. | :16:26. | |
only get it if it proves th`t it can play by the rules. The minister | :16:27. | :16:34. | |
cannot have it both ways because as sure as night follows day, | :16:35. | :16:37. | |
eventually local consumption will increase, demand will incre`se, and | :16:38. | :16:42. | |
the price of the yield will increase. What assessment h`s our | :16:43. | :16:47. | |
department made of the long,term impact both on UK competitiveness | :16:48. | :16:53. | |
but also on our own domestic economic strategy with this vital | :16:54. | :16:58. | |
industry so badly depleted? What we do know is that if the partx | :16:59. | :17:05. | |
opposite is in charge of our country's economy again it will take | :17:06. | :17:08. | |
us back to the brink of bankruptcy as it did last time. Order. We come | :17:09. | :17:18. | |
down to the main business. H am agreeable to the minister and | :17:19. | :17:23. | |
colleagues. I remind the Hotse that I have certified quality 79 of the | :17:24. | :17:31. | |
energy bill, understanding order number 83 J in relation to Dngland | :17:32. | :17:37. | |
and Wales. I further remind the house that this does not repeat | :17:38. | :17:43. | |
not, affect proceedings in the debate on second reading or indeed | :17:44. | :17:49. | |
in committee or at report stage After report stage, I will consider | :17:50. | :17:54. | |
them again for certification and if required the legislative gr`nt | :17:55. | :17:57. | |
committee will be asked to consent to certify provisions. | :17:58. | :18:06. | |
Energy bill lost second reading -- law. To move the second reading I | :18:07. | :18:17. | |
call the secretary for energy and climate change. I beg to move that | :18:18. | :18:23. | |
Bill believed that a second time. This is focused on securing a better | :18:24. | :18:30. | |
future for a second time. Otr job is to rebuild Britain so we le`ve to | :18:31. | :18:34. | |
the next generation a stronger Kontinen and what -- countrx than | :18:35. | :18:40. | |
the one we inherited. That leans ensuring our energy securitx. We | :18:41. | :18:45. | |
cannot function without the electricity, oil and gas le`se to | :18:46. | :18:49. | |
heat our homes, power busindss industry and drive our transport | :18:50. | :18:52. | |
system. The well-being of otr common media and our citizens requhres that | :18:53. | :18:56. | |
the first priority for the Department of Energy and Clhmate | :18:57. | :19:02. | |
Change should be energy sectrity. But no responsible government to | :19:03. | :19:04. | |
take a risk on climate change either. It is one of the grdatest | :19:05. | :19:08. | |
long-term threat to our economic security. I will give way. H should | :19:09. | :19:18. | |
have said to the House, in case the bar waiting with bated breath, that | :19:19. | :19:26. | |
the amendment has not been selected. I want to release the honourable | :19:27. | :19:30. | |
lady from her misery. Beford we proceed any further. There `re is | :19:31. | :19:36. | |
adequate opportunity for her to debate on these later. On that | :19:37. | :19:45. | |
point. Underground coal production is a major concern in my | :19:46. | :19:48. | |
constituency because natural resources have been granted a | :19:49. | :19:51. | |
license which runs alongsidd the constituency. In the speech on the | :19:52. | :19:57. | |
18th of November she announced the governments welcome intention to | :19:58. | :20:02. | |
close call our 2025 and restrict it I2023, Cole is one of the most | :20:03. | :20:06. | |
carbon intensive fossil fuels damages air-quality in is not | :20:07. | :20:12. | |
sustainable in the long terl. If the honourable lady could come to her | :20:13. | :20:16. | |
question that will be great. The government is proposing to hn | :20:17. | :20:21. | |
burning coal, will the Secrdtary of State clarify the position on | :20:22. | :20:24. | |
underground coal which involves burning coal underground? I could | :20:25. | :20:31. | |
urge the honourable lady to participate in the consultation | :20:32. | :20:37. | |
which be having shortly abott it, in terms of timing, it will be | :20:38. | :20:44. | |
opportunity for her to make a point. It is a significant step towards | :20:45. | :20:48. | |
reducing, on a global scale, the omissions that cause climatd change. | :20:49. | :20:52. | |
For the first time nearly 200 countries have made a commitment to | :20:53. | :20:55. | |
act together in symbiotic honourable. This agreement will help | :20:56. | :21:00. | |
protect not only our environment but are national and economic sdcurity | :21:01. | :21:04. | |
as well. Our national progrdss has been good today with greenhouse gas | :21:05. | :21:08. | |
emissions down around 30% shnce 1890. Between 2010-2014 the gas | :21:09. | :21:16. | |
emissions fell by 15%, one of the biggest reductions in a single | :21:17. | :21:21. | |
parliament. Indeed, and 2014 we saw the largest reduction measured in a | :21:22. | :21:26. | |
single year, down 8%, a fantastic achievement against the backdrop of | :21:27. | :21:31. | |
an economy that grew to .9%. In June, would these -- we will set the | :21:32. | :21:40. | |
new budget. -- to .9%. At the end of the year we will show our ndw plan. | :21:41. | :21:46. | |
The emissions reduction plan will provide full details of our approach | :21:47. | :21:50. | |
we are ready know where we need to take more action, energy efficiency | :21:51. | :21:56. | |
and long-term framework for heat, omissions reduction in the | :21:57. | :21:59. | |
industrial sector and of cotrse in transport where progress has been | :22:00. | :22:04. | |
slow. -- 2.9%. In all these areas will mean new thinking and work with | :22:05. | :22:08. | |
academia and business to develop proper long-term plans. I ghve way. | :22:09. | :22:15. | |
Not being one who was too concerned about CO2 emissions, perhaps the | :22:16. | :22:17. | |
Minister could tell us how luch of the reduction in our CO2 emhssions | :22:18. | :22:23. | |
is due to the fact that we `re exporting jobs to other parts of the | :22:24. | :22:28. | |
world, such as the statement we have before her introduction tod`y. I | :22:29. | :22:32. | |
hope that the armed with gentleman would take some convert frol the | :22:33. | :22:39. | |
agreement, although the UK has the most ambitious climate change | :22:40. | :22:43. | |
targets possibly in the world, the agreement will go some way to | :22:44. | :22:45. | |
address the competitive isste that he raises, because other cotntries | :22:46. | :22:52. | |
are also taking on publicathons to reduce their emissions as wdll. I | :22:53. | :22:55. | |
would highlight China and that as well, who for the first timd as part | :22:56. | :23:01. | |
of a global agreement. Let le make some progress and I will give way. | :23:02. | :23:06. | |
Mr Speaker, as part of the `ction, this government is focused on scene | :23:07. | :23:10. | |
a long-term plan for secure, clean and affordable energy supplhes for | :23:11. | :23:14. | |
generations to come. This bhll delivers key manifesto commhtments | :23:15. | :23:18. | |
to achieve that objective. Over the next parliament that means dnsuring | :23:19. | :23:22. | |
we continue to it support investment in UK energy sources includhng in | :23:23. | :23:25. | |
the North Sea. A music conthnuing of support deployment of renew`ble so | :23:26. | :23:30. | |
that we meet our objective of producing 30% of our electrhcity | :23:31. | :23:35. | |
from her Lupul sources by 2020. I give way to the honourable | :23:36. | :23:42. | |
gentleman. -- former global sources. Could the secretary of statd | :23:43. | :23:47. | |
explained promoting a more dxpensive form of rentable energy -- renewable | :23:48. | :23:57. | |
energy. Can't you tell about the energy savings. The lowest rate of | :23:58. | :24:05. | |
saving is just 30p per year. The honourable gentleman asked le a | :24:06. | :24:09. | |
false question, we have to deliver on our manifesto commitments, that | :24:10. | :24:16. | |
is why we will be ending it. We will still be making our target which we | :24:17. | :24:25. | |
put in 2012 to do 11-13 by 20 2 . In terms of the amount that is saved by | :24:26. | :24:33. | |
taking these actions are those estimate is about 20 million a year | :24:34. | :24:36. | |
and our highest is about 200 million a year. This is a significant sums, | :24:37. | :24:50. | |
I would urge M... I do not `gree with the way he put it, but he made | :24:51. | :24:55. | |
an important point. Although she is probably saying how well ard | :24:56. | :24:58. | |
emissions that come down, if you are to take into account consumption | :24:59. | :25:02. | |
omissions, those omissions that are linked to our consumption when we | :25:03. | :25:05. | |
import things from other pl`ces like China and will she agree from that | :25:06. | :25:09. | |
perspective our emissions h`ve gone up and we do have some | :25:10. | :25:12. | |
responsibility for those industries we have outsourced to places like | :25:13. | :25:17. | |
China but we enjoy the benefits of that here? The honourable l`dy | :25:18. | :25:21. | |
should be to the honourable gentleman behind her. I would come | :25:22. | :25:25. | |
back to her and stated that she also should take comfort from thd Paris | :25:26. | :25:30. | |
agreement which obliges all countries to take action in this | :25:31. | :25:34. | |
important area. The other activity we are taking on in order to deliver | :25:35. | :25:38. | |
on our low carbon future is to press ahead with a new fleet of ntclear | :25:39. | :25:41. | |
power stations. We are also encouraging new gas power stations | :25:42. | :25:46. | |
so that we can end the use of coal for electricity generation by 2 25. | :25:47. | :25:54. | |
I give weight. Will she accdpt that only 2.5% is nuclear. If yot read | :25:55. | :25:58. | |
15% within ten years uraniul will have run out. Will she accept that | :25:59. | :26:03. | |
we should do more with renewables given the 80% of fossil fuels cannot | :26:04. | :26:12. | |
be exploited, she's doing enough? Can I urge the honourable gdntleman | :26:13. | :26:15. | |
to think carefully about thd importance of getting the b`lance. | :26:16. | :26:19. | |
However important we think renewables are and we do, wd need to | :26:20. | :26:23. | |
also have absolutely secure base vote so there is never any risk to | :26:24. | :26:29. | |
security. That is what is that when to delivering on nuclear. -, that is | :26:30. | :26:36. | |
why this government is commhtted. I checked today, 1% of our power is | :26:37. | :26:40. | |
being generated... Of dirty percent from coal and 42% on gas. Doesn t | :26:41. | :26:44. | |
that show us that the Secretary of State not to rely on these | :26:45. | :26:48. | |
renewables, or the lights would go off with Mac -- 30% he is rhght it | :26:49. | :26:56. | |
is absolutely essential to lake sure we have the cure base loads while we | :26:57. | :26:59. | |
deliver on our renewable targets as well. Simply meeting the targets | :27:00. | :27:03. | |
have set ourselves is not stfficient if we are to ensure energy security. | :27:04. | :27:10. | |
We have to get this in the lost cost-effective way. Not part of a | :27:11. | :27:15. | |
permanent business model it should be temporary. Clean technologies | :27:16. | :27:19. | |
won't be sustainable at the scale we need if they are cheap enough. We | :27:20. | :27:22. | |
need to get the right balance between supporting new technologies | :27:23. | :27:26. | |
and as costs come down, being tough on subsidies to keep bills `s low as | :27:27. | :27:33. | |
possible. We can only expect the players to support low carbon power | :27:34. | :27:38. | |
as long as costs are controlled -- payers. First, by continuing to | :27:39. | :27:45. | |
support the development of North Sea oil and gas by implementing | :27:46. | :27:51. | |
regulations of the review to establish the oil and gas Atthority | :27:52. | :27:54. | |
as an independent regulator and Stewart. Second, acting to control | :27:55. | :28:00. | |
the cost of renewing energy by ending new set cities for Unser went | :28:01. | :28:04. | |
in providing local people whth the final say on new applications. I am | :28:05. | :28:09. | |
going to make some progress on these two and I will take further | :28:10. | :28:14. | |
interruptions. Not yet. The North Sea oil and gas industry is still a | :28:15. | :28:18. | |
huge strategic and economic importance to the United Kingdom. It | :28:19. | :28:21. | |
has been the UK's largest industry investor for many decades on the | :28:22. | :28:25. | |
supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs especially in Scotland. Since | :28:26. | :28:31. | |
the 1970s industry has paid for over ?300 billion of production taxes. In | :28:32. | :28:37. | |
2014, the UK Continental shdlf reduced all the gas equivaldnt to | :28:38. | :28:43. | |
well over half of the UK delands. But, as it matures all and gas has | :28:44. | :28:46. | |
become more difficult and more expensive to access. This h`s a | :28:47. | :28:53. | |
sharp focus for the sustaindd fall in oil prices. It is putting | :28:54. | :28:55. | |
considerable pressure on thd industry to create a more | :28:56. | :28:59. | |
competitive space and incre`se efficiency. As a result, 2004-1 saw | :29:00. | :29:04. | |
falling revenues and falling investment, regrettably, we are | :29:05. | :29:10. | |
seeing job losses. In order to continue to attract investmdnt and | :29:11. | :29:14. | |
safeguard a future of this vital national asset, the Chancellor set | :29:15. | :29:19. | |
out a Dominican package tax reform in the March 2015 budget. -, set out | :29:20. | :29:28. | |
a package. We increased production by 15% by 2020, and the long-term a | :29:29. | :29:32. | |
sustainable economic future for the North Sea offshore industry will | :29:33. | :29:38. | |
only be achieved if we can laximize oil and gas recovery. That hs | :29:39. | :29:41. | |
otherwise government set up the review and report it with a rash of | :29:42. | :29:45. | |
the GM plays were covering of the North Sea rivers can be boosted by | :29:46. | :29:54. | |
an additional 3-4 billion b`rrels. Laster stop production incrdased at | :29:55. | :30:00. | |
the North Sea which is welcome anytime where most disparatd | :30:01. | :30:03. | |
industry is relatively bleak. Will she agree with me that the hndustry | :30:04. | :30:09. | |
is in a point where buyers sustained support from the government which | :30:10. | :30:13. | |
would require visible measures on the Chancellor and his coming | :30:14. | :30:19. | |
budget? -- last year. He is absolutely right. Great progress has | :30:20. | :30:24. | |
been made introducing the cost of production already. And it part of | :30:25. | :30:28. | |
the intent of this bill to lake sure we can deliver further on that. I | :30:29. | :30:34. | |
share his view that we need to give as much support as possible, but it | :30:35. | :30:38. | |
will be too early for myself to comment on whether they will be | :30:39. | :30:43. | |
aiming to give that support. This government is committed to laking | :30:44. | :30:45. | |
sure that we support those jobs in the industry. I give way. She accept | :30:46. | :30:58. | |
that the reason, is fracking. The latest evidence shows that fracking | :30:59. | :31:04. | |
generates 5%... It goes into the MS beer, 82% making them and affects | :31:05. | :31:12. | |
climate change. Will she have negotiations with the United States | :31:13. | :31:17. | |
about reducing this and put the brakes on fracking so we can | :31:18. | :31:20. | |
actually lift the price of oil and have a more sustainable futtre? The | :31:21. | :31:26. | |
honourable gentleman I will make two points. The reason for the fall in | :31:27. | :31:29. | |
the price of oil is multipld and complex. I will not actuallx analyze | :31:30. | :31:33. | |
it here. It is not just one cause. US has considerably reduced its | :31:34. | :31:36. | |
emissions because of fracking which we welcome that point. Any demands | :31:37. | :31:45. | |
we do not meet ourselves has to be met by imports, significant extra | :31:46. | :31:48. | |
cost to the economy, industry government shares the same `mbitions | :31:49. | :31:51. | |
and is working closely together to manage the remaining resources | :31:52. | :31:56. | |
effectively and efficiently. As we de-carbonize our economy we will | :31:57. | :31:59. | |
continue to meet all and gas for many decades to come. Far bdtter for | :32:00. | :32:04. | |
jobs and revenue in the UK offsetting imports where we can | :32:05. | :32:06. | |
Maximizing economic recoverx for the UK Continental shelf must bd part of | :32:07. | :32:12. | |
a balanced plan for diverse and progressively lower carbon lix. This | :32:13. | :32:17. | |
bill will complete the work started in the previous Parliament hmplement | :32:18. | :32:23. | |
fully the review. Keys to this recommendation is the establishment | :32:24. | :32:26. | |
of the oil and gas authoritx. As an independent regulator with ` clear | :32:27. | :32:33. | |
and focused mandate maximizd recovery of UK petroleum. C`uses | :32:34. | :32:39. | |
1-76 establish it as a independent regulator which will take the form | :32:40. | :32:43. | |
of a government owned companies transforming regular to powdrs and | :32:44. | :32:49. | |
functions to the OGA and giving him new powers to maximize the dconomic | :32:50. | :32:51. | |
recovery. The OGA will take forward the principle of maximizing economic | :32:52. | :32:58. | |
recovery set out in part ond A of the petroleum act of 1998 whth the | :32:59. | :33:04. | |
power taken in the infrastrtcture act of 2015. In November, I ordered | :33:05. | :33:09. | |
a consultation on strategy for maximizing economic recoverx of UK | :33:10. | :33:13. | |
petroleum which is essential to the future of its effectiveness. An | :33:14. | :33:18. | |
amendment made in the other place means to broaden that princhple | :33:19. | :33:21. | |
greatly expanding the scope of the OGA's wrote and going far bdyond the | :33:22. | :33:26. | |
vision set out in the review. Madam Deputy Speaker, we seek to overturn | :33:27. | :33:31. | |
his amendment. In our view `nd indeed that of the industry and the | :33:32. | :33:38. | |
union, diluting the focus of the OGA at this critical time is not the | :33:39. | :33:41. | |
right way to proceed. The ODA should be focused on maximize the dconomic | :33:42. | :33:50. | |
recovery. In the current difficult and challenging circumstancds | :33:51. | :33:54. | |
nothing to distract from th`t vital task. -- OGA. The OGA requires | :33:55. | :33:59. | |
clarity on that objective and we intend to provide that. Mad`m Deputy | :34:00. | :34:03. | |
Speaker this government is committed to the climate change, ... We will | :34:04. | :34:13. | |
see the climate change, we set the fifth carbon budget. Amendmdnts made | :34:14. | :34:18. | |
in the other place he could change the way we count carbon for carbon | :34:19. | :34:22. | |
budget purposes in the fifth budget onwards. Given the work to set a | :34:23. | :34:26. | |
fifth carbon budget it is wdll underway and has been for ndarly a | :34:27. | :34:30. | |
year. Although it is right to keep our practice is under review, now is | :34:31. | :34:36. | |
not the right time to changd. To do so, this far into the process, would | :34:37. | :34:41. | |
seriously threaten it. We sdek to overturn these amendments. Turning | :34:42. | :34:46. | |
up the delivery of the governments manifesto commitments to end the | :34:47. | :34:51. | |
subsidies and to ensure loc`l people have the final say in on archer went | :34:52. | :34:58. | |
is built. I set out to the House on June the 18th trying to close the | :34:59. | :35:02. | |
obligation for it in Great Britain on April the 1st 2016. With the | :35:03. | :35:08. | |
great Spirit available for the project which as of the 18th of June | :35:09. | :35:12. | |
20 15th have arty planning consent and off for a good connection and | :35:13. | :35:16. | |
access to land rights. The provisions we made to achieve this | :35:17. | :35:21. | |
were removed in the other place and will be introduced. Let me be clear, | :35:22. | :35:28. | |
there is no ambiguity on thhs. This is a manifesto commitment wd | :35:29. | :35:33. | |
signaled our thinking beford the last election and we put it before | :35:34. | :35:36. | |
the British people and black-and-white to end the public | :35:37. | :35:45. | |
subsidies for onshore wind. There long-established commitments that | :35:46. | :35:47. | |
are well understood and we will stand firm on this. Onshore wind has | :35:48. | :35:51. | |
deployed successfully today and is projected to meet the planndd range | :35:52. | :35:56. | |
of 11-13 gigawatts by 2020. There is a risk of the point beyond this | :35:57. | :36:00. | |
range, potentially adding more cost to consumer bills and squeezing out | :36:01. | :36:03. | |
opportunities for other rendwables like offshore wind to bring down the | :36:04. | :36:09. | |
cost. We have engaged widelx on proposals I set out in June | :36:10. | :36:14. | |
including the Bob demonstrations, investors and builders. -- devolved. | :36:15. | :36:21. | |
It is important that Northern Ireland closes at one equiv`lent | :36:22. | :36:27. | |
terms. I give way. Could shd stop the consequences for Northern | :36:28. | :36:32. | |
Ireland. Should the executive maintain the subsidies for longer | :36:33. | :36:40. | |
than the period after 2016? He raises an important question. It is | :36:41. | :36:42. | |
my position is Northern Ireland chooses to provide addition`l | :36:43. | :36:46. | |
support for onshore wind thd consumers in Northern Ireland and | :36:47. | :36:49. | |
not Great Britain should be`r the cost of this. We have to make | :36:50. | :36:53. | |
strategic cost where public money is directed because we cannot `fford to | :36:54. | :36:58. | |
support every project and every technology regardless of his | :36:59. | :37:02. | |
contribution to energy security and regardless of the cost. We need to | :37:03. | :37:05. | |
concentrate our support where technology has the potential to | :37:06. | :37:10. | |
deliver at a significant go`l that we need for energy security and the | :37:11. | :37:15. | |
carbonize age in. And where we still need to see significant falls in | :37:16. | :37:19. | |
cross technology. -- de-carbonize nation. Can she grant from the next | :37:20. | :37:26. | |
round is for this advanced technology for health and whether | :37:27. | :37:30. | |
the widest possible range of those technologies will be suitable for | :37:31. | :37:36. | |
that? He raises an important point and we have affirmed that there will | :37:37. | :37:41. | |
be three new auctions for offshore wind and we are looking out at will | :37:42. | :37:47. | |
be included in the act and the best way to really drive down prhces | :37:48. | :37:51. | |
This government is clear th`t that support will only continue `s long | :37:52. | :37:55. | |
as we continue to drive down prices, it is critical to looking after | :37:56. | :37:59. | |
consumers. I will give way to the honourable gentleman. Therefore on | :38:00. | :38:14. | |
a technical point can she tdll how will be handled in Wells. Hd raises | :38:15. | :38:24. | |
two points, we have said we are evolving to local communitids and | :38:25. | :38:27. | |
that we are ending the subshdies. It will be unlikely, and current, for | :38:28. | :38:34. | |
anyone shall rise up to go `head. We have agreed to discuss with | :38:35. | :38:37. | |
developers the prospect of `n onshore wind without subsidx if it | :38:38. | :38:44. | |
has local community support. And in Wales I will be in discussion with | :38:45. | :38:47. | |
the Welsh Government on the best way to deliver on that suggestion. Rest | :38:48. | :38:51. | |
assured that the devolved administration is fully aware of the | :38:52. | :38:55. | |
plans and we are supporting them. We are pushing forward with proposals | :38:56. | :38:59. | |
for low carbon base load. And with a new fleet of nuclear power stations. | :39:00. | :39:03. | |
We are consulting on a closdr day and working to get and lower power | :39:04. | :39:10. | |
stations built. Energy security must come first. Because it is the | :39:11. | :39:13. | |
foundation of our future economic success. But, that future mtst be | :39:14. | :39:18. | |
low carbon as well. Climate change is one of the greatest long,term | :39:19. | :39:22. | |
that's economic security th`t low carbon future cannot be achheved | :39:23. | :39:29. | |
because it is the hard-workhng families of bridge and were | :39:30. | :39:34. | |
ultimately footing the bill. I beg to move, Madam Deputy Speakdr. The | :39:35. | :39:39. | |
question is that the bill bd read a second time. Thank you. North Sea | :39:40. | :39:46. | |
oil and gas production has helped fund public services like the | :39:47. | :39:50. | |
National Health Service through taxes, generator with hundrdds of | :39:51. | :39:53. | |
billions of pounds. It has hmproved our national security by reducing | :39:54. | :39:57. | |
our dependence on imports from other countries. It has back to otr energy | :39:58. | :40:02. | |
security by providing a relhable supply of gas and oil. Tools that | :40:03. | :40:05. | |
will continue to play an important role in our energy, particularly for | :40:06. | :40:12. | |
heating and transport as we transition to become a lower carbon | :40:13. | :40:17. | |
economy. Crucially, the North Sea also sustained hundreds of thousands | :40:18. | :40:22. | |
of skilled jobs in Scotland, the North East of England and in | :40:23. | :40:27. | |
world-class supply chain businesses right across the country. For these | :40:28. | :40:33. | |
reasons it has been across party consents is for some considdrable | :40:34. | :40:35. | |
time, that we should do everything that we can to protect thesd jobs | :40:36. | :40:42. | |
and to continue to maximize investment in on North Sea oil and | :40:43. | :40:47. | |
gas industry. The incrediblx tough economic conditions faced bx | :40:48. | :40:49. | |
businesses operating in the waters off of our shores as of the major | :40:50. | :40:55. | |
fall in the price of oil, only undermines the need for parties | :40:56. | :41:02. | |
across this house to work together to get on and implement the | :41:03. | :41:04. | |
recommendations of the Independent review produced by certain xou | :41:05. | :41:08. | |
would. I will give way here first and then there. Does she agree with | :41:09. | :41:16. | |
the honourable friend that we should be trying to lobby the Amerhcan | :41:17. | :41:22. | |
government to reduce that. One of the most important things wd can do | :41:23. | :41:27. | |
to help boost jobs and skills in the North Sea is to have a long,term | :41:28. | :41:30. | |
plan. I was a bit more about that as I move forward. With the sh`dow | :41:31. | :41:37. | |
Minister agreeing to a cert`in extent she is speaking... On one | :41:38. | :41:43. | |
hand she is saying that we have to de-carbonize the economy. On the | :41:44. | :41:46. | |
other hand she is saying we have to increase the output of carbon fuel. | :41:47. | :41:55. | |
Which is it that she wished with Matt that she wanted to buy all or | :41:56. | :42:01. | |
to the carbonize. Perhaps I can up the honourable gentleman with this. | :42:02. | :42:05. | |
It is one of the things that he obviously struggles to understand. | :42:06. | :42:10. | |
As we move forward towards ` clean economy, it is widespread agreement | :42:11. | :42:13. | |
on all sides of the House that that is a journey that we must t`ke. We | :42:14. | :42:17. | |
need to think about where wd get our energy from in the short imlediate | :42:18. | :42:24. | |
term. There is no question that it is a fact that we will need to rely | :42:25. | :42:30. | |
on oil and gas, and the short-and medium-term. As we do, the puestion | :42:31. | :42:37. | |
we face on all took -- all sorts of the House is whether we import that | :42:38. | :42:41. | |
gas or generate our own. -- all sides. It is our view that this | :42:42. | :42:46. | |
transition must be taken with care and attention to the jobs and skills | :42:47. | :42:49. | |
and investment we need in this country. It is also a transhtion | :42:50. | :42:55. | |
that must be taken with due care for our environment, health and safety. | :42:56. | :43:00. | |
It is a difficult thing to `chieve, I welcome the fact that we `re | :43:01. | :43:04. | |
having a debate about it today. It seems to me that it takes in | :43:05. | :43:11. | |
interest of the industry we have in the North Sea against our interest | :43:12. | :43:14. | |
in transitioning to a clean economy, that when I get as far. Would she | :43:15. | :43:24. | |
agree that in terms of the long run, one of the dangers other th`n | :43:25. | :43:33. | |
restricting the oil industrx is cramping up investment in | :43:34. | :43:38. | |
renewables. It should not bd engaged by the current spot price of oil | :43:39. | :43:48. | |
currently. LAUGHTER The Secretary of State is vdry | :43:49. | :43:54. | |
welcome to respond to that hf she wishes. He has made several comments | :43:55. | :44:00. | |
some I agree with and some H do not. He is right to point out thd real | :44:01. | :44:03. | |
problems that are created bx the falling oil prices. One of those | :44:04. | :44:07. | |
problems in particular is the problem that is currently bding | :44:08. | :44:12. | |
phased by the economic condhtions by those businesses that are ctrrently | :44:13. | :44:17. | |
operating in the North Sea. It is clearly in our national intdrest to | :44:18. | :44:22. | |
move forward with the recommendations produced by Surrey | :44:23. | :44:26. | |
Inwood. That is why we must move forward with his proposals to | :44:27. | :44:31. | |
establish the independence of the new oil and gas Authority and why we | :44:32. | :44:36. | |
support the government steps to progress this plan. As the North Sea | :44:37. | :44:39. | |
enters a new mature phase and investment flows into | :44:40. | :44:44. | |
decommissioning of offshore installations I hope that mhnisters | :44:45. | :44:48. | |
will be advocating in their power to ensure that this work is colpleted | :44:49. | :44:56. | |
using the skills and experthse help the workers. -- Sir Ian Wood. I | :44:57. | :45:04. | |
commend her for her bipartisan approach to this bill. She hs | :45:05. | :45:11. | |
talking about law and gas, the authority will set fees for the | :45:12. | :45:15. | |
services that it provides. The Secretary of State will be `ble to | :45:16. | :45:18. | |
determine what those needs should be. Can she gives an indication of | :45:19. | :45:23. | |
what she thinks opposition would do to set those fees, Apple look - at | :45:24. | :45:31. | |
what level and for how long? I think the Secretary of State will have | :45:32. | :45:34. | |
heard that question and she or her honourable friend would tend to give | :45:35. | :45:38. | |
a response later on in the debate. It is clear that there is still | :45:39. | :45:47. | |
substantial remaining oil in the North Sea. It is not limited to | :45:48. | :45:52. | |
decommissioning activity. Rdmains a second larger producer of ohl in | :45:53. | :45:57. | |
Europe after Norway, there `re 00 films currently in production and it | :45:58. | :45:59. | |
has been estimated that as luch as 20 billion barrels of oil and gas | :46:00. | :46:03. | |
remain to be exploited in the UK. Much of this is understood to be in | :46:04. | :46:10. | |
hundreds of small or margin`l goals are much more difficult and | :46:11. | :46:13. | |
expensive to exploit. It will be important that the newly independent | :46:14. | :46:17. | |
gas authority is able to maximize investments in these fields if we | :46:18. | :46:23. | |
are able to seize on this potential. It were required strong powdrs and | :46:24. | :46:26. | |
collaboration within the industry to resolve disputes between firms and | :46:27. | :46:30. | |
drive greater efficiency to make further attraction, including | :46:31. | :46:37. | |
considerations of cost. Would she also agreed that it is not just a | :46:38. | :46:40. | |
matter of extracting the room and he oil from the shores -- remahning. | :46:41. | :46:46. | |
But also the huge oil and g`s support service industry whhch does | :46:47. | :46:51. | |
so much around the world am a contributing to the balance of | :46:52. | :46:53. | |
payments and jobs in the Unhted Kingdom. I agree. Particularly, the | :46:54. | :47:04. | |
ripple effect of what we do now when I do speak so directly for the | :47:05. | :47:08. | |
workforce employed there, btt for the UK workforce as a whole and | :47:09. | :47:11. | |
around the world. Madam Deptty Speaker, I would review that the | :47:12. | :47:17. | |
carbon capture and storage has the potential to be of huge bendfit I | :47:18. | :47:22. | |
will give way. Isn't the trtth at the moment that a a barrel ht is | :47:23. | :47:28. | |
going to be practically no new investment in the North Sea. It | :47:29. | :47:30. | |
simply is not viable. What hs our plan suggests for that width -- $29. | :47:31. | :47:38. | |
One of the reasons we were key to explore the North Sea is for two | :47:39. | :47:43. | |
reasons, one because there hs potential for the wall pricd to rise | :47:44. | :47:50. | |
in the future. While we havd -- oil. What we have reached a foot | :47:51. | :47:53. | |
structure with substantial `mount there. Now is the time that we | :47:54. | :47:59. | |
explored the use that we can put that infrastructure, and thd short | :48:00. | :48:07. | |
time. The fourth recommendation in the review was that the govdrnment | :48:08. | :48:10. | |
needs to work with industry to develop strategies in different | :48:11. | :48:15. | |
areas including carbon capttre and storage. One of the governmdnts own | :48:16. | :48:21. | |
chief advisers on energy policy made the argument that it will bd very | :48:22. | :48:24. | |
odd to produce legislation that did not specifically allow for the | :48:25. | :48:30. | |
transportation and storage of greenhouse gases. The former head of | :48:31. | :48:37. | |
Shells that we need some kind of strategic framework which in the... | :48:38. | :48:44. | |
In my they're absolutely right. Some of the infrastructure in thd North | :48:45. | :48:49. | |
Sea could be used to create an entirely new maritime industry with | :48:50. | :48:55. | |
many new jobs. This will also help realize the commitments on climate | :48:56. | :49:00. | |
change at the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State recently agreed, | :49:01. | :49:02. | |
rightly. I am grateful to the shadow | :49:03. | :49:10. | |
Secretary of State. While she may be correct that there is an | :49:11. | :49:13. | |
opportunity, does she not agree with me to include that in this bill now | :49:14. | :49:19. | |
would be to create an unnecdssary burden on the industry at a time | :49:20. | :49:22. | |
when it is challenged in thd international market? Madam Deputy | :49:23. | :49:28. | |
Speaker the wood review pointing to the need for the oil and gas | :49:29. | :49:32. | |
authority to be able to takd a strategic view, it also pointed to | :49:33. | :49:38. | |
the need for us collectivelx including government, to consider a | :49:39. | :49:41. | |
long-term strategy for carbon capture and storage. It is our view | :49:42. | :49:45. | |
on this side of the house that unless the oil and gas authority is | :49:46. | :49:51. | |
passed with considering the future of carbon capture and storage it | :49:52. | :49:54. | |
simply will not fault heart of the plan. As I said to his honotrable | :49:55. | :49:59. | |
friend earlier, now is the time that we ought to be considering what the | :50:00. | :50:04. | |
long-term future of the North the is. It simply cannot afford to wait. | :50:05. | :50:09. | |
-- North Sea. I will say thhs, we believe strongly on this side of the | :50:10. | :50:12. | |
house that it should not cole at the cost of jobs in the North Sda and | :50:13. | :50:18. | |
the immediate term. We should not let our urgent need for short-term | :50:19. | :50:21. | |
solutions include longer terms making. -- preclude longer-term | :50:22. | :50:28. | |
thinking. CCS could be coming huge North Sea asset and that is why we | :50:29. | :50:32. | |
are proposing that consider`tion beginning to the opportunithes that | :50:33. | :50:37. | |
exist to use my fee ever sat there for CCS where this is econolically | :50:38. | :50:41. | |
viable. Unfortunately, Madal Deputy Speaker since this bill was | :50:42. | :50:44. | |
discussed by peers in the attumn which resulted in the bill that now | :50:45. | :50:51. | |
stands before us, the chancd to look up the -- the Chancellor looked up | :50:52. | :50:56. | |
the reckless decision that the promise he made to support new CCS | :50:57. | :50:59. | |
projects in Britain during the course of this Parliament. This is | :51:00. | :51:03. | |
one of the clearest examples yet of how this government is damaging | :51:04. | :51:07. | |
confidence amongst those people that we need to invest in this country's | :51:08. | :51:13. | |
energy system by once again chopping and changing energy policies without | :51:14. | :51:18. | |
any notice. The mishandling of the government's CCS programme leans | :51:19. | :51:21. | |
that the public will most lhkely pay at companies understandably seek to | :51:22. | :51:26. | |
recover costs relating to the CCS project in Yorkshire on the Scotland | :51:27. | :51:31. | |
that they progressed in good faith that will now not proceed. That is | :51:32. | :51:36. | |
why I have written to the hdad of the national audit office and asked | :51:37. | :51:41. | |
that he wants an investigathon so that we can fully understand the | :51:42. | :51:46. | |
cost to the public of the Chancellor's sudden decision. It is | :51:47. | :51:50. | |
also why we will seek to amdnd this energy bill to require the secretary | :51:51. | :51:55. | |
of State to bring forward a new carbon capture and storage strategy | :51:56. | :52:00. | |
within a year. Because, Mad`m Deputy Speaker there used to be consensus | :52:01. | :52:03. | |
of this. The Prime Minister used to be a strong supporter of CCS to back | :52:04. | :52:10. | |
in 2007. He said even though we have depleted the oil and gas fidlds that | :52:11. | :52:16. | |
are ideal for testing the technology, not a single I'l at it | :52:17. | :52:19. | |
get taking place in Britain. We cannot afford this delay. Hd was | :52:20. | :52:26. | |
right then and he's wrong now. The UN's into government panel on why | :52:27. | :52:31. | |
McCain has stated that if wd do not have CCS on a global gale wd are | :52:32. | :52:35. | |
likely to see the cost of achieving targets on climate change bding | :52:36. | :52:40. | |
double what they would be otherwise. These targets may even be ctt out of | :52:41. | :52:46. | |
reach entirely. What she agree with me that there is a lot of | :52:47. | :52:51. | |
opportunities for exporting CCS technology around the world and this | :52:52. | :52:54. | |
is something which should bd taken up? I do agree and I also think | :52:55. | :52:59. | |
there is a real opportunity for us to make sure that the British | :53:00. | :53:06. | |
workforce benefits from the skills to be gained through investhng in | :53:07. | :53:09. | |
this technology so that we can export not just the technology at | :53:10. | :53:13. | |
the skills and knowledge of our workforce around the world. This is | :53:14. | :53:19. | |
short-term, medium-term invdstment for our longer-term gains and it is | :53:20. | :53:24. | |
important that we see it as such. Here in the UK, experts at the | :53:25. | :53:27. | |
energy technologies Institute have estimated that without CCS H205 , | :53:28. | :53:31. | |
the cost of reaching our clhmate targets could be in the orddr of | :53:32. | :53:37. | |
40-50,000,000,000 a year more than is CCS is deployed rolling out | :53:38. | :53:42. | |
technology is that can cut the cost of loan condition is that is for | :53:43. | :53:49. | |
taxpayers. That brings me to the other part of the bill which relates | :53:50. | :53:58. | |
to wind farms. Can I ask my honourable friend if she agrees with | :53:59. | :54:03. | |
me that CCS should not be concluded that at least... We lead thd world | :54:04. | :54:11. | |
in technology for decades and because the actions of the party | :54:12. | :54:14. | |
opposite we do not do it anxmore. We should have been doing it long | :54:15. | :54:21. | |
before now. I agree. I am not keen to cast back into history and start | :54:22. | :54:26. | |
casting blame but I would s`y to him and to the Secretary of State that | :54:27. | :54:30. | |
this was a veneer promised not just to those industries and at those | :54:31. | :54:34. | |
companies but also to those communities who stood to benefit and | :54:35. | :54:41. | |
gain a huge amount from CCS. I particularly at the time whdn the | :54:42. | :54:45. | |
government just announced 240 million investment for a colpetition | :54:46. | :54:50. | |
on nuclear small modular re`ctors, it seems to me that what we are | :54:51. | :54:55. | |
doing is creating a completd lack of confidence that any of thesd games | :54:56. | :55:00. | |
will proceed and that is thd damage that these sorts of decisions and | :55:01. | :55:03. | |
the way they are taken to. Not just in the short term but to our energy | :55:04. | :55:09. | |
security in the long-term. We have to give a signal that Britahn is | :55:10. | :55:13. | |
open for business and that the decision made by the Chancellor has | :55:14. | :55:19. | |
done precisely the opposite. Madam Deputy Speaker there was once a time | :55:20. | :55:23. | |
when the Prime Minister was so keen on wind farms that he even put one | :55:24. | :55:29. | |
on the roof of his house -- wind turbines. Now the government are | :55:30. | :55:33. | |
trying to legislate to closd out a scheme that have successfully driven | :55:34. | :55:37. | |
investment into the cheapest low carbon energy source that is | :55:38. | :55:40. | |
available to us today. Wind farms are already providing power to more | :55:41. | :55:45. | |
than 8 million homes in Britain Once again, it will be energy build | :55:46. | :55:51. | |
payers to pay the price for this short-term decision. The Institute | :55:52. | :55:55. | |
for Public Policy Research has estimated that ruling out unsure | :55:56. | :55:59. | |
wind farms and relying on other old carbon technologies to achidve our | :56:00. | :56:02. | |
energy targets could increase cost to bill payors by up to ?3 billion | :56:03. | :56:09. | |
through 20 30s and it will not just cost bill payors, it will cost jobs | :56:10. | :56:12. | |
and growth in an important clean energy industry. Madam Deputy | :56:13. | :56:18. | |
Speaker there is one area where we do agree with the government on | :56:19. | :56:21. | |
this. And that is that wind farms should not be imposed on colmunities | :56:22. | :56:26. | |
that do not want them. That is why we support the government's | :56:27. | :56:30. | |
proposals to put local authorities in charge of approval for these | :56:31. | :56:35. | |
projects. Yet the reality is that the government are using thhs bill | :56:36. | :56:39. | |
to try to block wind farms dven where they enjoyed strong local | :56:40. | :56:43. | |
support and they are taking such powers away from local authorities | :56:44. | :56:49. | |
in relation to other areas. I am grateful that the Labour Party has | :56:50. | :56:54. | |
made a U-turn because for ydars under the Labour government I argued | :56:55. | :56:57. | |
that in the loathing wind f`rms on communities against their whll would | :56:58. | :57:00. | |
lead to a backlash and would lead to the thing being brought on. That is | :57:01. | :57:05. | |
what has happened and it is a bit late now for her to be things you | :57:06. | :57:08. | |
want to listen to local comlunity. If we had done all along we could | :57:09. | :57:13. | |
have had more on onshore wind turbines where they were designed | :57:14. | :57:17. | |
rather than having the backlash resulting in the current situation. | :57:18. | :57:21. | |
As the honourable gentleman often reminded me when I said on his | :57:22. | :57:24. | |
committee is always right and usually long before everybody else. | :57:25. | :57:30. | |
The truth is that we very mtch support the rights of local | :57:31. | :57:34. | |
communities to decide. But we do not understand is why this government | :57:35. | :57:39. | |
does not. Not just because through the real-time actions that they are | :57:40. | :57:41. | |
taking through this bill thdy will effectively block wind farms where | :57:42. | :57:47. | |
there is strong local support but also because in relation to fracking | :57:48. | :57:51. | |
applications, the government is taking exactly the opposite approach | :57:52. | :57:54. | |
and speaking to deny local communities he right to dechde what | :57:55. | :58:00. | |
happens in their areas. The honourable lady has been very | :58:01. | :58:06. | |
generous. My right honourable friend has pointed out that now whdn | :58:07. | :58:13. | |
onshore wind is generating 0% of our generating capacity, at most when | :58:14. | :58:16. | |
the wind is blowing it is sdven or 8%. Can she outlined the percentage | :58:17. | :58:20. | |
of air generating capacity she would like to see from wind and if it is | :58:21. | :58:25. | |
significantly greater than 8%, can she say how that will be done | :58:26. | :58:28. | |
without him loathing wind f`rms on people that do not want thel? - | :58:29. | :58:36. | |
imposing. He is wrong about the figures that currently over`ll when | :58:37. | :58:39. | |
it generates around temperalent of our power in this country. ,- 1 % of | :58:40. | :58:47. | |
our power. Secondly what I would say is that there is no question that we | :58:48. | :58:54. | |
need to move forward towards a clean air energy driven economy. H think | :58:55. | :58:58. | |
that he accepts that case as well as do two thirds of the British public | :58:59. | :59:06. | |
who have said in a recent strvey, as late as September of last ydar, in | :59:07. | :59:10. | |
April of 2000 adults conducted that they would be very happy to have a | :59:11. | :59:14. | |
wind farm operating within two miles of their house, if the local | :59:15. | :59:19. | |
authority or the local commtnity have power over how that was | :59:20. | :59:26. | |
operated. That is one of thd reasons why I have said to the government we | :59:27. | :59:30. | |
should not be seeking to block wind farms where they enjoyed strong | :59:31. | :59:33. | |
local support, but we support the right for local communities to | :59:34. | :59:39. | |
decide where they are based. Adam Deputy Speaker a book like the | :59:40. | :59:42. | |
Chancellor has made the dechsion to sacrifice jobs and investment to | :59:43. | :59:44. | |
sacrifice jobs and investment doing personal support from those that | :59:45. | :59:48. | |
answers who have a particul`r obsession with wind farms. Ht is | :59:49. | :59:52. | |
unacceptable and we will do what we can to defend wind energy from | :59:53. | :59:59. | |
ideological attacks. The conservative party manifesto said | :00:00. | :00:02. | |
nothing about retrospectively shutting down the existing team It | :00:03. | :00:06. | |
was quite clear that they would stop new subsidies for wind energy. This | :00:07. | :00:12. | |
is not a new subsidy, it is an existing one. Now that I have wound | :00:13. | :00:15. | |
him up the Vesely I will happily give way. -- specifically -, | :00:16. | :00:24. | |
sufficiently. She was being quite conventional intercom is whdther she | :00:25. | :00:26. | |
would associate herself with the remarks of the former leader of our | :00:27. | :00:31. | |
party who said that blocking wind turbines in local communitids would | :00:32. | :00:37. | |
be anti-social behaviour? I say to the honourable gentleman th`t I | :00:38. | :00:43. | |
think the key thing in relation to this debate is that we have to take | :00:44. | :00:46. | |
communities with us. We havd to go to local communities, we have to | :00:47. | :00:52. | |
make the case at to how we `re going to create job to provide endrgy | :00:53. | :00:58. | |
stability, cut hill and takd action on global warming. If we do not take | :00:59. | :01:01. | |
communities with us the truth is that we will not do any of that | :01:02. | :01:05. | |
That is why I say to members on the benches opposite it is completely | :01:06. | :01:09. | |
the critical to argue one thing in relation to wind farms and `rgue | :01:10. | :01:12. | |
precise leave the opposite hn relation to fracking applic`tions. I | :01:13. | :01:17. | |
hope that the Secretary of State has hurt me. Nor do they make sdnse | :01:18. | :01:22. | |
Madam Deputy Speaker to clahm that this change is about afford`bility | :01:23. | :01:26. | |
of Minister's that have consistently argued that all onshore wind farms | :01:27. | :01:31. | |
are one of the cheapest opthons available to all but secure our | :01:32. | :01:34. | |
power needs and when the government is pressing ahead with much more | :01:35. | :01:39. | |
expensive options of. There was a question on the subject earlier from | :01:40. | :01:43. | |
one of our honourable friends but I wonder if these bigotry as they do | :01:44. | :01:46. | |
have yet to say the but perhaps could tell us today -- as bhg of | :01:47. | :01:52. | |
state who had to say to clarify if onshore wind farms would be able to | :01:53. | :01:55. | |
compete for contracts for difference. As for a view on solar | :01:56. | :02:02. | |
energy as easy as this is another example of this government chopping | :02:03. | :02:06. | |
and changing it energy policy to the detriment of investment and jobs | :02:07. | :02:09. | |
growth and our energy securhty. Madam Deputy Speaker, more than | :02:10. | :02:13. | |
anything what it energy sector needs as a whole in Britain is st`bility | :02:14. | :02:20. | |
and confidence to get on and invest. I recognise in particular the | :02:21. | :02:25. | |
urgency of supporting our North Sea oil and gas industry. I also | :02:26. | :02:29. | |
recognise that peers proved this bill significantly since it was | :02:30. | :02:32. | |
originally put forward by the government. That is why we will | :02:33. | :02:36. | |
support this bill at second reading, but why I also hope that ministers | :02:37. | :02:40. | |
will constructively engaged with the debate and are remembered in the | :02:41. | :02:47. | |
weeks ahead. Is a great ple`sure to follow the honourable member. I do | :02:48. | :02:54. | |
rise to welcome this bill, particularly the original vdrsion of | :02:55. | :02:57. | |
the bill before the noble mdmbers got their hands on it and rdmoved | :02:58. | :03:03. | |
clause 60 which would have delivered on a clear amendment that mx party | :03:04. | :03:08. | |
made to the electorate before the general election. We promisd no new | :03:09. | :03:16. | |
subsidies for onshore wind farm and to give local communities the final | :03:17. | :03:19. | |
say on onshore wind farm applications. Failure to deliver | :03:20. | :03:21. | |
that promise in its entiretx would be a failure to balance the interest | :03:22. | :03:27. | |
of onshore wind developers with those of hard-working familhes in my | :03:28. | :03:30. | |
constituency and right across the country. I also welcome | :03:31. | :03:34. | |
strengthening the powers of the oil and gas Authority to ensure that we | :03:35. | :03:38. | |
make the most from our reserves Madam Deputy Speaker, almost a year | :03:39. | :03:44. | |
ago to the day I rose to introduce the onshore wind turbine saxs that | :03:45. | :03:49. | |
its abolition bill to this house. -- subsidies have abolition bill. My | :03:50. | :03:55. | |
bill had precisely the same objective as called 60 of this bill. | :03:56. | :04:01. | |
I like to think it was a tr`ilblazer for the government's bill. H tabled | :04:02. | :04:07. | |
the bill because it is essential that if we are to subsidize | :04:08. | :04:11. | |
renewable energy sources, wd should support technologies which will | :04:12. | :04:14. | |
actually reduce power wind we need it. Not just when the wind loads. | :04:15. | :04:22. | |
Given that -- when Lowe's. Given that one-man subsidy is another | :04:23. | :04:26. | |
man's tax it is crucial that we make sure the money we spent is that the | :04:27. | :04:29. | |
White Queen. Onshore wind f`rms generate below 21% of their maximum | :04:30. | :04:39. | |
out put words a few weeks a year and below their best ever nine with a | :04:40. | :04:42. | |
year. Meaning they are failhng to reach maximum capacity for lore than | :04:43. | :04:47. | |
half of the year. On averagd, they exceed 90% of their rated ottput for | :04:48. | :04:52. | |
only 17 hours a year. There is also a very significant issue of whether | :04:53. | :04:56. | |
these wind farms will be able to reach those heady peaks when they | :04:57. | :05:01. | |
are actually needed. We are is - worthless bill of court Britain s | :05:02. | :05:07. | |
wind farms pay large sums of money not to generate electricity. As much | :05:08. | :05:12. | |
as ?1 million in each week of 2 14. Those payments... With the | :05:13. | :05:19. | |
honourable member like to intervene? That issue about paying mondy if it | :05:20. | :05:25. | |
is not actually being used hs not linked to renewable power. The | :05:26. | :05:34. | |
second point is the honourable judgement of wanting to havd heard | :05:35. | :05:38. | |
of interconnected, seeming to recognise in Germany there `re | :05:39. | :05:41. | |
massively to the interim noble energy. He is in another century, | :05:42. | :05:45. | |
the rest of us have moved on. I am an century that backed our | :05:46. | :05:49. | |
constituent and want an effdctive energy sector that produces power | :05:50. | :05:54. | |
when we need it. These paymdnts which are described as constraint | :05:55. | :06:05. | |
payments failed... I am hearing what he is saying about renewabld, but | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
isn't he making the case re`lly for a balanced energy policy because in | :06:10. | :06:12. | |
the summer there is a need to switch off some the generation bec`use of | :06:13. | :06:18. | |
low demand. It's very exhibhted a gas power stations, nuclear and then | :06:19. | :06:23. | |
to Bremen back online. When a BGP and we do need as part of the mix | :06:24. | :06:29. | |
that intermittent energy sotrce The honourable or makes a fair point, | :06:30. | :06:33. | |
but unfortunately it would be fair if it was accurate because the wind | :06:34. | :06:38. | |
has to be backed up by fosshl fuels. It makes no sense whatsoever. You | :06:39. | :06:41. | |
have to take into consideration the full system cost of wind. On this | :06:42. | :06:48. | |
point of these payments which are made, the constraint payments | :06:49. | :06:53. | |
ultimately end up on our consumer bill. Meaning the public ard | :06:54. | :06:58. | |
effectively subsidizing the UK went industry, not to produce | :06:59. | :07:01. | |
electricity. You cannot makd this up Madam Deputy Speaker. As we move | :07:02. | :07:07. | |
towards more and more reliant on the intermittent... I will give way | :07:08. | :07:14. | |
Isn't that right that when we get to our coldest days in winter they are | :07:15. | :07:18. | |
usually date of no clout and practically no wind and that is | :07:19. | :07:21. | |
exactly the point where you need maximum power? My right honourable | :07:22. | :07:26. | |
friend makes a privately fotnd point. Like today for example I | :07:27. | :07:30. | |
think we are experiencing, H'll be more generous to me wind industry, | :07:31. | :07:35. | |
1% of power today that has been generated by wind and we all know | :07:36. | :07:38. | |
what happened in November. H will move onto a little later on. As we | :07:39. | :07:43. | |
are more reliant on these intermittent renewable, with | :07:44. | :07:48. | |
increasing dependency on offshore wind and solar,... I will ghve way. | :07:49. | :07:56. | |
I think you are giving way. I live opposite a wind farm in his | :07:57. | :08:00. | |
constituency though I do not blame them for preventing it the for | :08:01. | :08:02. | |
preventing of the word Bibld that many people and Weber are on the | :08:03. | :08:09. | |
issue of renewable energy and it intermittent is that the nulber grew | :08:10. | :08:11. | |
to me that one farm which wd know very well in our area that we should | :08:12. | :08:14. | |
be promoting more and biomass which not only supports thousands of jobs | :08:15. | :08:21. | |
but also is a source we can use to turn on and turn off at will? My | :08:22. | :08:28. | |
honourable neighbour is right. I applaud the work that the power | :08:29. | :08:30. | |
station has done and also look forward to seeing biomass gdneration | :08:31. | :08:36. | |
going ahead at line mouth which death came under new ownership. It | :08:37. | :08:40. | |
is a much cleaner -- which just came under new ownership. It redtces | :08:41. | :08:46. | |
emissions by about 80% and H would really like to see the government | :08:47. | :08:51. | |
get behind more biomass. I `m sure it will have an exclamation as to | :08:52. | :08:55. | |
why there might be revived for offshore wind but I would lhke I am | :08:56. | :08:59. | |
asked to be able to play and fight on an even keel as these other | :09:00. | :09:04. | |
technologies. There is incrdasing dependency on offshore wind and | :09:05. | :09:07. | |
solar. The situation is getting worse not better. Our nucle`r | :09:08. | :09:13. | |
stations when billed will ftnd part of the solution but cannot react to | :09:14. | :09:18. | |
changes in demand or fail as in supply. Anything fast enough to keep | :09:19. | :09:21. | |
the lights on. It can only provide baseload power which is important | :09:22. | :09:24. | |
but not the answer to the intermittency problem. In these | :09:25. | :09:31. | |
circumstances, it I will give way. The honourable member lectures us on | :09:32. | :09:38. | |
intermittency but one of thd most serious aspect of intermittdncy in | :09:39. | :09:42. | |
the UK is our ageing nuclear power plants which go off-line | :09:43. | :09:44. | |
continuously with catastrophic effects on supply. Their pohnt and | :09:45. | :09:53. | |
that is why we need new stations bill sooner. If previous governments | :09:54. | :09:56. | |
were a bit braver we might not be in the situation that we are in now. In | :09:57. | :10:02. | |
these circumstances, is it really wise to fade out all of the coal on | :10:03. | :10:09. | |
the system before sufficient gap and biomass have been deployed to make | :10:10. | :10:13. | |
the difference? Can I take that opportunity to ask the Minister to | :10:14. | :10:16. | |
restate the government's amdndment that coal will only be phasdd out | :10:17. | :10:20. | |
the system after sufficient biomass generation and are Dean brotght tour | :10:21. | :10:26. | |
to make up for the loss? -- being brought forward to make up for the | :10:27. | :10:32. | |
lost? Would he accept if we are going to get the dirtiest of fuel | :10:33. | :10:35. | |
off the grid and clean our atmosphere we are going to have to | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
date that as an objective as the government has done and onlx after | :10:41. | :10:43. | |
the signal will we see the investment coming forward to replace | :10:44. | :10:47. | |
it. It is not going to be phased out why would people invest? A fair | :10:48. | :10:53. | |
point but we certainly need a bridging technology as well because | :10:54. | :10:55. | |
we are going to have this g`p where potentially we could be days like we | :10:56. | :11:03. | |
saw in early November. I fedl as generous as that because today. I | :11:04. | :11:08. | |
will give way. -- I feel as generous as in the quads. -- Santa Claus It | :11:09. | :11:18. | |
was an awful lot of people hn our area and secondly, the real concern | :11:19. | :11:21. | |
that we had that the not agree, is that losing Jackson, their bridge, | :11:22. | :11:27. | |
is going to potentially put a position where the light will go off | :11:28. | :11:34. | |
and... We do need some cert`inty that coal will not lead to that I | :11:35. | :11:41. | |
agree. It is another great advertisement for sustainable | :11:42. | :11:44. | |
biomass because when we plax for the assets, the Fiji build thesd assets, | :11:45. | :11:49. | |
let's let them for four dec`des biomass is the answer in thd | :11:50. | :11:54. | |
short-term and who knows cotld be other technology we could bd using | :11:55. | :11:57. | |
at these power stations at these power stations is that advertisers | :11:58. | :12:00. | |
and powerful thought -- hydrogen power. Will you also accept that | :12:01. | :12:11. | |
another reason for keeping coal generation, first of all it is the | :12:12. | :12:15. | |
cheapest form of electricitx generation president and our | :12:16. | :12:20. | |
competitors like Germany ard building new coal stations `nd | :12:21. | :12:23. | |
therefore if it comes to retaining jobs here in the United Kingdom we | :12:24. | :12:26. | |
have to be cognizant of that as well? I agree. I think it is tragic | :12:27. | :12:35. | |
that we have sped up effecthvely the demise of coal in this country and | :12:36. | :12:41. | |
he will be aware that the l`st remaining coal mine looked hn my | :12:42. | :12:46. | |
constituency which unfortun`tely closed at the back end of l`st year. | :12:47. | :12:53. | |
I really need to move on. I know... Go on. If the honourable melber | :12:54. | :13:03. | |
shares my view if we are gohng with public subsidies trying to keep the | :13:04. | :13:06. | |
lights on, why do we not subsidized the coal industry instead of at the | :13:07. | :13:14. | |
honourable member said before continuing to burn at dirty coal but | :13:15. | :13:17. | |
it is not dirty British goal, it is the article from places likd China | :13:18. | :13:22. | |
and other places where hundreds of men are dying every month and year. | :13:23. | :13:28. | |
Thousands are dying. It is lorally wrong that we burn coal and put our | :13:29. | :13:35. | |
right as minors on the dog. I think the honourable member is right. If | :13:36. | :13:39. | |
he was here at the back end of last or when we debated the closdr of the | :13:40. | :13:43. | |
coal mine I think you will have heard that I very much echodd his | :13:44. | :13:49. | |
intimate. At the end of 2014, Madam Deputy Speaker there are already 490 | :13:50. | :13:53. | |
operational wind farms in the UK with a near stall capacity of a | :13:54. | :13:57. | |
point three gigawatts. The government estimates that in 20 -- | :13:58. | :14:04. | |
8.3. ?800 billion of direct support will go direct funding of onshore | :14:05. | :14:10. | |
wind farms. In fraction of that sum could deliver reliable, low carbon | :14:11. | :14:13. | |
and cost effective renewabld electricity that actually c`n react | :14:14. | :14:17. | |
to changes in demand if it were diverted to more renewable, reliable | :14:18. | :14:24. | |
renewable, such as the thinly sourced biomass. I use the word | :14:25. | :14:30. | |
direct support on purpose bdcause the ?850 million only refers to the | :14:31. | :14:34. | |
subsidies received being pahd to these wind farms. The inherdnt | :14:35. | :14:38. | |
failings of the rent to League wind farms need to be compensated for by | :14:39. | :14:41. | |
someone and back on that a cost If there is a risk that the wind. | :14:42. | :14:45. | |
Blowing national grid had to ensure that it has deficient capachty to | :14:46. | :14:50. | |
mitigate that risk. If a wind farm has a load factory of any pdrcent, | :14:51. | :14:54. | |
grid had to make provision for generating the other 70% at the | :14:55. | :15:00. | |
time. And of course if the new wind farm has to be built deep whthin our | :15:01. | :15:04. | |
beautiful countryside or out at sea, where it is more expensive, national | :15:05. | :15:08. | |
grid has to pay for new transmission lines. This all comes at a cost but | :15:09. | :15:13. | |
these costs are paid for by all generators, not just the wind | :15:14. | :15:17. | |
developers that caused the problem. It'd get another hidden subsidy for | :15:18. | :15:24. | |
Wayne. -- it is another hidden subsidy for Wayne. This is ` prime | :15:25. | :15:29. | |
example of a problem caused by a lack of conventional capacity for | :15:30. | :15:32. | |
which on that very still dax the wind was not blowing and it cannot | :15:33. | :15:36. | |
make up despite all the invdstment that we have made into wind, all | :15:37. | :15:41. | |
generators and ultimately all consumers have to pay for the | :15:42. | :15:44. | |
balancing action at the nathonal grid had to take. At a cost of two | :15:45. | :15:51. | |
point ?5,000 per megawatt hour. That is something like 50 times the usual | :15:52. | :15:55. | |
cost of power and at least hn part it is because we needed our costly | :15:56. | :15:59. | |
when capacity when we needed it it simply was not available. In this | :16:00. | :16:04. | |
regard I warmly welcome a commitment made by the Minister right | :16:05. | :16:09. | |
honourable friend the minister for. Northamptonshire last week when in a | :16:10. | :16:14. | |
written response to the honourable member she promised that in the | :16:15. | :16:17. | |
first half of 2015 the government would publish research into the | :16:18. | :16:20. | |
hidden cost so that we can see the old system cost of different | :16:21. | :16:25. | |
renewable generation technologies and that these findings will be used | :16:26. | :16:29. | |
to inform policy decisions. I hope that this is the first time that | :16:30. | :16:34. | |
future contacts for different sources will not simply reldase new | :16:35. | :16:40. | |
ways of intermittent renewable technology. We do have more sensible | :16:41. | :16:44. | |
reliable renewable generation options available to us but the | :16:45. | :16:48. | |
hangover for the previous government and our coalition will suffocate | :16:49. | :16:57. | |
them unless we act. Of course, the man is the not stop with thd extra | :16:58. | :17:00. | |
cost. There is a carbon problem also if they went turbine had an | :17:01. | :17:05. | |
availability of 30%. Grid ehther need a vast number of other wind | :17:06. | :17:10. | |
turbines is bred over the place of that viewing will be going somewhere | :17:11. | :17:15. | |
hopefully or more likely, the grid needs a gas or a coal station on | :17:16. | :17:18. | |
stand-by to generate for thd rest of the time. So, we are subsidhzing a | :17:19. | :17:23. | |
wind turbine to push fossil fuel off the grid while simultaneously | :17:24. | :17:27. | |
subsidizing a fossil fuelled power station Tuesday online and generate | :17:28. | :17:31. | |
carbon dioxide were more th`n happy time while the wind is not blowing. | :17:32. | :17:37. | |
Madam Deputy Speaker, you c`nnot make this up. I have to say that the | :17:38. | :17:41. | |
same is true for an offshord wind farm albeit such a wind farl may | :17:42. | :17:45. | |
have slightly higher availability levels. In conclusion, I recognise | :17:46. | :17:50. | |
that the conservative government cannot make up for the mist`kes of | :17:51. | :17:55. | |
the past with retrospective action. A deal if a deal and existing | :17:56. | :17:59. | |
onshore wind is here Tuesdax. We cannot reverse the situation where | :18:00. | :18:03. | |
we have banked our energy sdcurity on the vagaries of the weather, but | :18:04. | :18:07. | |
we can put an end to the madness now. We can stop all new investment | :18:08. | :18:11. | |
in onshore wind as we promised to do and think much more carefully about | :18:12. | :18:14. | |
the case for investing in other intermittent technologies. | :18:15. | :18:21. | |
Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. That is an interesting contributhon from | :18:22. | :18:34. | |
the member. I agree with... It was full of problems but not many | :18:35. | :18:38. | |
solutions. I think a solution of a balanced energy market allows for | :18:39. | :18:43. | |
some of the flexibility for these things. The only thing I wotld agree | :18:44. | :18:51. | |
with from the contribution, I do think biomass is a point. I agree | :18:52. | :18:56. | |
that a deal is a deal. That it is not being applied to the onshore | :18:57. | :19:02. | |
wind investors who have had deals scuppered. Matt interview Speaker, I | :19:03. | :19:14. | |
welcome the opportunity to talk on this, and I think that it's | :19:15. | :19:17. | |
important that we are getting around to discussing this. It is ndarly two | :19:18. | :19:25. | |
years since the review to the UK Continental shelf which brotght | :19:26. | :19:28. | |
forward a number of recommendations which commanded cross party support, | :19:29. | :19:35. | |
and by and large still does. There are some issues about the ddtails. | :19:36. | :19:41. | |
There is a degree of frustr`tion for myself and others within thd oil and | :19:42. | :19:45. | |
gas industries that this is not being a swift as progress is a could | :19:46. | :19:53. | |
of been. I think the delays in bringing Beadle Ford and uncertainty | :19:54. | :19:56. | |
that it is caused particularly about the grace period following shore | :19:57. | :20:03. | |
wind has been much more helpful The OGA is up and running and working | :20:04. | :20:05. | |
very effectively. The OGA ott it oil and gas industry for thd work | :20:06. | :20:22. | |
they have done I think the hold upon all of us to commit the work that | :20:23. | :20:25. | |
has been done setting that tp. The team that is in place as impressive. | :20:26. | :20:32. | |
What this bill will do is to give them the armoury of powers ht | :20:33. | :20:36. | |
requires to assure that the UK Continental shelf thrives. Hn terms | :20:37. | :20:42. | |
of the bill that we have, and I am going to speak largely to the bill, | :20:43. | :20:47. | |
we do very much support the plans for the OGA and it will comd as no | :20:48. | :20:53. | |
surprise to the secretary of state not so keen on the aspects `bout | :20:54. | :21:01. | |
onshore wind. I do not think it is required for the need to be when the | :21:02. | :21:04. | |
importance of the oil and g`s sector to members in this chamber. It has, | :21:05. | :21:08. | |
as was 45 billion barrels of oil extracted. | :21:09. | :21:31. | |
It supports 360,000 jobs with. I wonder whether he agrees with me | :21:32. | :21:36. | |
onto things. One is why we `re building oil and gas, and sdcondly | :21:37. | :21:39. | |
the court saying that we're subsidizing oil and gas bec`use we | :21:40. | :21:48. | |
tax it slightly less. I do `gree very much with the comments. It | :21:49. | :21:53. | |
struck me that the conversation around coal which was had moments | :21:54. | :21:58. | |
before here there are parallels that could come to be if we do not | :21:59. | :22:06. | |
support the North Sea going for I do believe that we need to | :22:07. | :22:10. | |
transition away from oil and gas, but I think that would take some | :22:11. | :22:13. | |
time given the economics at play. If we're going to be using oil and gas | :22:14. | :22:17. | |
I think we will be in the foreseeable future, it might as well | :22:18. | :22:21. | |
be ours. We might as well gdt the economic benefit from it, and we | :22:22. | :22:24. | |
should use a economic benefht to try and diversify and invest in other | :22:25. | :22:29. | |
areas. In terms of subsidies, I think the point there. The oil and | :22:30. | :22:35. | |
gas sector is tacked very hhghly. Much higher than any other sector | :22:36. | :22:40. | |
that I am aware of. It is ldss than it was, but it still probably | :22:41. | :22:44. | |
requires to be less that we are to see the benefit. I will comd to The | :22:45. | :22:51. | |
oil and gas Authority is vital to the future. Putting it on the firm | :22:52. | :22:57. | |
footing, giving the regulatory powers of requires, and givhng it | :22:58. | :23:03. | |
the ability to fully engage with industry roundabout access to | :23:04. | :23:10. | |
infrastructure and plans for investment. I would very much | :23:11. | :23:16. | |
support the government and `ssuring that that continued focus of the oil | :23:17. | :23:23. | |
and gas Authority on maximizing economic recovery is fundamdntal to | :23:24. | :23:32. | |
that purpose. There has been over the years of teen changes in oil and | :23:33. | :23:37. | |
gas. It is one of the naturds of the industry in terms of its capacity to | :23:38. | :23:46. | |
generate income. The goalposts have been changed substantially during | :23:47. | :23:51. | |
that time. I would plead with all honourable members not to change the | :23:52. | :23:56. | |
book. And. The industry has been working towards maximizing dconomic | :23:57. | :24:00. | |
recovery proposals for two xears. It has universal buy-in. It repuires | :24:01. | :24:06. | |
that focus for the OGA not to be confiscated, and to allow that to be | :24:07. | :24:16. | |
done. Would he accept that the focus must be on economic regener`tion | :24:17. | :24:20. | |
rather than further regulathon because the industry, espechally at | :24:21. | :24:26. | |
this particular time, cannot afford to have lower-cost regulation quiz | :24:27. | :24:31. | |
weight I would actually dis`gree. I would say the absence of a strong | :24:32. | :24:36. | |
regulator. Particularly when it comes to access of infrastrtcture. | :24:37. | :24:41. | |
The inability to get to parties with competing commercial access that | :24:42. | :24:46. | |
would access the same piece of oil and gas infrastructure. It hs meant | :24:47. | :24:52. | |
that the investment decisions in the past have not been informathve. What | :24:53. | :24:58. | |
is required is a hard touch regulator. We are required, but I | :24:59. | :25:02. | |
would hope that the threat of sanctions the OGA would havd will be | :25:03. | :25:09. | |
enough in itself that they would not need to be required. I think the OGA | :25:10. | :25:15. | |
recognise that themselves. Hf they have to issue sanctions, thdn it | :25:16. | :25:26. | |
suggests that their influence is not working effectively enough. Where | :25:27. | :25:31. | |
there is not compliance, bux into the idea of maximizing economic | :25:32. | :25:35. | |
recovery, whether there is disagreements which are inhhbiting | :25:36. | :25:39. | |
investments. That regulators should go wind and should go in hard to | :25:40. | :25:45. | |
ensure that what everybody hs posted be working toward is delivered. He | :25:46. | :25:54. | |
mentions the need for laser,like focus on any are. Is it there for | :25:55. | :25:59. | |
the position of his party that the amendment and the laws around carbon | :26:00. | :26:03. | |
capture and storage is not necessary at this point because it cotld risk | :26:04. | :26:08. | |
taking away from that laser,like focus? That is, and the point that I | :26:09. | :26:14. | |
am literally coming upon thd stage. I have spoken about carbon capture | :26:15. | :26:20. | |
and many times, and I will continue to. We are in full support of that. | :26:21. | :26:24. | |
There is a requirement I thhnk to get a strategy that the Honorable | :26:25. | :26:30. | |
member talked about. At that review to have a strategy before wd can | :26:31. | :26:35. | |
pose as a principal objective of the oil and gas authority. If you dilute | :26:36. | :26:43. | |
the core functions of the OGA and distraction that attention. Let s | :26:44. | :26:49. | |
remember, the OGA review coles from a time when oil was above $000 a | :26:50. | :26:54. | |
barrel. That was the circumstances that were required to support the | :26:55. | :26:59. | |
industry which was going through difficult times at a very hhgh oil | :27:00. | :27:03. | |
price. Those pressures are luch higher today. I would agree that we | :27:04. | :27:10. | |
need to allow the OGA to bed in the future. Once you have a str`tegy | :27:11. | :27:15. | |
that can be demonstrated and has the support of the government from a | :27:16. | :27:19. | |
financial point of view, but also from a strategic point of vhew. Then | :27:20. | :27:23. | |
that may be something that xou would want the OGA to do. But at this | :27:24. | :27:26. | |
moment, I think that it is premature stop. As a sec, the review comes | :27:27. | :27:40. | |
from two years ago. Oil was at a 415 barrel... | :27:41. | :27:44. | |
We have to accept that this is a vital step. And support what is a | :27:45. | :27:54. | |
vital industry. It is not going to be enough in an of itself. We need | :27:55. | :28:00. | |
critical changes to the tax regime, particularly about incentivds. I | :28:01. | :28:03. | |
think we also need to review the tax level as a whole. I would lhke to | :28:04. | :28:13. | |
quote the oil and gas UK economic from the Autumn Statement. He said | :28:14. | :28:18. | |
since the last budget, the oil but the my price has fallen further We | :28:19. | :28:22. | |
need to do as much as he can to help boost confidence and encour`ge | :28:23. | :28:26. | |
investment in the UK. At thd oil price continues to be lower for | :28:27. | :28:31. | |
longer there is little doubt, we need to work with treasuries on | :28:32. | :28:35. | |
additional measures including revisiting the current tax rate | :28:36. | :28:38. | |
Consistent with the governmdnt's commented to the sector's t`x rate | :28:39. | :28:44. | |
this has to be approached. Given that they are about to have new tax | :28:45. | :28:54. | |
raising powers, this is a rdal crisis for key UK economies. Would | :28:55. | :29:01. | |
it be their policies to use those powers to raise funds to support the | :29:02. | :29:07. | |
industry. I am not entirely sure how you would use income tax to boost | :29:08. | :29:12. | |
bewailing gas industry, quite correctly. If he has any concrete | :29:13. | :29:20. | |
suggestions please, by all leans. I couldn't understand. My | :29:21. | :29:25. | |
understanding of the Scotland Act, I do not see where there is the | :29:26. | :29:33. | |
ability to do anything with any effect to the fiscal regime. If he | :29:34. | :29:42. | |
wishes to join with us and cause for Corporation tax or full physical | :29:43. | :29:44. | |
economy, then he is more th`n welcome to do that. To suggdst that | :29:45. | :29:50. | |
by the minimal powers that `re being devolved to Scotland in terls of tax | :29:51. | :29:55. | |
revenue powers, particularlx from an economic point of view, to boost the | :29:56. | :30:01. | |
business environment could be used to boost the oil and gas sector is | :30:02. | :30:12. | |
at best naive. In current thme, the UK government is not collecting any | :30:13. | :30:17. | |
tax revenues at all. I agred with him that there are reforms for the | :30:18. | :30:24. | |
future. Could he give us sole impression from his constittency for | :30:25. | :30:28. | |
about the industry what thex think is going to happen to jobs? The oil | :30:29. | :30:36. | |
industry is going through a difficult period. There is ` fair | :30:37. | :30:44. | |
degree of resilience. There is a fair degree of populism and what our | :30:45. | :30:48. | |
difficult times. There is a concerted effort, and they will work | :30:49. | :30:56. | |
through what they are doing. As that quote that I said, industry is | :30:57. | :31:01. | |
making the effort it can to reduce its costs. We can do nothing about | :31:02. | :31:11. | |
price of oil. But we can do something about the investmdnt | :31:12. | :31:16. | |
climate which would be enhanced significantly with changes to the | :31:17. | :31:22. | |
fiscal regime. Aberdeen is seeing job losses on a fairly size`ble | :31:23. | :31:33. | |
scale. It is still a relatively I would say probably performing above | :31:34. | :31:35. | |
average. I would certainly hope to continue to do so. It is not just | :31:36. | :31:45. | |
about tax revenues in terms of. You have to factor in the full range. | :31:46. | :31:50. | |
The income tax, national insurance, corporation tax paid by supplied | :31:51. | :31:57. | |
companies. This is a major sector. I think if we can invest in the skills | :31:58. | :32:04. | |
and ensure that we are bridging over, which will be temporary how | :32:05. | :32:13. | |
temporary is a matter of. I am not going to speculate because H would | :32:14. | :32:20. | |
look back. We do need that support. Changing the tax vision would send a | :32:21. | :32:25. | |
powerful message to those who are looking at investment. That | :32:26. | :32:29. | |
investment, if they are not making it in the UK Continental shdlf, | :32:30. | :32:33. | |
because of the nature of th`t business it would be in west Africa, | :32:34. | :32:38. | |
can't extend, Brazil. It wotld be in the Gulf of Mexico. It is not 0 sum. | :32:39. | :32:45. | |
Precisely because the taxes being paid, unusually so. The tre`sure is | :32:46. | :32:51. | |
not banking on North Sea oil to deal with what it requires to pax for. So | :32:52. | :32:56. | |
that they can afford to makd the changes. The revenue forecast for | :32:57. | :33:00. | |
the next year is low. Changhng it now means that that is viable. It | :33:01. | :33:05. | |
would also send that very clear message that this is worth hnvesting | :33:06. | :33:11. | |
in if there is investment h`ppening that are jobs that are still based, | :33:12. | :33:15. | |
and the supply change is thd chain is supported. But also for the | :33:16. | :33:22. | |
global oil and gas industry of Magnitudes bigger. The CD? H am | :33:23. | :34:11. | |
sorry to disappoint you but I will be brief. I do not need to rehash | :34:12. | :34:24. | |
the arguments, it is a clostre that it is a partially affecting | :34:25. | :34:29. | |
Scotland. 70% of the pipeline will be there. I know the governlent has | :34:30. | :34:37. | |
said that they will seek to reintroduce a closure to medt their | :34:38. | :34:41. | |
manifest commitment. I urge them not to do so. If they do so we shall | :34:42. | :34:49. | |
oppose it. Given that since 200 in Scotland fuel poverty has increased | :34:50. | :34:58. | |
IQ and a half times 234% of the population how can he justify | :34:59. | :35:02. | |
further subsidies which are paid by consumers being given to wind | :35:03. | :35:07. | |
turbines the proceeds of whhch mostly go to large landowners? That | :35:08. | :35:16. | |
is not a solution to fuel poverty. The solution is to insulate homes | :35:17. | :35:23. | |
which there is huge investmdnt in Scotland. Disproportionally so. | :35:24. | :35:29. | |
Bob... We have made various suggestions about how you would do | :35:30. | :35:33. | |
that. Fuel poverty does not exist in a vacuum. There is a value of actual | :35:34. | :35:42. | |
poverty. When these cheap in terms of renewables. The closure of the | :35:43. | :35:49. | |
argument is that to say the next say the bill payers 30%. Your colleagues | :35:50. | :36:06. | |
seem to want me to... I apologise to my right honourable friend. The | :36:07. | :36:11. | |
honourable member talks abott how cheap onshore wind is as a | :36:12. | :36:15. | |
renewable. Does he not accept that he has to be backed up by fossil | :36:16. | :36:20. | |
fuels which are not cheap. Does he take into consideration the cost of | :36:21. | :36:27. | |
wind. It is one of the least affordable technologies we have | :36:28. | :36:39. | |
Fossil fuels are not so che`p. That sum does not quite add up. H'm not | :36:40. | :36:49. | |
sure how he is quite worked out that equation. To move on quicklx, the | :36:50. | :36:56. | |
changes to the planning regtlations that is not something I would | :36:57. | :37:02. | |
oppose. I think in terms of this what is good for the goose should be | :37:03. | :37:07. | |
good for the gander. I think policies about this should respect | :37:08. | :37:12. | |
differing attitudes of the different nations of the United Kingdom. We in | :37:13. | :37:16. | |
Scotland would like to see ` continuation of onshore wind. We | :37:17. | :37:23. | |
would like to enable that to happen. That brings me to the idea of | :37:24. | :37:28. | |
subsidy free contract for dhfferent mechanism which would provide the | :37:29. | :37:33. | |
price stabilisation mechanism a route to market for it onshore wind, | :37:34. | :37:44. | |
that cheapest form of regendration. That was there for your bendfit | :37:45. | :37:57. | |
Finally my the Deputy speakdr, the proposals which would ban the | :37:58. | :38:00. | |
ability of the government to use carbon accounting through UPN | :38:01. | :38:08. | |
emissions trading scheme, that is something in principle my p`rty are | :38:09. | :38:13. | |
not opposed to. We think it is premature, and agreeing that's in | :38:14. | :38:19. | |
advance of the fifth carbon budget which is to come forward. To leave | :38:20. | :38:29. | |
the European emissions tradhng system which is a European wide | :38:30. | :38:34. | |
system which an odd tact to take for a party which is continuallx telling | :38:35. | :38:40. | |
us how European they are. The only way to fix this is to get a proper | :38:41. | :38:44. | |
European trading system not one that is going to price carbon solo. That | :38:45. | :38:55. | |
is the way forward. I don't believe there was any suggestion to leave | :38:56. | :39:02. | |
it. I would not suggest that you cannot use it, but what we should be | :39:03. | :39:10. | |
doing rather than by carbon emissions and pass them off to our | :39:11. | :39:14. | |
dear friends the continent, we should be that leader, that high | :39:15. | :39:22. | |
ambition. We can tell them towards our own contributions and sdll them | :39:23. | :39:27. | |
towards others who are not so good at dealing with it. In closhng, I | :39:28. | :39:34. | |
see it as there are three aspects of this bill. We support at thhs stage | :39:35. | :39:45. | |
two out of three of these and has people have said two out of three | :39:46. | :39:51. | |
are not bad. I'm going to h`ve to propose a ten minute speech limit. | :39:52. | :40:02. | |
Is a great pleasure to follow on from the two previous speakdrs. He | :40:03. | :40:10. | |
made a very realistic speech. The member for Aberdeen South w`s | :40:11. | :40:14. | |
amazingly complacent for thd primary industry for his constituents. It is | :40:15. | :40:18. | |
going to suffer very considdrably for a considerable time. It is | :40:19. | :40:24. | |
amazing to me that the Scottish naturalist -- Nationalist p`rty Are | :40:25. | :40:34. | |
undergoing coal gasification. And tracking which might have provided | :40:35. | :40:39. | |
an alternative for jobs for people in his constituency. Whenevdr we are | :40:40. | :40:49. | |
on the spectrum on global w`rming, from sceptical to alarmist, we can | :40:50. | :40:55. | |
surely agree on one thing, that we should try to achieve the t`rgets | :40:56. | :41:00. | |
for which we are committed to reducing CO2 at the least cost to | :41:01. | :41:07. | |
our constituents. They must bear it either through their budgets on to | :41:08. | :41:18. | |
their jobs. When he found that subsidies are unnecessarily generous | :41:19. | :41:22. | |
to achieve the targets, so that without changing those targdts she | :41:23. | :41:27. | |
could reduce the subsidies H assumed the whole house would be in | :41:28. | :41:32. | |
universal to what she was proposing. Even I, for once, was on her side. | :41:33. | :41:40. | |
It was not so. There was calls from the green lobby and the opposite -- | :41:41. | :41:45. | |
opposition. Higher than necdssary for longer than necessary. To reach | :41:46. | :41:51. | |
the targets. Key amendments in this bill seem designed to incre`se the | :41:52. | :41:58. | |
costs of achieving our targdts. Cause 80 will not allow use of the | :41:59. | :42:06. | |
emissions trading scheme. The whole purpose of the emissions tr`ding | :42:07. | :42:09. | |
scheme is to ensure that those who can abate emissions of the lowest | :42:10. | :42:15. | |
cost do so. By excreting thd use of that we are ensuring that hhgher | :42:16. | :42:21. | |
costs are incurred to get abatement in emissions. Onshore wind of the | :42:22. | :42:29. | |
Lord of the needed even thotgh that is quite unnecessary. I shall be | :42:30. | :42:34. | |
supporting the front bench `nd having both of those amendmdnts | :42:35. | :42:42. | |
removed. We have created a framework which commits us to load higher | :42:43. | :42:51. | |
costs on UK consumers and btsinesses via the climate change act than any | :42:52. | :42:58. | |
other country in Europe is committed to do. As a result, we will ensure, | :42:59. | :43:06. | |
despite all that, we will ensure that the way the system works we do | :43:07. | :43:14. | |
not reduce carbon monoxide hnto the atmosphere by one molecule. At | :43:15. | :43:23. | |
Paris, all of the countries of the world agreed to put in commhtments | :43:24. | :43:27. | |
as what they were going to do in the future in terms of curbing the | :43:28. | :43:31. | |
growth of their emissions of CO . The only exceptions were thd | :43:32. | :43:37. | |
countries of Europe. The global figure for the whole of Europe, and | :43:38. | :43:44. | |
now to allocate that figure among the member states. We are committed | :43:45. | :43:48. | |
to doing so much more than the average of Europe, and even anybody | :43:49. | :43:53. | |
else in Europe, all of the dffect that has is to reduce the alount by | :43:54. | :43:58. | |
which the other countries in Europe will have to reduce their elissions. | :43:59. | :44:04. | |
We have increased the burden of costs on British households and | :44:05. | :44:07. | |
businesses, reduce the burddn of costs that are partners in Durope | :44:08. | :44:13. | |
will have to incur, and not reduce the emissions of CO2 by a shngle | :44:14. | :44:19. | |
molecule. That is an extraordinary and to achieve. It has puzzled me | :44:20. | :44:27. | |
for a long time how it is that we have a political class, particularly | :44:28. | :44:36. | |
the green lobby which straddles both sides of the Greenway LAUGHTER Who | :44:37. | :44:47. | |
are committed to such a perverse policies I did find a possible hint | :44:48. | :44:54. | |
of an explanation. Someone lentioned to me, a book, I'm sure you have not | :44:55. | :45:02. | |
read but have heard about. @ 40 shades of grey 50 50 shades of grey. | :45:03. | :45:17. | |
LAUGHTER. Have I any higher bids? LAUGHTER There is a book, 50 shades | :45:18. | :45:31. | |
of Gray, whose surprising popularity has demonstrated that sadom`sochism, | :45:32. | :45:36. | |
the affliction of pain, and submission of pain are far wider | :45:37. | :45:38. | |
taste that we had previouslx thought. It seems to me that it in | :45:39. | :45:43. | |
the political sphere there hs a similar belief that it will be | :45:44. | :45:49. | |
popular to inflict pain or to submit to pain by green policies. 40 shades | :45:50. | :45:56. | |
of green, you might say. If something we are suffering from in | :45:57. | :46:01. | |
this country. LAUGHTER The trouble is that members who are comlitted to | :46:02. | :46:06. | |
this doctrine measured the success of their policies not by wh`t they | :46:07. | :46:09. | |
will achieve, but what they will cost. Not by how effectivelx they | :46:10. | :46:16. | |
will reach their destination, but how onerous the burdens thex can | :46:17. | :46:22. | |
place on Virgin British households and British businesses. All of the | :46:23. | :46:35. | |
costs of climate change polhcies, he came up to about ?1500 -- ?250 per | :46:36. | :46:46. | |
household. The Honorable melber might disagree with the clilate | :46:47. | :46:51. | |
change committee that he helped set up, that was the number that came | :46:52. | :46:57. | |
up. It is set to double by 2020 to double again by 2030, and again by | :46:58. | :47:08. | |
20... Both on the energy bills and the cost of more expensive products | :47:09. | :47:11. | |
because that leads through product costs. The cost on jobs, we have | :47:12. | :47:20. | |
lost the aluminium industry already, before the session we were saying | :47:21. | :47:24. | |
how serious the impact on the job losses of the steel industrx was. | :47:25. | :47:30. | |
The basic reason the job losses in the steel industry is there is a | :47:31. | :47:35. | |
worldwide glut of supply. The reason evolved extensively on this country, | :47:36. | :47:39. | |
is that our industrial energy costs are higher than anywhere else in | :47:40. | :47:44. | |
Europe that is why we suffer disproportionately at the moment. We | :47:45. | :47:53. | |
are importing bricks, I had lunch with a businessman who said 7% of | :47:54. | :47:58. | |
his output comes from the UK. 2 % of his energy cost is in the UK. | :47:59. | :48:05. | |
These green targets come he`vily on our country, and does not produce | :48:06. | :48:14. | |
Kodak said it all. Producing even more carbon dioxide. My right | :48:15. | :48:18. | |
honourable friend is right. This is another example of the pervdrse | :48:19. | :48:22. | |
effect of what we do, that we impose costs on our own country and we do | :48:23. | :48:29. | |
not achieve the objectives of reducing carbon dioxide emissions | :48:30. | :48:34. | |
and not case the marginally increase that. I appeal to the House is that | :48:35. | :48:41. | |
we start looking at this whole business in a rational way. Take all | :48:42. | :48:47. | |
of the targets that we are committed to, I think it is unnecessary and | :48:48. | :48:53. | |
unwise like the Honorable mdmber said. Let's take those targdts as | :48:54. | :48:57. | |
given and seek the least costly way of achieving them. The least burden. | :48:58. | :49:05. | |
The least destruction of industry and output, and not measure our | :49:06. | :49:09. | |
success by how much pain he can inflict and how much harm and burden | :49:10. | :49:22. | |
we can submit to. I am gratdful to him for giving way, and I al glad I | :49:23. | :49:26. | |
got there before he sat down. I wanted to ask him they given that he | :49:27. | :49:29. | |
is concerned about cost, whx doesn't he does accent that to nucldar | :49:30. | :49:37. | |
energy. It is going to put lore strain on household budgets than | :49:38. | :49:40. | |
anything renewables can do, and what is going to help us get emissions | :49:41. | :49:44. | |
down for over a decade at the very least. When we did a report on the | :49:45. | :49:49. | |
energy and climate change committee, I did vote against it for stch a bad | :49:50. | :49:55. | |
reason. I was worried that we were committing to an unnecessarhly high | :49:56. | :49:59. | |
cost. I am not against nucldar invincible, but I don't agrde with | :50:00. | :50:06. | |
the right honourable lady that it is a much more costly than offshore | :50:07. | :50:10. | |
weren't. It is less costly than offshore wind. | :50:11. | :50:17. | |
On that I agree with her. I would be very happy if she would put Ford in | :50:18. | :50:29. | |
motion, I would happily seconded, reducing the second E for offshore | :50:30. | :50:32. | |
wind to be equal to those for onshore wind. I will happilx join | :50:33. | :50:37. | |
her and not. I am in favour of reducing cost. I believe Madam | :50:38. | :50:44. | |
Deputy Speaker that he is spanking the side of the park. I wonder | :50:45. | :50:52. | |
whether he would agree with me that's the way we move forw`rd and | :50:53. | :50:55. | |
introducing an element of the market is mechanism of bidding for subsidy. | :50:56. | :51:09. | |
Is the right way forward? I agree. It was late in the day that we | :51:10. | :51:14. | |
introduce that system. At ldast we encourage the minimum cost of | :51:15. | :51:20. | |
subsidy rather than just pltcking a number which is inevitably going to | :51:21. | :51:24. | |
be high. Civil servants are always generous with public money. Certain | :51:25. | :51:32. | |
targets arts so that we can achieve an unnecessary expense. I agree with | :51:33. | :51:38. | |
my Honorable friend, and I give away one more time to my honourable | :51:39. | :51:45. | |
friend. I am grateful to my friend who is giving an entertaining | :51:46. | :51:49. | |
speech. Offshore wind with ` price around ?140 of megawatts in our the | :51:50. | :51:56. | |
industry expects to happen down to a by 20 20. It is likely going to be | :51:57. | :52:02. | |
below the cost of nuclear and falling where as nuclear is going to | :52:03. | :52:07. | |
be fixed the entire time. Mx honourable friend who is normally | :52:08. | :52:12. | |
very a rational is being irrational. He is saying let's invest in | :52:13. | :52:17. | |
expensive products and holds up the next generation will be che`per | :52:18. | :52:21. | |
Then other people will be able to invest and compete with us. If it is | :52:22. | :52:24. | |
going to be cheaper in five years' time, wait for five years and it and | :52:25. | :52:33. | |
hear! It is a privilege to follow the unique speech of the right | :52:34. | :52:39. | |
honourable member, and I bow to his greater knowledge of 50 or 40 shades | :52:40. | :52:45. | |
of grey or green for that m`tter. It is also fair to say that he has | :52:46. | :52:49. | |
taken a consistent position on these issues. He was one of the three | :52:50. | :52:53. | |
members of this House, five members of his house, to vote against the | :52:54. | :52:59. | |
climate change act. This was an act is supported right across hhs house. | :53:00. | :53:03. | |
It won't surprise the House to hear that I am taking a slightly | :53:04. | :53:06. | |
different perspective from him and my remarks. I want to focus on how | :53:07. | :53:14. | |
this bill can be improved, Ladam Deputy Speaker. How it can be a | :53:15. | :53:19. | |
better bill. The right question to be asking of any energy or climate | :53:20. | :53:23. | |
bill before this House, givdn the scale of the challenge we f`ce, is | :53:24. | :53:30. | |
is it doing everything necessary to meet our obligations and thd | :53:31. | :53:34. | |
requirements on us to take ` leading role in tackling climate ch`nge I | :53:35. | :53:38. | |
believe that things can be done to this bill to ensure that happens. Of | :53:39. | :53:42. | |
course, with this bill, unlhke many other bills before this house. It is | :53:43. | :53:47. | |
a very important event that happened in between it being introduced any | :53:48. | :53:52. | |
other place as the second rdading today. That is the historic Paris | :53:53. | :53:58. | |
climate change agreement. I did so, when she met her statement, but | :53:59. | :54:07. | |
again I pay. My case to her to her and the House is to reflect the high | :54:08. | :54:12. | |
ambition of parents and this bill. In particular, I want to set up the | :54:13. | :54:16. | |
case for why the government in light of the Paris agreement to a | :54:17. | :54:21. | |
long-term global goal of zero emissions, should use this dnergy | :54:22. | :54:25. | |
bill to legislate here in the UK for the same objective. Zero emhssions | :54:26. | :54:31. | |
with a date to be advised bx the Independent climate change | :54:32. | :54:35. | |
committee. I want to thank lembers from across this house who H have | :54:36. | :54:39. | |
talked to about this. The mdmbers of my front bench, members frol the | :54:40. | :54:47. | |
Liberal Democrats, play an hmportant role as chair of the intern`tional | :54:48. | :54:51. | |
parliamentarian committee. @ll Honorable members want to know more | :54:52. | :54:55. | |
about this there is a paper published today which is up,to-date. | :54:56. | :55:01. | |
My case is threefold. It is about consistency between international | :55:02. | :55:07. | |
agreements, economic case, `nd about the effect we can have on other | :55:08. | :55:14. | |
countries. First,... I will give way to the Honorable member. . Can he | :55:15. | :55:21. | |
explain given what I set out the effect of us having commitmdnts | :55:22. | :55:24. | |
higher than the rest of Europe simply reduces the amount of that | :55:25. | :55:29. | |
they are committed under thd Paris agreement? If he is going to raise | :55:30. | :55:33. | |
our target hired isn't he therefore reducing even lower the amotnt by | :55:34. | :55:37. | |
which they will have to redtce their emissions to reach the EU global | :55:38. | :55:44. | |
total? No, because the EU t`rget is set on the basis of aperturd and | :55:45. | :55:47. | |
between different countries. We are one of the most important pdople | :55:48. | :55:50. | |
contribute to that effort sharing. The more we do the higher the EU | :55:51. | :55:55. | |
target can be. That is part of being in the European Union. And playing | :55:56. | :56:00. | |
our role in raising the objdctive. I'm going to make some progress I | :56:01. | :56:05. | |
first kissed her acting is `bout conspiracy between internathonal | :56:06. | :56:07. | |
agreements and domestic acthon. When I set the 80% target and thd climate | :56:08. | :56:15. | |
change act, the 80% by 2050, on a cross party basis we are at the most | :56:16. | :56:19. | |
radical end of the spectrum. That was formulated to give us a fighting | :56:20. | :56:22. | |
chance of keeping global warming below 2 degrees. Paris has crucially | :56:23. | :56:28. | |
moved the world on premise. Paris said that objective 1.5 degrees to | :56:29. | :56:37. | |
keep global warming, and we are already out 1 degrees, and secondly | :56:38. | :56:39. | |
zero emissions coal. The long-term goal of zero emissions. I whll give | :56:40. | :56:46. | |
way to the Honorable member. As someone who did not vote for his | :56:47. | :56:50. | |
climate change, can I just `sk them to say what role does that | :56:51. | :56:54. | |
legislation had in his view in the tragic job losses and steel and | :56:55. | :57:01. | |
other energy industries in Britain. It is simplistic to say that the | :57:02. | :57:04. | |
climate change act led to that. It is a whole series of decisions the | :57:05. | :57:09. | |
government has to make. I m`ke this point to him and two other lembers, | :57:10. | :57:19. | |
this is a number port in pohnt. Cost of not of not acting are grdater | :57:20. | :57:24. | |
than the cost of acting. If we. . Look at the Pleasant besought! We | :57:25. | :57:29. | |
are going to have more about. Coming soon to a constituency near you You | :57:30. | :57:32. | |
can stick your head and the science, and I am sorry just accuse the | :57:33. | :57:41. | |
gentlemen of that,. To be f`ir to the right honourable member, and she | :57:42. | :57:45. | |
won't think of saying that, I do not think she was up. She is on the | :57:46. | :57:50. | |
right side of this argument. Of course you have to do it at the | :57:51. | :57:55. | |
least cost that you can. Let's not pretend, Madam Deputy Speakdr, that | :57:56. | :57:58. | |
somehow this does not exist. We are seeing the effects of this `ll | :57:59. | :58:03. | |
around the world. If we do not act we are going to have a lot lore of | :58:04. | :58:07. | |
it. I will give way for a fhnal time. On this point of the steel | :58:08. | :58:15. | |
industry in particular, while I agree with much of what he says in | :58:16. | :58:17. | |
terms of damages, the perception seems to be also probably the truth, | :58:18. | :58:23. | |
and time to act in this country what we have simply done is exploited and | :58:24. | :58:28. | |
a lot -- export a lot of our admissions. This government when it | :58:29. | :58:44. | |
was in Coalition. The point is not to deny that the transition easy | :58:45. | :58:47. | |
take place, but do it in thd right way. I do not disagree with that. I | :58:48. | :58:51. | |
want to carry on and make mx case. If the support of zero emissions | :58:52. | :58:55. | |
globally, and that is what the Secretary of State has done, then | :58:56. | :58:58. | |
the logical position is that we have got to supported mystically as well. | :58:59. | :59:04. | |
Let's make this point. We sdt 8 % as a target. It does not make sense to | :59:05. | :59:09. | |
have 80% of your target when you know from the global agreemdnt that | :59:10. | :59:13. | |
we are going to have to get to zero. The second part is based on | :59:14. | :59:16. | |
economics. I do want to say this particularly to members opposite | :59:17. | :59:20. | |
that they are worried that ly proposal say that is going to risk | :59:21. | :59:24. | |
off. I think the opposite is true. I asked them to listen to somd of the | :59:25. | :59:29. | |
business voices who are sayhng that from their point of view thdy want | :59:30. | :59:36. | |
us to set a target for zero emissions. Why? Because certainty is | :59:37. | :59:41. | |
a friend of business in this area, and uncertainty is his enemx. This | :59:42. | :59:45. | |
is what Richard Branson has set about a net zero emissions coal He | :59:46. | :59:49. | |
said it is simply makes good business sense. It will build jobs | :59:50. | :59:56. | |
and prosperity. He is joined by many other business leaders who `re | :59:57. | :00:00. | |
making biscuits. By the way, Madam Deputy Speaker, just as it hs the | :00:01. | :00:04. | |
right thing to do for busindss it is also the right thing for government. | :00:05. | :00:07. | |
They're going to have to make decisions on the structure now | :00:08. | :00:12. | |
22030, and it is right to m`ke those decisions on the basis of what we're | :00:13. | :00:15. | |
going to have to achieve. And maybe in the second half of the cdntury, | :00:16. | :00:18. | |
but we know that we are going to have to get there third, and | :00:19. | :00:24. | |
finally, my case goes beyond our borders. Paris is a rate agreement. | :00:25. | :00:31. | |
Its biggest weakness is that if you look at the aggregate of thd | :00:32. | :00:34. | |
commitments made by other countries, the aspiration may be to lilit | :00:35. | :00:41. | |
warming to less than 1.5 degrees, but when you added up it sedms more | :00:42. | :00:44. | |
like three degrees were the commitments. Some people might say, | :00:45. | :00:48. | |
what difference can mean a? We are only 1% of global emissions? Why | :00:49. | :00:56. | |
does -- why do we have an ilpact as Mac does have an impact. | :00:57. | :01:01. | |
They pushed the last governlent to do this. That had an impact. Not | :01:02. | :01:08. | |
just in Britain, but around the world. When the secretary of state | :01:09. | :01:12. | |
went to those negotiations `nd urged others to take action they weren't | :01:13. | :01:16. | |
able to say to her you are pretending that you care about these | :01:17. | :01:19. | |
things and want to legislatd for them, but you are not taking action | :01:20. | :01:23. | |
in your own domestic legisl`tive. We did do that. I am not going to give | :01:24. | :01:26. | |
way because I am going to lose my time. I will also say to thd House | :01:27. | :01:31. | |
and those who are sceptical about action having been taken thd 20 5 | :01:32. | :01:39. | |
global legislation study looks at climate change legislation `nd 9 | :01:40. | :01:43. | |
different countries. It talks about the speed of response following the | :01:44. | :01:47. | |
climate change act in the UK. My threefold case, Madam to thd | :01:48. | :01:53. | |
Speaker, is around the fact that we need to have consistency between | :01:54. | :01:57. | |
domestic and international `ction. It is the economic case, and the | :01:58. | :02:01. | |
impact we can have on other countries if we act. I want to deal | :02:02. | :02:05. | |
with two other points that light be made about why this is a bad idea. | :02:06. | :02:07. | |
The first is that somehow wd should The first is that somehow wd should | :02:08. | :02:11. | |
stick to our existing targets and should not worry about wherd | :02:12. | :02:14. | |
ambition. Why do we need more ambition will be half this rumour | :02:15. | :02:17. | |
got already in place? I'm afraid that is sticking your head hn the | :02:18. | :02:22. | |
sand. If you have to get 20 emissions then you should start that | :02:23. | :02:26. | |
process now. It is a hard t`sk, in task. We need to know that we can | :02:27. | :02:32. | |
get there. My case is a pragmatic one. I am not saying plucked out of | :02:33. | :02:36. | |
the air a date to get 20 emhssions. I am saying that we should get there | :02:37. | :02:38. | |
in 2050. Some business leaddrs, look at these issues and advise | :02:39. | :02:50. | |
government about where we should put this into UK domestic law. The | :02:51. | :02:54. | |
second point, and I think this point was made in the individual, is that | :02:55. | :02:58. | |
somehow we are going far too ahead of other countries. This is us being | :02:59. | :03:03. | |
far too far out in front. I think the simple point I'd make about this | :03:04. | :03:09. | |
is that we now have more th`n a countries that have signed tp to | :03:10. | :03:16. | |
zero emissions coal. Every country is theoretically signed up `fter | :03:17. | :03:19. | |
this goal. The question is `re going to do a? Is warm words or are we | :03:20. | :03:26. | |
just going to pretend that we're going to act but not really follow | :03:27. | :03:31. | |
through. Let the same concltsion Madam Deputy Speaker, I hopd the | :03:32. | :03:34. | |
government will comport with such an amendment. If they do not I want to | :03:35. | :03:38. | |
work with people across this house to see to make it happen. I think is | :03:39. | :03:41. | |
something the government can support. I hope they come forward | :03:42. | :03:48. | |
with an amendment. It would build the momentum of the Paris agreement. | :03:49. | :03:52. | |
It is the best cross party tradition of the climate change act, `nd it | :03:53. | :03:56. | |
would send a powerful signal around the world and in print about a | :03:57. | :03:59. | |
determination to act. Above all I think it would increase our ability | :04:00. | :04:04. | |
to tackle dangerous climate change. Notwithstanding the Constitttion | :04:05. | :04:07. | |
from the right Honorable melber I believe it is something I c`n unite | :04:08. | :04:12. | |
the vast majority of members across this house as I hope the government | :04:13. | :04:21. | |
Thank you matter that the Speaker, it is great pleasure to follow the | :04:22. | :04:25. | |
right Honorable gentleman for Doncaster North, and other | :04:26. | :04:30. | |
colleagues who have spoken hn the chamber today. I don't think any | :04:31. | :04:35. | |
more memorable phrasing will come into this debate than that of my | :04:36. | :04:40. | |
right honourable friend in talking about 50 shades of green. I so often | :04:41. | :04:46. | |
in this area of debate, people dispute the numbers. As he did with | :04:47. | :04:55. | |
his initial 40 shades efforts. The threat of agreements to everyone who | :04:56. | :04:58. | |
has spoken so far including my honourable friend the Member for | :04:59. | :05:02. | |
Selby, my heart honourable friend and others is that if you are going | :05:03. | :05:07. | |
to set out to fulfil the requirements of the climate change | :05:08. | :05:10. | |
act, then you must do so in the lowest way. It therefore st`rt off | :05:11. | :05:16. | |
as something else, I think the right honourable friend for carpeting was | :05:17. | :05:21. | |
right to point out, that is the fact that with this burden sharing | :05:22. | :05:25. | |
throughout Europe, there is an issue around where we step further, does | :05:26. | :05:28. | |
it simply provide greater slack elsewhere? It would be, you may | :05:29. | :05:33. | |
share my right honourable friend that this is him about the whole | :05:34. | :05:37. | |
arena, it certainly not somdthing that any of us want to say, where we | :05:38. | :05:42. | |
make progress, that somebodx else slacks as a result. Therefore, | :05:43. | :05:46. | |
having a joined up approach is a sensible part of delivering what | :05:47. | :05:49. | |
they all want and doing so `t the lowest possible cost. I think that | :05:50. | :05:53. | |
is worthy of further investhgation. Where I don't think my right | :05:54. | :05:56. | |
honourable friend is right hs to suggest that there is purelx an | :05:57. | :06:01. | |
exercise in masochism, after the committee on climate change brief is | :06:02. | :06:06. | |
to fulfil that which was passed albeit without his support hn this | :06:07. | :06:11. | |
house, that is an 80% reduction by 2050, if you read their fifth carbon | :06:12. | :06:16. | |
reports which recently came out the whole premise of that is to try and | :06:17. | :06:20. | |
work out a pathway to get us there at the lowest possible cost. That is | :06:21. | :06:27. | |
one reason why I welcome thhs new government and the new ministers in | :06:28. | :06:31. | |
their place, reset of the policy. They are not, some of my honourable | :06:32. | :06:37. | |
friend might wish they were. They are not stepping away from the | :06:38. | :06:40. | |
climate change act, on the contrary they are saying they want to look at | :06:41. | :06:43. | |
how best to make sure that we have a policy framework which incentivizes | :06:44. | :06:48. | |
activity to meet the outcomds that we all want to see. I know from | :06:49. | :06:52. | |
discussions with my honourable friend who is nodding in my | :06:53. | :06:55. | |
direction not from the front bench, one of the issues around renewables. | :06:56. | :06:59. | |
It picks up the points made by my honourable friend for Selby is to do | :07:00. | :07:03. | |
with intermittency. One of the ways of dealing with it is to develop | :07:04. | :07:07. | |
storage. Have we had suffichent investment or created a fralework to | :07:08. | :07:12. | |
incentives and to devise storage and incentivize investment, the answer | :07:13. | :07:17. | |
has to be no. What we have got to do is make sure we get a framework | :07:18. | :07:20. | |
which captures all the elemdnts we need going forward to creatd a | :07:21. | :07:24. | |
rational response so that even if he does not entirely agree, my friend | :07:25. | :07:30. | |
and member for carpeting can see a more rational threat to link to | :07:31. | :07:33. | |
these policy which is being put forward in order to deliver. I | :07:34. | :07:40. | |
wanted to comment on the wall of the secretary of state to Paris to | :07:41. | :07:44. | |
briefly to say she did play in the leading role in negotiations bear, | :07:45. | :07:47. | |
Britain was at the table helping create a more ambitious deal there, | :07:48. | :07:52. | |
it is important going forward. I would like to make a couple of. . I | :07:53. | :07:56. | |
will give way to my honourable friend. Thank you, he mentioned | :07:57. | :08:02. | |
Paris, I would be interested to understand in the global perspective | :08:03. | :08:07. | |
why it was that the EU eye `m DC submitted by Paris comprise a degree | :08:08. | :08:11. | |
of reduction in emissions, half the rate of the UK, why is it that the | :08:12. | :08:17. | |
EU had decided not to follow us with the climate change act, and | :08:18. | :08:20. | |
they know something we do not? He is they know something we do not? He is | :08:21. | :08:25. | |
quite right, he often carrids around with him the list of the emhssions | :08:26. | :08:30. | |
reductions since 1994 Europdan countries, and points out that those | :08:31. | :08:35. | |
who made Austria for instance his favourite noir, the could of other | :08:36. | :08:39. | |
countries like to talk about this topic and not deliver on it is | :08:40. | :08:42. | |
pretty woeful. It goes back to my earlier point of needing to have a | :08:43. | :08:45. | |
joined up approach. To make sure we do genuinely deliver collectively | :08:46. | :08:51. | |
the outcomes that we desire. Thanks in part to my right honourable | :08:52. | :08:54. | |
friend on the front bench effort, we did see ambitious -- omission from | :08:55. | :08:59. | |
the EU raised, he did not go as far as the UK wanted to do. We did in | :09:00. | :09:05. | |
2008, with cross party support, unilaterally decide on a pathway for | :09:06. | :09:09. | |
his country to 80% reductions to 2050. I give way. I agree whth what | :09:10. | :09:16. | |
my Honorable friend is saying. We also agreed that where the TK leads | :09:17. | :09:23. | |
as was outlined earlier by the former Leader of the Opposition | :09:24. | :09:25. | |
very often other countries hn the EU will follow. Our niece with Sweden | :09:26. | :09:30. | |
is considering implementing its own climate change act based on UK | :09:31. | :09:34. | |
legislation. It is important not to exaggerate that, it will quhte | :09:35. | :09:38. | |
rightly be picked up by colleagues who pointed out that somethhng has | :09:39. | :09:44. | |
all-encompassing and specifhc and as a road map if you want to use that | :09:45. | :09:47. | |
term as our climate change `ct has probably never been passed by | :09:48. | :09:50. | |
another country in the wall, it has been coming up eight years `nd it | :09:51. | :09:53. | |
happened. My Honorable friend is right, it is worth seeing in it so | :09:54. | :09:57. | |
if I have time on the context by deputy speaker, if we are sdeing | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
turning point. The idea we `re sorely in this state of masochistic | :10:02. | :10:05. | |
way in inflicting pain on otrselves while others deny themselves these | :10:06. | :10:09. | |
pleasures, I don't think is correct. According to Bloomberg the new | :10:10. | :10:15. | |
energy finance, last year s`w record investment in clean power. With an | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
increase of $329 billion, that is despite the fall in oil and gas | :10:21. | :10:25. | |
prices. In other words, the regulatory and legal frameworks set | :10:26. | :10:30. | |
up across the world, and thd global organisation which I might declare | :10:31. | :10:34. | |
an interest in that Hamas h`s I hope played a part in helping crdate | :10:35. | :10:40. | |
those remarks around the world. I also want to say that the Chinese | :10:41. | :10:47. | |
renewables investment last xear hits $111 billion, 111 billion, 07% up | :10:48. | :10:52. | |
while the US investment in renewables went up to $56 bhllion up | :10:53. | :10:59. | |
to 7.5%, although this does, the auger context to put is to go to my | :11:00. | :11:02. | |
Honorable friend's point in Europe. We saw the lowest level of | :11:03. | :11:08. | |
investment in renewables sent 2 06 last year, collectively across | :11:09. | :11:12. | |
Europe while we may be delivering Europe is not doing entiretx as one | :11:13. | :11:20. | |
might hope that it would. On the subject of onshore wind, can I | :11:21. | :11:24. | |
welcome the Government's colmitment to look at the whole system cost? Of | :11:25. | :11:30. | |
all these renewables? My understanding is that onshore wind | :11:31. | :11:32. | |
is the cheapest renewables be currently have. There are issues | :11:33. | :11:35. | |
around the back up is required, what we need to have is an objective | :11:36. | :11:39. | |
assessment of what that cost is so we can make a proper judgemdnt of | :11:40. | :11:45. | |
the benefits of one form of clean energy versus another. For hnstance, | :11:46. | :11:49. | |
against biomass which my Honorable friend was so keen to champhon. | :11:50. | :11:54. | |
Until we have that clarity over what the real costs are, it is h`rd to | :11:55. | :11:58. | |
create the framework incenthves that we want to bring on the cle`n as | :11:59. | :12:02. | |
possible transformations at the lowest possible cost. On thd issue | :12:03. | :12:12. | |
of zero emissions, I wanted to follow the right honourable | :12:13. | :12:16. | |
gentleman who spoke before le, he is right. If we are going to ddliver 2 | :12:17. | :12:23. | |
degrees, let alone one and ` half degrees, then we are going to need | :12:24. | :12:27. | |
to move to what sounds slightly fantastical, an idea that wd can | :12:28. | :12:32. | |
move 20 emissions. Of coursd, if we can entirety the carbonize the power | :12:33. | :12:38. | |
system, and then with that power is used in other systems, then use | :12:39. | :12:43. | |
start to move towards the ability to eradicate, most of our apartment and | :12:44. | :12:47. | |
then we do still meet and wd have some time to develop it, we need | :12:48. | :12:51. | |
other ways in order to change our systems so that any that we have | :12:52. | :12:59. | |
storage, that offsets the elissions which are not avoidable. Thdy are | :13:00. | :13:03. | |
going to be emissions regardless in a developed and industrialised | :13:04. | :13:09. | |
world, what is possible is that we can net that to zero. It is an | :13:10. | :13:14. | |
important point to make in case any people at home are thinking we are | :13:15. | :13:17. | |
dealing in science fiction rather than reality. I have given the | :13:18. | :13:20. | |
progress in technologies th`t we have seen over recent years, it is | :13:21. | :13:25. | |
credible, at least to believe that we can move 20 emissions I think one | :13:26. | :13:30. | |
and a half degrees is going to be achieved given modern science. That | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
is going to be necessary. The government is doing a reset, the | :13:37. | :13:41. | |
government will guide June of this year, come forward to legislate on | :13:42. | :13:44. | |
the fifth carbon budget which covers the distant years of 2028, two 032 | :13:45. | :13:50. | |
from memory and by the end of the year is going to produce a | :13:51. | :13:55. | |
government strategy to deliver that. I think that is welcome, wh`t we | :13:56. | :13:59. | |
need going forward is something much more coherent than the renewables | :14:00. | :14:04. | |
system, we need something which uses options which delivers it the | :14:05. | :14:08. | |
secretary of state has said, a market driving up costs in which | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
government is out of the wax to maximise extent it can be although | :14:13. | :14:17. | |
in the meantime, it has to be said why are we investing in expdnsive | :14:18. | :14:21. | |
energies like offshore wind? It would not buy be be invested | :14:22. | :14:25. | |
otherwise, but that investmdnt is driving the cost down. I wotld say | :14:26. | :14:29. | |
to those who are more scepthcal that you look at the way the prices have | :14:30. | :14:33. | |
come down look at the way prices have gone down in offshore wind | :14:34. | :14:36. | |
look at the way prices have come down in offshore wind, I thhnk | :14:37. | :14:43. | |
therefore actually whatever the current eddies in investor | :14:44. | :14:46. | |
confidence, going forward whth these particular ministers, committed as | :14:47. | :14:51. | |
they are, both to delivering our climate obligations, but dohng so in | :14:52. | :14:54. | |
the lowest cost most coherent manner we are in exactly the right position | :14:55. | :14:58. | |
we should be. I am delighted to say I will be supporting this bhll | :14:59. | :15:06. | |
tonight. It is a pleasure to follow the Honorable member, who m`de a | :15:07. | :15:11. | |
number of points of which I agree. Also, before that my right | :15:12. | :15:18. | |
honourable friend for who m`de such a contribution to this debate, I am | :15:19. | :15:21. | |
so pleased to see that you `re continuing continuing to do that. | :15:22. | :15:26. | |
Also, before I start the pohnt, I want to place on record my thanks to | :15:27. | :15:32. | |
the Secretary of State for the excellent job she did in Paris. I am | :15:33. | :15:35. | |
sure those comments will be passed onto her. She did that on bdhalf of | :15:36. | :15:38. | |
us I think we are all delighted with the outcome of the Paris talks. This | :15:39. | :15:44. | |
is a wide-ranging bill, I would like to focus my short time on the | :15:45. | :15:47. | |
renewables element of the bhll and in particular your global obligation | :15:48. | :15:55. | |
for onshore wind. And how this is impacting negatively on invdstment | :15:56. | :15:58. | |
in the northeast of England. Am fully aware of it government's | :15:59. | :16:03. | |
concerns about the financial integrity of the framework. Indeed, | :16:04. | :16:07. | |
I share these concerns, we need a fully funded functioning control | :16:08. | :16:12. | |
framework to fund clean energy environments. As the levee control | :16:13. | :16:16. | |
framework is funded by Bill payors, it is absolutely crucial th`t we | :16:17. | :16:21. | |
protect it and enter a valud for money. Yet, this bill does not do | :16:22. | :16:25. | |
that, in terms of the impact on consumer bills, the impact | :16:26. | :16:30. | |
assessment demonstrates that in the government's central scenarho, this | :16:31. | :16:35. | |
policy is projected to save the payors to keep it, in terms of the | :16:36. | :16:39. | |
framework in the government central scenario, this policy is prddicted | :16:40. | :16:42. | |
to save ?20 million out of the budget in 2021 of ?7.9 billhon. This | :16:43. | :16:49. | |
measure does not appear to be protected bill payors at all, rather | :16:50. | :16:54. | |
it seems to fit for the purpose of the appeasing climate changd | :16:55. | :16:58. | |
sceptics. The Prime Minister rightly reiterated last week his colmitment | :16:59. | :17:02. | |
to the carbonize thing at the lowest cost to the consumer, and for that | :17:03. | :17:07. | |
he has my support. Yet the secretary of state is going about this in an | :17:08. | :17:10. | |
odd way, the government means committed to the EU nubile directive | :17:11. | :17:17. | |
for which the UK must sourcd 20 of its energy needs for nubile sources | :17:18. | :17:22. | |
by 2020. We also have a fixdd budget for clean energy in the lobby | :17:23. | :17:27. | |
framework. I wonder if the Linister would explain how in the target and | :17:28. | :17:32. | |
a fixed budget replacing thd cheapest renewable electors of the | :17:33. | :17:36. | |
technology which is onshore wind with more expensive technology such | :17:37. | :17:40. | |
as offshore wind can possibly lead to lower bills for consumers and | :17:41. | :17:46. | |
maintain the financial integrity of the control framework. In its July | :17:47. | :17:53. | |
2015 report, the Office for Budget Responsibility for cast ?1.6 billion | :17:54. | :18:01. | |
overspend in 2021 due to high date of tax on our own. Greater capacity | :18:02. | :18:05. | |
from offshore wind and the work whole thing elected to the price is | :18:06. | :18:09. | |
due to the lower than forec`st gas prices and the freezing of the | :18:10. | :18:13. | |
carbon rice flour. No one is blaming the government for not anticipating | :18:14. | :18:18. | |
this remarkable fall in global energy prices. However, in their | :18:19. | :18:20. | |
efforts to restrain this potential overspend, the government is doing | :18:21. | :18:26. | |
serious damage to the UK's clean energy future. In the investment we | :18:27. | :18:29. | |
need to encourage low carbon generation. Could you | :18:30. | :18:35. | |
The subsidies for onshore whnd and companies looking in my constituency | :18:36. | :18:43. | |
will be hit by a double whalmy woodcuts to the terror and the | :18:44. | :18:46. | |
proposed to increase back for residential solar. But she `greed | :18:47. | :18:51. | |
that it difficult for any rdnewable energy business or invested to trust | :18:52. | :18:54. | |
this government given as thd Trail of the sector? -- betrayal `llowed | :18:55. | :19:06. | |
to give a specific example which is relevant to my constituents but also | :19:07. | :19:10. | |
speaks to the way in which the policies of this government have | :19:11. | :19:13. | |
suffocated the growth of cl`im energy generation and the jobs that | :19:14. | :19:22. | |
come with it. The defensive for energy and climate change rdcently | :19:23. | :19:24. | |
regarding a privilege and investment pound that they wish to makd an | :19:25. | :19:29. | |
astounding wind farms on thd site, which I understand that havd not | :19:30. | :19:33. | |
received yet. The aim of thd project is to generate more inclement energy | :19:34. | :19:39. | |
on-site, so they can procurd left my side. However the government | :19:40. | :19:45. | |
announcement on the renewables obligation and onshore wind has | :19:46. | :19:48. | |
placed this development in serious jeopardy. Under current proposals, | :19:49. | :19:53. | |
her investment will not go `head because it had not secured | :19:54. | :19:58. | |
commission or agreements by the time of the announcement. They'vd been | :19:59. | :20:02. | |
working with the Department for business and skills that had | :20:03. | :20:09. | |
application for the and accdpted, however the condition of thhs | :20:10. | :20:14. | |
funding is that part cannot commence on a project, such as punny | :20:15. | :20:19. | |
applications or negotiations until the support application has been | :20:20. | :20:24. | |
determined. In the words, they currently find themselves in a | :20:25. | :20:30. | |
Catch-22 position. They are unable to see the necessary approv`ls | :20:31. | :20:34. | |
before the cutoff date, and the continuation of the regional growth | :20:35. | :20:40. | |
fund programme was not confhrmed until after the 25th general | :20:41. | :20:48. | |
election -- 2015. Was based on eligibility under the oblig`tion, | :20:49. | :20:51. | |
without this department cannot go ahead. My Honorable friend, raced a | :20:52. | :21:02. | |
specific point at PM queues last week. The Prime Minister answer the | :21:03. | :21:07. | |
point in generality, and did not address this specific point. This is | :21:08. | :21:14. | |
the sure a project I believd the government should be encour`ging, | :21:15. | :21:20. | |
not suffocating. This project on a brown field site from a major | :21:21. | :21:23. | |
company which wants to reduce its carbon footprint, and hence the UK | :21:24. | :21:29. | |
energy security, and support onshore wind industry, that now employs some | :21:30. | :21:34. | |
19,000 people, ran out not be going ahead. Should the evidence of a | :21:35. | :21:37. | |
policy that is not serving the best interests of this country. H would | :21:38. | :21:44. | |
have to sit of stare as thex issue not done so to engage at thd | :21:45. | :21:49. | |
earliest possible opportunity, says something can be achieved. Ht is the | :21:50. | :21:53. | |
sort of confused and confiddnt the policymaking that many find so | :21:54. | :21:58. | |
frustrating. The independent committee on climate change and | :21:59. | :22:02. | |
stated that the government policy is created a stop start investlent | :22:03. | :22:07. | |
profile, which has tended cost reduction and industry development. | :22:08. | :22:10. | |
This has been compounded by the prospective changes, but thd ones to | :22:11. | :22:16. | |
the ones in the bill. It coles as no surprise that the UK has followed on | :22:17. | :22:19. | |
the global lead for energy investment. So it under this | :22:20. | :22:26. | |
government, the UK has falldn from fourth in the world in Novelber 2013 | :22:27. | :22:33. | |
to 11. Singled out the UK Government for a lack of clarity, diamond of | :22:34. | :22:38. | |
cuts and not misguided short-term politics obstructing long-tdrm | :22:39. | :22:45. | |
policymaking, in a vacuum whth no rush and not appear intent. What | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
does that Beckham the like hn real terms? Looks like cheap, cldan | :22:51. | :22:56. | |
onshore wind and solar subshdies are being heard, while developers are | :22:57. | :23:01. | |
being sent to store generators, second and carbon intensity on this | :23:02. | :23:08. | |
site. A thousand stored in the last 18 months because policy has led to | :23:09. | :23:13. | |
such narrow margins this qu`rter. This was not what energy policy | :23:14. | :23:20. | |
should lead to the 21st century That back and looks like UK solar | :23:21. | :23:27. | |
capacity falling 30% year on year in 2015, despite the global trdnd that | :23:28. | :23:35. | |
looks like energy... The abolition of these zero, funded, which to | :23:36. | :23:44. | |
interest rates. It looks like my and carbon stored in the UK, despite | :23:45. | :23:52. | |
being... That the CCS is not an option for the carbonized n`tion. In | :23:53. | :23:56. | |
particular, for energy intensive industries. The fight finance | :23:57. | :24:02. | |
interventions, claiming that power is being devolved to local | :24:03. | :24:06. | |
communities, but then sing `s we did in last Parliament unpreceddnted | :24:07. | :24:09. | |
intervention in Whitehall bx the routable numbers. I hope thd | :24:10. | :24:16. | |
Secretary of State will agahn propose, and what they're doing with | :24:17. | :24:22. | |
generally a brown energy. No one has a monopoly on this, but when you | :24:23. | :24:26. | |
have the clean energy bill developers against you, we have the | :24:27. | :24:31. | |
independent committee of commentaries detailing its fierce, | :24:32. | :24:35. | |
with global... So you follow down the global league tables, and when | :24:36. | :24:39. | |
your on impact assessment description argument about loney | :24:40. | :24:44. | |
seven, perhaps it is time to come reconsider some of these issues We | :24:45. | :24:52. | |
have plenty of time for this debate, but there is also a very large | :24:53. | :24:56. | |
number of people who wish to speak for almost my friend I will have to | :24:57. | :24:59. | |
reduce the time limit to nine minutes. | :25:00. | :25:05. | |
Is a privilege to take part in this debate, have also many incisive | :25:06. | :25:11. | |
contributions so far this evening. In doing so, I very much welcome | :25:12. | :25:16. | |
this wide range of bills, fhrstly for the support it provides oil and | :25:17. | :25:22. | |
gas industries, which is suffering as many have said greatly from the | :25:23. | :25:27. | |
fall and global world prices at the moment. As we have also heard, | :25:28. | :25:33. | |
across the chamber so far, lembers know very well the industry makes a | :25:34. | :25:38. | |
substantial contribution to our energy security, employment, and | :25:39. | :25:41. | |
overall economic well-being. The establishment of a new arms length | :25:42. | :25:46. | |
body charged with regulating the sector is an important step in the | :25:47. | :25:53. | |
right direction. However, collective focus my contribution on part five | :25:54. | :25:58. | |
of the bill. -- I would likd to The manifesto commitment to end in new | :25:59. | :26:04. | |
public subsidies for onshord wind and provide local communitids the | :26:05. | :26:11. | |
final say on punny applicathons -- planning. I speak as a membdr who... | :26:12. | :26:18. | |
Fighting plans for an directly inappropriate when combined. -- wind | :26:19. | :26:29. | |
combines. Every single time, it was a developer who were trying to | :26:30. | :26:34. | |
impose their turbines on local communities who simply did not want | :26:35. | :26:39. | |
him. This was entirely unacceptable and I am pleased that every one of | :26:40. | :26:44. | |
these applications got rejected by the local authority. We need in the | :26:45. | :26:52. | |
current system by which devdlopers pocket to lucrative taxpayer | :26:53. | :26:55. | |
subsidies and communities are stuck with their turbines and thehr local | :26:56. | :26:58. | |
neighbourhood and suffer thd problems that come with him. It is | :26:59. | :27:02. | |
always right that local comlunities, not politicians and the chalber | :27:03. | :27:08. | |
should have the final say over whether planning for a new wind farm | :27:09. | :27:14. | |
should be corrected. I am vdry pleased by the opposition front | :27:15. | :27:21. | |
bench have accepted this, only 8 months ago the labor council and | :27:22. | :27:26. | |
your were proposing to answdr those great cathedral city went up to 14 | :27:27. | :27:32. | |
wind turbines. Thankfully, the labor Council instigated this ins`ne lost | :27:33. | :27:37. | |
office at last year's local elections. This was only to be | :27:38. | :27:45. | |
expected. With the which is of local residents were completely ignored. | :27:46. | :27:52. | |
As my Honorable friend menthoned, and he does assert to the | :27:53. | :27:57. | |
countryside across North Yorkshire and neighbour is writing can | :27:58. | :28:01. | |
appreciate the area has now taking more than its fair share of wind | :28:02. | :28:07. | |
farms. The cruel irony is that there are ultimately being funded by the | :28:08. | :28:12. | |
very local communities who `re so deeply opposed to them. I'm | :28:13. | :28:16. | |
delighted that the Secretarx of State has a grasp the metal and | :28:17. | :28:21. | |
pushed for the early closurd of the noble obligation scheme. An | :28:22. | :28:26. | |
endeavour which he has the full support of the overwhelming majority | :28:27. | :28:32. | |
of my constituents. It is a great shame that all too often we are | :28:33. | :28:37. | |
talking about energy we overlook the energy Tyler, you need to ensure | :28:38. | :28:43. | |
that our energy is affordable, secure, and environmentally | :28:44. | :28:49. | |
friendly. We often focus on the final considerations that nded to | :28:50. | :28:52. | |
determine eyes. When one has to be done to push down the cost of | :28:53. | :28:56. | |
household bills and increasd capacity levels. Any governlent that | :28:57. | :29:01. | |
pays lip service to our futtre energy security, it is playhng | :29:02. | :29:06. | |
Russian roulette with our country's future. We need a balanced dnergy | :29:07. | :29:12. | |
makes to deliver that securhty. As has been mentioned, without action, | :29:13. | :29:21. | |
funds for economic turbines are draining resources away frol other | :29:22. | :29:26. | |
less intrusive funds of rendwable energies, that the play a kdy role | :29:27. | :29:31. | |
in securing our energy security for the future. I agree with hil on the | :29:32. | :29:41. | |
issue of giving communities the final say on wind turbines, but as | :29:42. | :29:44. | |
he agreed that going four for we need to ensure where wind ttrbines | :29:45. | :29:50. | |
have that local support, thdy should be not at a disadvantage colpared to | :29:51. | :29:55. | |
any other form of energy, and is built to get involved in thd CFT | :29:56. | :30:07. | |
mechanism the map... I think it is important that should be colmunities | :30:08. | :30:11. | |
lead. There are places wherd you get community support for onshore wind | :30:12. | :30:15. | |
that must be seen through. H'll go one step further... Back to energy | :30:16. | :30:32. | |
security and other forms, on offshore wind and the North Sea they | :30:33. | :30:37. | |
have the potential to gener`te far more Grenoble energy than onshore | :30:38. | :30:40. | |
wind farms can't do, so and a way that does not -- in aware that does | :30:41. | :30:48. | |
not the countryside. The Secretariat of State mentioned in her opening | :30:49. | :30:51. | |
statement further investment and stated and other insider ardas of | :30:52. | :30:59. | |
the noble energy. -- secret`ry. And that lowers bills and improves | :31:00. | :31:03. | |
energy security. Tidal energy is one of the many avenues of renewable | :31:04. | :31:09. | |
energies that has yet to bedn a flood on an adjusters scale like | :31:10. | :31:13. | |
wind and solar has. That's industrious. I am very pleased to | :31:14. | :31:22. | |
hear what I think is support for tidal energy and would therdfore | :31:23. | :31:27. | |
like to seek his views on the fact that the government seems to be | :31:28. | :31:29. | |
continuously prevaricating over the approval of the Swansea Bay tidal | :31:30. | :31:35. | |
lagoon project in my constituency, which would generate huge alounts of | :31:36. | :31:42. | |
clean energy, thousands of jobs but the sold out for the steel hndustry, | :31:43. | :31:46. | |
why then is the government taking so long to get its answer on proposals | :31:47. | :31:55. | |
made by the team? Every demonstrator or secretary can answer that. That's | :31:56. | :32:03. | |
maybe the Minister. I love to say I support the Swansea based g`me, as a | :32:04. | :32:07. | |
member of the select committee I hope we can go out and visit that | :32:08. | :32:12. | |
and see what is going on thdre and look in more detail at this game. | :32:13. | :32:20. | |
That might be something that we should push for because it hs a | :32:21. | :32:27. | |
ground-breaking move again hn other areas of titled generation. -- | :32:28. | :32:37. | |
title. It is essential that taxpayer funded subsidies accommodatd bids | :32:38. | :32:41. | |
from all sectors in the rendwable energy so we can sell for green | :32:42. | :32:46. | |
technologies of the future. I would welcome an assurance of the Minister | :32:47. | :32:50. | |
that this will be a relevant consideration in the award of future | :32:51. | :32:56. | |
support to the noble industry. With the right framework, we could become | :32:57. | :33:00. | |
a world leader in tidal energy as I've already mentioned. It would | :33:01. | :33:06. | |
help us in our efforts to m`intain a diverse energy mix to ensurd | :33:07. | :33:11. | |
security of supplies. Only by embracing potential technology | :33:12. | :33:18. | |
enhancements, can we realisd our bowl commitments that we have paid | :33:19. | :33:24. | |
for tomorrow at the recent terror summit. We need a more dynalic and | :33:25. | :33:31. | |
figure energy mix that focuses on jobs, investments and local | :33:32. | :33:34. | |
communities. The whole point of public subsidy is not to become | :33:35. | :33:39. | |
dependent on taxpayers monex, but to have new industries stand on their | :33:40. | :33:45. | |
own two feet. It is therefore only right that we now turn our `ttention | :33:46. | :33:50. | |
to supporting other potenti`l forms of renewable energy that relain into | :33:51. | :33:56. | |
its infancy, and ensure that our manifesto commitment accordhngly. My | :33:57. | :34:05. | |
conclusion, that's in it is essential that we listen to our | :34:06. | :34:09. | |
constituents and their concdrns over the relentless spread of onshore | :34:10. | :34:13. | |
wind farms. Local people should always be at the heart of the | :34:14. | :34:19. | |
decisions making progress. Ht is from that our manifesto comlitment | :34:20. | :34:23. | |
so far has been blocked and the other place from those who `re | :34:24. | :34:27. | |
elected and accountable to the people we all serve in this chamber. | :34:28. | :34:32. | |
We must not shirk from our responsibilities to go back on the | :34:33. | :34:34. | |
commitments on which we werd commitments on which we werd | :34:35. | :34:37. | |
elected, or the side of the house was elected on. People are fed up | :34:38. | :34:42. | |
with so many wind farms being felt in their backyards with thehr own | :34:43. | :34:47. | |
hard-earned taxpayer money, and without their say. More must be done | :34:48. | :34:53. | |
to support other forms of rdnewable energies that remain in thehr | :34:54. | :34:57. | |
infancy, that is the own wax we can have a broad-based renewablds | :34:58. | :35:02. | |
strategy while the harmonizhng our economy and ensuring afford`ble and | :35:03. | :35:11. | |
secure reply of energy. -- supply. A pleasure to follow him. I know this | :35:12. | :35:15. | |
area very well and agree with some of the things he said. This bill, | :35:16. | :35:25. | |
few people would oppose. Indeed I've remember, first off undertaker, | :35:26. | :35:32. | |
desktop, the Norwegian sector seems to be growing, so I don't sde | :35:33. | :35:36. | |
regulation as a huge hander for the British sector. I welcome that part. | :35:37. | :35:43. | |
Nevada could disagree with maximizing economic recoverx that | :35:44. | :35:49. | |
the government is saying in the good here. -- nobody. High energx prices | :35:50. | :35:58. | |
are having our industry. -- hurting. It is worth mentioning that many of | :35:59. | :36:01. | |
the things that the Secretary of State said, the government was | :36:02. | :36:08. | |
cutting back on the cost of energy. Actually, they are just fixhng the | :36:09. | :36:12. | |
mess that they did in 2011, because it was this government that brought | :36:13. | :36:17. | |
in the carbon price flop th`t happened many other industrhes. The | :36:18. | :36:25. | |
making of this government, `nd has caused the problems that we have | :36:26. | :36:29. | |
today. I do not want to dwell on that, I just want to say a little | :36:30. | :36:35. | |
bit of consistency that this government and a contact. I | :36:36. | :36:39. | |
represent a constituency th`t plans for a new nuclear, potential for | :36:40. | :36:45. | |
tidal energy, and has been dubbed the energy island, and I believe it | :36:46. | :36:51. | |
is a Kosovo policy, but we lust have that makes it rather have a sensible | :36:52. | :36:57. | |
policy going forward. We nedd to have continuity and stability, which | :36:58. | :37:03. | |
businesses crying out for if they are to advance. I have sent on a | :37:04. | :37:08. | |
number of occasions that I `m pro nuclear, and programme noblds, pro | :37:09. | :37:11. | |
energy efficiency and I see no contradiction at that because to get | :37:12. | :37:15. | |
the balance right but the ftll suite of technologies that is avahlable | :37:16. | :37:20. | |
and potential for the futurd. Oddly that this government and thd bill | :37:21. | :37:24. | |
has missed many opportunitids, and I will deal with briefly with par for | :37:25. | :37:29. | |
this bill. I agree that loc`l communities should not run by - | :37:30. | :37:36. | |
runover by a planned applic`tions, and I think it is sensible, but I | :37:37. | :37:40. | |
think the government has its sights on the wrong target when it talks | :37:41. | :37:47. | |
about producing bills by cutting the so-called great taxes, becatse the | :37:48. | :37:52. | |
biggest contribution to the bill after the oil and gas prices is the | :37:53. | :37:57. | |
transmission and distribution. There is nothing in the bill to do with | :37:58. | :38:01. | |
it, nothing that I see the government done. 25% of household | :38:02. | :38:06. | |
bills and businesses is distribution and transmission costs. Yet we have | :38:07. | :38:14. | |
monopolies, district monopolies when it comes to distribution and we have | :38:15. | :38:20. | |
a national monopoly when it comes to transmission. The National Grid does | :38:21. | :38:23. | |
not act in the national intdrest and ask in the interest of the | :38:24. | :38:27. | |
shareholders of National Grhd. I think that is wrong, and in the last | :38:28. | :38:32. | |
Parliament the government's energy act was to give extra powers to | :38:33. | :38:37. | |
National Grid, by making it the system's operator. It decidds where | :38:38. | :38:42. | |
this new bill are going to happen is future, they provide the | :38:43. | :38:47. | |
transmission in a noncompethtive way, so I did the government needs | :38:48. | :38:51. | |
to look at that it is seriots about getting value for money to | :38:52. | :38:54. | |
customers, rather than use this fiddling around with the grden ones, | :38:55. | :39:02. | |
just to get headlines and the tour in newspapers, which I think has | :39:03. | :39:07. | |
happened with onshore wind. Onshore wind in my area, applicant has grown | :39:08. | :39:12. | |
to a stage now where we need to be building more offshore wind. I agree | :39:13. | :39:16. | |
with him on that, the consensus on the policies at one time. When the | :39:17. | :39:27. | |
new Coalition Government cale in, there was continuity of polhcies, | :39:28. | :39:31. | |
and that has been lost. We got a very decent energy policy, which | :39:32. | :39:38. | |
many people believe is being driven by the treasury. We have thd house | :39:39. | :39:45. | |
for taxes, and I do not think the deck officials and ministers have | :39:46. | :39:50. | |
got to pride leapt way to ddvelop a coherent and energy policy. I think | :39:51. | :39:55. | |
this the one opportunity to have a coherent energy policy and have | :39:56. | :40:01. | |
legislation to move forward. I do welcome the Government's talk of new | :40:02. | :40:05. | |
nuclear pills, because my constituency will benefit. H went to | :40:06. | :40:14. | |
the closer in my constituency, a fortnight ago. Over 44 years of | :40:15. | :40:18. | |
generation, high-quality jobs were provided, few people in few | :40:19. | :40:23. | |
industries could say that they had jobs for life. It is that long-term | :40:24. | :40:28. | |
baseload that we need and I welcome it. That project of, the new global | :40:29. | :40:35. | |
markets assiduously, started in 2007 eight and takes a long time. That is | :40:36. | :40:42. | |
why we need to have a nobles. The bill without the long lead times, we | :40:43. | :40:48. | |
do need to intimacy when it comes to veneration, and a warm wintdr or I | :40:49. | :40:52. | |
have summer, you have to swhtch technologies off and you nedd to | :40:53. | :40:55. | |
have that flexibility. Onshore wind provides that. At that offshore wind | :40:56. | :41:08. | |
and ice in an operation. --... On which was a mop in the summdr, they | :41:09. | :41:11. | |
could do the maintenance. You cannot switch and nuclear power st`tion off | :41:12. | :41:16. | |
unless it needs essential maintenance and piggyback on without | :41:17. | :41:20. | |
adding additional cost, so we need applicability and I do not think | :41:21. | :41:23. | |
this bill in any way is providing that. When we talk, the govdrnment | :41:24. | :41:31. | |
talks about commitment,. It has been met with him to solar power, it | :41:32. | :41:35. | |
immediately switched off like that, and the impact was real on thrill | :41:36. | :41:44. | |
jobs that they created industries as well as insulate itself. We saw a | :41:45. | :41:49. | |
lot of Joss is -- job losses, drop of the policy. Yes we need to taper | :41:50. | :41:57. | |
off, and the weather policy in place by the previous labor government to | :41:58. | :41:58. | |
taper off the solo, but it was the taper off the solo, but it was the | :41:59. | :42:03. | |
manner in which the governmdnt did it that impacted negatively on | :42:04. | :42:08. | |
business. I feel the same thing with wind power will happen, and many of | :42:09. | :42:11. | |
these companies were investhng in wind power. They have a bro`d | :42:12. | :42:16. | |
portfolio, they dude just not have wind power, they have gas, other | :42:17. | :42:22. | |
energy basis in the portfolho and they are worried to see which is | :42:23. | :42:26. | |
next. They want best abilitx that the government is not providing I | :42:27. | :42:31. | |
know many people want to spdak, but this bill is a missed opportunity, | :42:32. | :42:35. | |
we need to get back to a coherent energy policy, we need to gdt back | :42:36. | :42:39. | |
to a consensus that we plan for 30-40 years, not five electoral | :42:40. | :42:47. | |
cycles. It is a pleasure to follow him. I am not the expert th`t he is | :42:48. | :42:56. | |
in these matters, but I will will focus on the one bit of the bill | :42:57. | :42:58. | |
that is controversial and this place. That and to removal of | :42:59. | :43:04. | |
subsidies and obligation bonds opened. For a minute, I want to | :43:05. | :43:07. | |
sketch out my own personal journey on this particular subject. I was a | :43:08. | :43:14. | |
bit of a green meet when I first went to the EU Parliament b`ck in | :43:15. | :43:19. | |
1999 book enjoyed were workhng with the member Brighton. There `re some | :43:20. | :43:26. | |
interesting areas of agreemdnt on policies that we had. I may go and | :43:27. | :43:35. | |
gentlemen in 2001, generate new to the light side and has conthnued | :43:36. | :43:43. | |
since then. Between ten and 201 , I have the Met was interested in | :43:44. | :43:45. | |
energy, but do not pay much attention to it. You don't look at | :43:46. | :43:51. | |
individual policy areas, and the way that you do look at them whdn you | :43:52. | :43:56. | |
become a constituency member of Parliament, representing 72 and a | :43:57. | :44:01. | |
half thousand people in the beautiful constituency of D`ventry | :44:02. | :44:06. | |
that I do. When I got here, I had a couple of controversial onshore wind | :44:07. | :44:14. | |
farm development in my constituency. I want to do what ever attested in | :44:15. | :44:18. | |
the face, I would meet to ddvelop the representatives of the hndustry | :44:19. | :44:26. | |
and talk with them the problems my constituents have with their | :44:27. | :44:33. | |
developers. Also talking to the industry organisation and how to | :44:34. | :44:36. | |
include communities into decisions, how to answer the vice commtnities | :44:37. | :44:43. | |
-- and to divide. Perhaps working with communities, and even giving | :44:44. | :44:46. | |
into some type of rebate on the bills so they felt they werd | :44:47. | :44:51. | |
attached to local energy production for local energy consumption. It has | :44:52. | :45:01. | |
to be said that the wind industry at the time decided to ignore `ll of my | :45:02. | :45:06. | |
counsel. In fact, if you brhng this forward to where we are tod`y, I | :45:07. | :45:12. | |
would suggest that how the onshore wind has treated communities up and | :45:13. | :45:16. | |
down this country, it has actually done untold damage to how pdople see | :45:17. | :45:21. | |
the nobles in total as part of our energy provisions. There is a bit of | :45:22. | :45:29. | |
history to this that goes bdyond the general election. I've alwaxs | :45:30. | :45:42. | |
hesitated, business will nulber act in a way that incentivized to add, | :45:43. | :45:46. | |
edit of the us to correct Frank Burke and get them to behavd. It | :45:47. | :45:49. | |
would the event level government that refused to listen to ghving a | :45:50. | :45:52. | |
voice to local communities that meant they felt it was little point | :45:53. | :45:57. | |
in engaging with him. Does the government at the time that when I | :45:58. | :46:03. | |
listen, and that is when I has led to a hostility in many commtnities | :46:04. | :46:06. | |
including mine tour the wind industry. That is why I welcome the | :46:07. | :46:15. | |
tone of the unrelated in thd way that she said her party would not | :46:16. | :46:19. | |
recognise the local communities to be engaged in their views of these | :46:20. | :46:24. | |
methods. I do love this for myself first-hand. I have one parthcular | :46:25. | :46:34. | |
onshore wind developer in a village where you will see a number of | :46:35. | :46:39. | |
turbines they erected at thhs current point in time. I thought | :46:40. | :46:47. | |
that if you form a good loc`l campaign, that you could win a local | :46:48. | :46:53. | |
campaign. A proposal from bding established in an appropriate site | :46:54. | :47:01. | |
on the judgement of most people That was brought out as mord as well | :47:02. | :47:04. | |
as by the inspector because the application went to a pill. -- a | :47:05. | :47:14. | |
pill. Someone from Bristol came and he made a stunning statement from | :47:15. | :47:18. | |
the, a ground-breaking statdment for me that changed exactly how I had to | :47:19. | :47:33. | |
do with these issues going forward. Because the punishment that said, | :47:34. | :47:37. | |
all the things that the loc`l community has been saying an | :47:38. | :47:41. | |
appropriate site, damage to the local communities, a host of why he | :47:42. | :47:47. | |
should not pass this partictlar development, but then went on to say | :47:48. | :47:51. | |
that national policy trump `ll this and therefore you have in the | :47:52. | :47:54. | |
development no matter what xou like. Should the same logic be applied to | :47:55. | :48:06. | |
pylons, when it comes to pl`ns to connect a new generation to the | :48:07. | :48:10. | |
grid? Then that local authorities and communities should have a | :48:11. | :48:16. | |
greater say, and that should devolve those responsibilities to local | :48:17. | :48:19. | |
authority? I wouldn't go quhte so far, because I do not know the | :48:20. | :48:23. | |
context of the question. However, I would argue for local communities to | :48:24. | :48:29. | |
have more say in the development. I would go further and argue for the | :48:30. | :48:35. | |
French approach to these thhngs where local communities are | :48:36. | :48:37. | |
massively incentivized to bd involved in taking developmdnts that | :48:38. | :48:43. | |
might deemed unpopular elsewhere, and indeed choose to do so. They | :48:44. | :48:49. | |
have local campaigns for wh`t would be unpopular planning decishons in | :48:50. | :48:54. | |
the UK. They have local campaigns for them, because they understand | :48:55. | :48:57. | |
that there is benefit to local communities to receive them. I | :48:58. | :49:03. | |
decided that I had to do my bit to change national policy in this area. | :49:04. | :49:07. | |
I walked around the lobbies and found a hundred other members who | :49:08. | :49:12. | |
felt similarly aggrieved to the way planning and onshore wind h`d been | :49:13. | :49:15. | |
developed, and they got thel to sign a letter to the prime minister about | :49:16. | :49:21. | |
how we should change things. I also noticed at this time that if we had, | :49:22. | :49:28. | |
at as we head for the targets for 2020, about the capacity for onshore | :49:29. | :49:32. | |
wind development, and if we were hitting those developments hn 2 11 | :49:33. | :49:36. | |
and 2012, then logic would say that the subsidy we were giving to | :49:37. | :49:44. | |
onshore wind was too high. So many different developments, forward that | :49:45. | :49:47. | |
we're going to surpass this target with no trouble whatsoever hf you're | :49:48. | :49:54. | |
subsidy is too high, if loc`l people feel that they are being ignored, | :49:55. | :50:02. | |
and I would argue that thesd things produce the people into fuel poverty | :50:03. | :50:10. | |
and have caused some of the issues higher energy prices. But those | :50:11. | :50:19. | |
points to one aside, we cannot forget fuel poverty and the art | :50:20. | :50:24. | |
industry needs cheap energy to compete. But in the context of | :50:25. | :50:29. | |
trying to make an argument to local people about having an onshore wind | :50:30. | :50:36. | |
development in their communhty. When their targets have been hit, when | :50:37. | :50:41. | |
they know they are not getthng anything from it, and when they know | :50:42. | :50:47. | |
that the businesses are rubbing their noses that they cannot do | :50:48. | :50:51. | |
anything about it. You get `ngry people whose idea about democracy is | :50:52. | :51:00. | |
a disturbed to a great extent. I was delighted over a period of time to | :51:01. | :51:05. | |
persuade, cajole, elbow, nudge, force a policy in my own political | :51:06. | :51:10. | |
party to a point where we changed our planning guidance. Still, they | :51:11. | :51:17. | |
didn't have too much of an dffect until an honourable lady sahd that | :51:18. | :51:24. | |
former communities and ministers decided to remind the plannhng | :51:25. | :51:27. | |
authorities exactly what he meant when he was making his policy | :51:28. | :51:33. | |
statements by calling in a number of developments at a stage and making | :51:34. | :51:39. | |
the rulings himself. To go further than that, and place into otr | :51:40. | :51:45. | |
manifesto that we would cut the subsidies for onshore wind going | :51:46. | :51:51. | |
forward stop --. I wanted to go Robert retrospective. I thotght it | :51:52. | :52:01. | |
was a very generous of the Prime Minister when he brought together | :52:02. | :52:04. | |
the energy chapter of the m`nifesto, not to take on my well registered | :52:05. | :52:11. | |
and well-documented concern, my ideas of how we should go forward, | :52:12. | :52:16. | |
but she do it so that there were no new subsidies for onshore whnd. My | :52:17. | :52:20. | |
constituents in general, evdn those when you drive up the M1 and you | :52:21. | :52:27. | |
come to the Gateway of my constituency where they wall and one | :52:28. | :52:46. | |
BC and six, and you see -- ly constituency is annoyed by their | :52:47. | :52:52. | |
noises of the turbines, there are many problems that go into ht. They | :52:53. | :52:55. | |
wanted to know that this cotld not have been the same way that happen | :52:56. | :53:01. | |
to them to other local people and nationally. I was proud to sell that | :53:02. | :53:05. | |
in the conservative party m`nifesto, in the general election campaign in | :53:06. | :53:10. | |
2015. I think that those th`t try to argue the point that this w`sn't | :53:11. | :53:16. | |
actually what the conservathve party met in its manifesto, but wd were | :53:17. | :53:20. | |
saying something completely different. Words talking about | :53:21. | :53:25. | |
existing wind, this is new subsidy, not renewable obligation. Those who | :53:26. | :53:30. | |
said our dancing on ahead hdad a pin that will only upset people in my | :53:31. | :53:35. | |
constituency, and indeed evdryone else in this place. That is what | :53:36. | :53:40. | |
politicians do. We don't tell the truth, we don't deliver on ` | :53:41. | :53:43. | |
manifesto commitments. Opposition parties would do a lot bettdr than | :53:44. | :53:50. | |
to argue against individual elements of the language in this of this | :53:51. | :53:56. | |
particular matter. It was black and white. I Gateway. I don't w`nt to | :53:57. | :54:03. | |
cut them off as he is getting to the conclusion, but if it was so | :54:04. | :54:06. | |
blatantly obvious that therd was a precise meaning to the manifesto, | :54:07. | :54:10. | |
why was the industry taken by surprise? They were not takdn by | :54:11. | :54:15. | |
surprise, certainly not. Thdy knew what was coming their way. That is | :54:16. | :54:18. | |
why they were aggressively campaigning. I have to stop their | :54:19. | :54:24. | |
Madam Deputy Speaker, but it is fair to say that I want to send ` message | :54:25. | :54:28. | |
to the other end of the cord door that they should watch and learn | :54:29. | :54:32. | |
about democracy before impinging on the decisions that we put an our | :54:33. | :54:39. | |
manifesto. It is a pleasure to take part in this debate and follow | :54:40. | :54:49. | |
thoughtful contributions. I didn't agree with everything, but they were | :54:50. | :54:55. | |
nonetheless serious and thotghtful contributions. When this bill first | :54:56. | :55:03. | |
came before the other place, I have to say it was a meagre piecd of | :55:04. | :55:08. | |
legislation, focused almost entirely on fossil fuel extraction. Ht has | :55:09. | :55:14. | |
been amended considerably and considered -- committee stages. It | :55:15. | :55:20. | |
now feels like it has some regard in the ways that industrial activities | :55:21. | :55:25. | |
and investment might be madd compatible with a low-energx future. | :55:26. | :55:29. | |
The bill is mostly concerned with the establishment of the oil and gas | :55:30. | :55:33. | |
Authority. How the arrangemdnt adapts to a world of plunging | :55:34. | :55:38. | |
revenues from offshore revenue and gas remains to be seen. There is | :55:39. | :55:43. | |
broad consensus in the housd to the regards of the necessity to | :55:44. | :55:46. | |
implement the finding of thd wood review. A robust case in terms of | :55:47. | :55:52. | |
economics and energy security for using resources of the North Sea | :55:53. | :55:55. | |
continental shelf to reduce our dependence on foreign imports during | :55:56. | :56:00. | |
the transition to a decarbonize energy system. It was disappointing | :56:01. | :56:05. | |
to hear the secretary of st`te when it comes to carbon capture `nd | :56:06. | :56:08. | |
storage. I welcome the amendments that were made to expand thd | :56:09. | :56:13. | |
principal objective of the TK strategy 28 or break a regard to | :56:14. | :56:19. | |
carbon capture storage. Reldvant causes will need to be revisited in | :56:20. | :56:24. | |
committee to ensure that thd industry has the necessary | :56:25. | :56:26. | |
flexibility, and investment and jobs are protected. CCS presents an | :56:27. | :56:35. | |
opportunity to use utilise technical opportunities and skills in a way | :56:36. | :56:40. | |
that will give you that indtstry a sustainable future in decadds to | :56:41. | :56:47. | |
come. That opportunity will not be realised unless we get some clarity | :56:48. | :56:51. | |
about the government Boss albitions for CCS, and a strategy to `chieve | :56:52. | :56:57. | |
them. At the moment, all we have his model. In 2007 the Prime Minister in | :56:58. | :57:03. | |
a speech said that the consdrvative government would "Strain evdry sin | :57:04. | :57:09. | |
you to create viable and affordable CCS technology." Eight years on we | :57:10. | :57:13. | |
have a conservative chancellor cutting funds allocated to bring | :57:14. | :57:18. | |
forward commercial CCS, weeks before many companies were expected to | :57:19. | :57:24. | |
submit their bids. The about funding for support for CCS is not `n | :57:25. | :57:28. | |
aberration, but is indicative of this government Boss cavalidr | :57:29. | :57:32. | |
approach to the energy sector as a whole, an approach that is dvident | :57:33. | :57:35. | |
in the most controversial aspect of the bill that originally cale before | :57:36. | :57:39. | |
the other place, the decision to close the renewable obligathon a | :57:40. | :57:43. | |
year earlier than had been legislated for in the energx act of | :57:44. | :57:48. | |
2013. I agree with the points that many members have made about the | :57:49. | :57:53. | |
need for local consent when it comes to onshore wind. Noble Lords removed | :57:54. | :57:59. | |
Clause 66 in an amendment, `nd they were right to do so, becausd the | :58:00. | :58:07. | |
early closure was another example of policymaking from this government. | :58:08. | :58:10. | |
The objective of the measurd was to save customers money, but as we have | :58:11. | :58:14. | |
heard in the government Boss on central scenario, that is as loopy | :58:15. | :58:23. | |
as -- little as 30p in some areas. We are not on course to meet our EU | :58:24. | :58:29. | |
renewable target. Given the lack of progress in decarbonize the heat and | :58:30. | :58:32. | |
transport, or any meaningful cross departmental full, we will be forced | :58:33. | :58:41. | |
to go further under current targets in renewable electricity as a | :58:42. | :58:45. | |
result. Under those circumstances, it is counterproductive to lake life | :58:46. | :58:50. | |
more difficult for the cheapest form of renewable energy available. It | :58:51. | :58:53. | |
strikes me that the decision has much more to do with the politics of | :58:54. | :59:00. | |
appeasing conservative backbenchers, and the government Boss | :59:01. | :59:02. | |
interpretation of the levee control framework is a fixed budget envelope | :59:03. | :59:06. | |
when it was never intended to operate as one. The decision singled | :59:07. | :59:13. | |
-- signals that the governmdnt has abandoned him and to a technology | :59:14. | :59:17. | |
neutral approach to policy. The overriding Mayor Rudy must be | :59:18. | :59:20. | |
decarbonize in at the lowest possible cost. Despite the wording | :59:21. | :59:28. | |
of the manifesto commitment in this area, the government feels that they | :59:29. | :59:32. | |
have a mandate to reinsert Clause 66, or a version of it at committee | :59:33. | :59:38. | |
stage. If they do so as has been stated, I would urge them to look at | :59:39. | :59:41. | |
the impact of the closure of projects that have local consent, | :59:42. | :59:46. | |
projects in which people have invested in good faith, and work to | :59:47. | :59:52. | |
ensure that truly equitable grace periods are incorporated into the | :59:53. | :00:01. | |
legislation as we go forward. I am grateful, the number of turbines | :00:02. | :00:05. | |
affected is extraordinarily small, is it not? We should keep this in | :00:06. | :00:11. | |
perspective. In a baseball, but I hope that you would agree that the | :00:12. | :00:17. | |
people and investors who have agreed -- invested, they should not be | :00:18. | :00:21. | |
penalised by the early clostre of something that had a fixed dnd point | :00:22. | :00:28. | |
in legislation in 2017. The way that the government has handled the | :00:29. | :00:34. | |
matter has been hugely damaging and has undermined the industry Boss | :00:35. | :00:37. | |
trust in the government Boss work. In January last we are -- a year, | :00:38. | :00:44. | |
investors were told that thdy were safe. Six months later, with what I | :00:45. | :00:50. | |
would argue is no clear signal in their manifesto, this government | :00:51. | :00:57. | |
have attempted to do just that. I thank him for giving way, and I | :00:58. | :01:01. | |
understand his point. Reading a press release from the 29th of April | :01:02. | :01:12. | |
2015, it says that despite the fax... Renewable UK it would not be | :01:13. | :01:18. | |
against our manifesto commitment as you said they didn't know about I | :01:19. | :01:25. | |
would assume that they were lobbying for the and, the closure of any new | :01:26. | :01:31. | |
investment in offshore wind, now what would I would argue is a | :01:32. | :01:34. | |
retrospective change to comlitments that were made. It is no wax to | :01:35. | :01:39. | |
treat investors, and no way to ensure that the UK remains `n | :01:40. | :01:43. | |
attractive place from investment overseas. In the month that I have | :01:44. | :01:48. | |
sat as member of the energy select committee, I have not heard one | :01:49. | :01:52. | |
expert witness make the casd for indefinite subsidy for onshore wind | :01:53. | :01:56. | |
or any form of renewable technology. What many have argued for, hs a | :01:57. | :02:04. | |
stable secure policy, and hd graduated reduction of subshdy. They | :02:05. | :02:10. | |
know that to do otherwise rhsks jobs, confidence, and can ott from | :02:11. | :02:13. | |
under technologies we now are delivering in terms of drivhng down | :02:14. | :02:17. | |
price, and have digitally in the case of solar and wind, havd been | :02:18. | :02:23. | |
great British success storids, stories that in the coming future, | :02:24. | :02:29. | |
has a much more uncertain ftture. I would like to finish my rem`rks by | :02:30. | :02:34. | |
touching briefly upon what this bill does not contain. As I have made | :02:35. | :02:38. | |
clear in the marks I have m`de so far, parts of the bill are sensible, | :02:39. | :02:43. | |
and parts came before peers and the other place that I think were | :02:44. | :02:47. | |
removed with good reason and should not be reinserted without | :02:48. | :02:52. | |
appropriate safeguards. There are also notable in omissions. There is | :02:53. | :03:00. | |
nothing about storage, and ht is deeply regrettable that this is an | :03:01. | :03:03. | |
energy bill that is completdly silent about the need to reduce | :03:04. | :03:08. | |
energy demand. If there was ever a chance to make energy effichency in | :03:09. | :03:12. | |
infrastructure priority as ht needs to be if we are to solve thd dilemma | :03:13. | :03:18. | |
and me art admissions target, this is it. It is sad that the bhll could | :03:19. | :03:22. | |
have done so much more but ht does not do so as it stands. Givdn that | :03:23. | :03:27. | |
the energy challenge that f`ces our country, and the ambition rdquired | :03:28. | :03:30. | |
to realise the full promise of the historic climate agreement hn Paris, | :03:31. | :03:35. | |
there is a great deal of room for improvement. As we move to committee | :03:36. | :03:39. | |
stage I hope that we will fhnd a way to address many of its deficiencies. | :03:40. | :03:50. | |
It is a privilege to follow so many well-informed contributions in a | :03:51. | :03:54. | |
debate that I'm sure everyone will agree has been characterised by good | :03:55. | :03:59. | |
humour and moderation on both sides. Too often we hear the interdsts of | :04:00. | :04:05. | |
British businesses are at odds with those of working people and strong | :04:06. | :04:08. | |
public services. That sentilent flies in the face of the facts. In | :04:09. | :04:16. | |
2012, the oil and gas industry in Britain paid enough in our public | :04:17. | :04:21. | |
coffers to fund every surgery and A unit in the UK. Even in the | :04:22. | :04:26. | |
depressed oil market, the industry pays enough tax to bankroll at my | :04:27. | :04:31. | |
five with the change to spare. Meanwhile, across the country the | :04:32. | :04:35. | |
oil and gas industry employs 37 ,000 people. Equivalent almost to the | :04:36. | :04:45. | |
population of a town. For 30 years this industry has supported jobs and | :04:46. | :04:49. | |
our public services. Today, it is a suffering and he needs our help | :04:50. | :04:54. | |
When Sir Ian Wood first published his report into the future of the UK | :04:55. | :05:01. | |
Continental shelf, oil was trading at $110 a barrel. Last year when | :05:02. | :05:05. | |
this bill was read in the other place, the price had become half, | :05:06. | :05:14. | |
$60. Today is the -- it is `t $ 0 a barrel, a 70% drop. As an officer | :05:15. | :05:21. | |
said, "Sixty 5000 jobs have been lost, and it is affecting workers, | :05:22. | :05:27. | |
their families, and the economy as a whole." By creating a regul`tory | :05:28. | :05:32. | |
body giving enhanced powers and a strong industry funding, thhs house | :05:33. | :05:36. | |
can ensure that we realise the potential of a great nation`l asset. | :05:37. | :05:42. | |
We have harvested 42 billion barrels of oil from the North Sea, but the | :05:43. | :05:49. | |
further price is 24 billion more that light underneath. Yet, in the | :05:50. | :05:53. | |
last two years we have only discovered a barrels. That hs 0 6% | :05:54. | :06:01. | |
of this vast, untapped opportunity. The new oil and gas Authority | :06:02. | :06:05. | |
envisaged in this bill can help reverse that decline. Today there | :06:06. | :06:12. | |
are over 300 operators in the North Sea, often in small, often | :06:13. | :06:17. | |
interdependent. Sir Ian Botham X review found 20 instances where | :06:18. | :06:25. | |
operators Boss insurability -- shared access to infrastructure led | :06:26. | :06:32. | |
to higher costs, delays, and a stranded assets. Many new powers | :06:33. | :06:37. | |
that this bill gives the OD@ will help it bring parties together to | :06:38. | :06:41. | |
resolve disputes quickly, insurer sure ASP sets are used quickly, and | :06:42. | :06:48. | |
increase transparency. Our goal must be to send a clear and uneqtivocal | :06:49. | :06:52. | |
bullet message to the world that far from declining, the North Sda is an | :06:53. | :06:56. | |
industry poised for growth `nd innovation. In order to do this the | :06:57. | :07:03. | |
oil and gas industry must h`ve a single driving focus, to maximise | :07:04. | :07:11. | |
economic recovery. To dilutd this clear, simple mandate howevdr well | :07:12. | :07:15. | |
intentioned would put at risk the jobs, investment, and tax rdvenue | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
that Britain needs. For an hndustry already in deep crisis, this is a | :07:22. | :07:26. | |
risk that we cannot afford to take. Vital as it is that we safeguard the | :07:27. | :07:30. | |
livelihoods of our energy workers, is equally important that wd protect | :07:31. | :07:34. | |
those who heat their homes with that energy. In closing the renewable | :07:35. | :07:44. | |
obligation to onshore -- we can save hundreds of billions of pounds by | :07:45. | :07:49. | |
meeting our renewable targets. In the last Parliament the secretary | :07:50. | :07:53. | |
and of state announced gigawatts of onshore wind power would be required | :07:54. | :07:58. | |
for the UK to meet its renewable goal. We now have enough capacity in | :07:59. | :08:05. | |
the pipeline to deliver this. The fact that the obligation is being | :08:06. | :08:10. | |
closed early is not in change of objection, it is reaching otr | :08:11. | :08:12. | |
destination earlier than we had planned. Further, one of thd most | :08:13. | :08:19. | |
basic principles of sound Ptblic finance is that subsidies should not | :08:20. | :08:24. | |
become a permanent feature of an industry's financing. That hs a road | :08:25. | :08:28. | |
to corporate welfare. Subsidies cost money, bill payors and taxp`yers. It | :08:29. | :08:35. | |
should be limited, specific`lly to immature technologies to help those | :08:36. | :08:38. | |
technologies become competitive with the market. Onshore wind is now a | :08:39. | :08:45. | |
mature industry, and accordhng to the UK energy research Council, | :08:46. | :08:49. | |
levelized costs for wind have been flat for over a decade. By dnding | :08:50. | :08:54. | |
the renewable obligation for onshore wind, we can divert our resources to | :08:55. | :08:59. | |
less mature technologies, and help them realise their promise, and | :09:00. | :09:06. | |
deliver our renewable commitments. In conclusion, what a good dnergy | :09:07. | :09:11. | |
policy demands is balance above all. Balance between affordability for | :09:12. | :09:15. | |
Britain putt households, security for the future of British industry, | :09:16. | :09:20. | |
and sustainability for the next generation. In its original form, | :09:21. | :09:25. | |
this is a bill that does all three, and I commend that vision to this | :09:26. | :09:36. | |
house. Is a pleasure to follow the Member for Richmond, but I cannot be | :09:37. | :09:39. | |
enthusiastic about the bill that we have before us. Indeed, the other | :09:40. | :09:46. | |
members who spoke already in this second reading. Having unexpectedly | :09:47. | :09:50. | |
reteach the Mike returned to the back benches, I had excitemdnt when | :09:51. | :09:56. | |
there was a second reading of this bill. That was before I realised | :09:57. | :09:59. | |
that we would be talking about sadomasochism. This is a first for | :10:00. | :10:04. | |
me, and an interesting development in matters of this kind. A different | :10:05. | :10:10. | |
electorate outcome in the gdneral of lecturing, I was hoping to prevent | :10:11. | :10:15. | |
the Mike presents a new energy bill. While many had different vidws on | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
the legislation, there is no doubt that the UK does not need a new | :10:21. | :10:22. | |
energy bill. There are many questions of policies, and lentored | :10:23. | :10:28. | |
issues that require politic`l leadership. Because of that, I found | :10:29. | :10:33. | |
this bill quite disappointing today. A fairer title for the bill would be | :10:34. | :10:38. | |
the offshore oil and gas bill that does horrible things to the | :10:39. | :10:42. | |
renewable industry. I'm not opposed to what we have discussed about oil | :10:43. | :10:46. | |
and gas provisions, we should do what we can do to protect the | :10:47. | :10:51. | |
industry, as being vital for the UK. He would review was a good piece of | :10:52. | :10:55. | |
work and made many impartial recommendations. There is a reality | :10:56. | :10:59. | |
that we have to acknowledge about supply and demand, that is prevalent | :11:00. | :11:05. | |
in the international market, especially in the case of ohl. At | :11:06. | :11:11. | |
$30 a barrel, there will be an impact in the North Sea. In many | :11:12. | :11:15. | |
ways there were are two not`ble things. If you follow the | :11:16. | :11:20. | |
conclusions and logic of our energy policy across the world as we divest | :11:21. | :11:25. | |
and give more into low carbon generation, it will reduce the net, | :11:26. | :11:34. | |
demand for oil. You can't comment on the oil price with how sillx it | :11:35. | :11:37. | |
makes the case for independdnt appeal for those who fought for | :11:38. | :11:40. | |
them, and it shouldn't go unmentioned. The section on | :11:41. | :11:48. | |
renewables is also straightforward, with the exception of of thd | :11:49. | :11:53. | |
measures on the local consent and provision. I don't think we should | :11:54. | :11:58. | |
do it. Many time and energy debates what the general feeling is about | :11:59. | :12:01. | |
the wind industry on the government Boss side of the chamber. I would | :12:02. | :12:05. | |
say that when we are talking about this, whatever the personal | :12:06. | :12:09. | |
positions, we should not trx to introduce facts which are pdrsonal. | :12:10. | :12:13. | |
There have been things said today that are untrue. The figures for the | :12:14. | :12:20. | |
UK when the contribution to our electricity are 5%, not 1%. That is | :12:21. | :12:24. | |
information anyone could obtain from the phone. That is equal to the | :12:25. | :12:31. | |
biomass contribution, one qtarter of our entire nuclear fleet. It is not | :12:32. | :12:35. | |
insignificant. About constr`int payments, these are a futurd -- | :12:36. | :12:41. | |
feature in any system that require supply and demand. To see that you | :12:42. | :12:45. | |
have to go to a control centre for themselves, a fascinating place to | :12:46. | :12:49. | |
go to. Constraint payments `pply to every form of generation should be | :12:50. | :12:54. | |
the goal in many numbers colpared to fossil fuel. This is not a case it | :12:55. | :12:59. | |
is a future that applies to our renewable sector. The main point I | :13:00. | :13:02. | |
wanted to raise about the provisions of onshore wind is that endhng | :13:03. | :13:08. | |
financial support should be tapered out as industries mature, btt ending | :13:09. | :13:12. | |
it for arbitrary or politic`l reasons -- reasons are not leasures | :13:13. | :13:19. | |
that will damage the industry, they will damage all and energy | :13:20. | :13:24. | |
investment. MPs said that they don't like wind, we need to solar farms | :13:25. | :13:33. | |
fought. -- let's talk about marine technology. The fact is that if you | :13:34. | :13:38. | |
undermine investor confidence in one sector, you undermine across the | :13:39. | :13:42. | |
board. It is true that therd has been a long-standing commitlent to | :13:43. | :13:51. | |
wind set energy. That could be anticipated, but it has to be with | :13:52. | :13:56. | |
due regard to costs that work and amendments that were reflected in | :13:57. | :14:00. | |
the need to protect investor confidence. Those have been | :14:01. | :14:02. | |
disregarded by the government. When we talk about the prices proposed by | :14:03. | :14:08. | |
this side of the house in the last Parliament, investor confiddnce was | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
a buzzword for conservative MPs With provisions like this, they seem | :14:13. | :14:18. | |
to have deserted them. It is also the case that he scrapped the | :14:19. | :14:21. | |
cheapest form of renewable dnergy, you will route -- raise prices. It | :14:22. | :14:28. | |
is hypocritical to have one set of provisions for renewable endrgy and | :14:29. | :14:32. | |
a separate set for frogging. If one is good for one sector, askdd to | :14:33. | :14:39. | |
apply to all. That inconsistency and infancy the Mike incoherencd is | :14:40. | :14:42. | |
frustrating. Having dealt whth those bills, I can't help but talk about | :14:43. | :14:49. | |
the issues and sectors that have been missed, and opportunithes that | :14:50. | :14:51. | |
have missed that this bill represents. The first is endrgy | :14:52. | :14:58. | |
efficiency. This government Boss record is abysmal. It has cost | :14:59. | :15:04. | |
thousands of jobs I may havd made bills worse, and it has hindered our | :15:05. | :15:11. | |
ability to tackle climate change. There is a need for a mix. Ht is | :15:12. | :15:17. | |
going to be expensive, and to not get efficient energy usage hs a | :15:18. | :15:23. | |
scandal. In opposition with our talks are looking at things from | :15:24. | :15:28. | |
short-term measures we could bring in to emergency legislation to | :15:29. | :15:31. | |
extend obligations of the energy companies. The lost jobs ard jobs | :15:32. | :15:35. | |
that we will need going forward if we have any hope of hitting our | :15:36. | :15:40. | |
targets, and if we have any hope of keeping bills low. The second missed | :15:41. | :15:44. | |
opportunity is a carbon caps in and storage. This is essential, we know | :15:45. | :15:53. | |
that it works, and the UK could be a world leader. We should put money | :15:54. | :15:58. | |
into this. We are all left wondering whether there will be any fhnancial | :15:59. | :16:01. | |
support available for the government for carbon tax ring and storage | :16:02. | :16:06. | |
This is not a case about electricity, is a means of which we | :16:07. | :16:13. | |
will forward the industry. To have the government retreat seems a | :16:14. | :16:17. | |
tragic place to be. The third missed opportunity has to be | :16:18. | :16:24. | |
decentralization. Some of the comments were extremely helpful | :16:25. | :16:28. | |
There is a need to decentralise and to diversify the benefit into the | :16:29. | :16:34. | |
cost of energy subsidies. Wd need to make a more equitable, and deal with | :16:35. | :16:38. | |
the old opposition to plannhng new energy infrastructure. My own | :16:39. | :16:43. | |
political party, not the Labour Party but the Cooperative p`rty has | :16:44. | :16:48. | |
a fine record for being consistent and campaigning for doing that. If | :16:49. | :16:54. | |
we want communities to host electricity generating capacity | :16:55. | :16:58. | |
closer to their homes as it has been historically, we have to find ways | :16:59. | :17:04. | |
of bringing them in and then seen benefit. Some comments were harsh, | :17:05. | :17:13. | |
because there are developers with a substantial reductions of energy | :17:14. | :17:16. | |
bills. We should also look `t ways to diversify energy structure. If | :17:17. | :17:21. | |
local communities feel that they gay benefit of it, there will bd a | :17:22. | :17:27. | |
stronger need of having thel closer to them. The last thing I w`nted to | :17:28. | :17:34. | |
mention is low carbon heat. I wanted to talk about this in the ddbate, | :17:35. | :17:38. | |
because when we talk about hitting targets, find a way to tackle | :17:39. | :17:44. | |
comments, climate change, d`rk political decisions that nedd to be | :17:45. | :17:47. | |
made in the parliament in the UK to make any progress in this fheld I | :17:48. | :17:52. | |
believe that we are nowhere near to making those decisions, and that we | :17:53. | :17:56. | |
cannot wait longer to try to start the process. In conclusion, this is | :17:57. | :18:01. | |
a bill with many provisions that are worthy, but it feels like it is not | :18:02. | :18:06. | |
a bill that tries to meet the challenges in the UK energy market | :18:07. | :18:10. | |
today. There is a sense that this is not a priority for this govdrnment | :18:11. | :18:15. | |
when it should be a major one, not just for Paris and the clim`te | :18:16. | :18:18. | |
change agreement that we made internationally, but for jobs and | :18:19. | :18:23. | |
energy security in the UK. The right policies are available, polhcies | :18:24. | :18:27. | |
that could simultaneously t`ckle poverty, and cut missions. H call | :18:28. | :18:31. | |
for more ambition from this government and subsequent | :18:32. | :18:31. | |
governments. I would like to briefly spe`k about | :18:32. | :18:42. | |
the provisions in this bill which relate to onshore wind generation. | :18:43. | :18:49. | |
It has been mentioned by many members the provisions of the belt | :18:50. | :18:53. | |
reflect conservative manifesto commitments, but as my Honorable | :18:54. | :18:59. | |
friend said, have a much longer genesis of this, I think having | :19:00. | :19:02. | |
played a small part in the formulation of the policy mxself, it | :19:03. | :19:08. | |
is important to understand this one a background as part of this debate. | :19:09. | :19:15. | |
The first thing is that a long period of Campana, and I pax tribute | :19:16. | :19:18. | |
to the work that he and othdr members did before I entered the two | :19:19. | :19:24. | |
British policy to fruition. -- campaign. It also reflects the work | :19:25. | :19:31. | |
of my friend, the Member for South Holland who prayed a large part in | :19:32. | :19:34. | |
persuading the Prime Ministdr to take this debate forward wh`t we are | :19:35. | :19:40. | |
in Coalition. The policy itself reflects three principles. The first | :19:41. | :19:44. | |
one is the principle of loc`l consultation, the idea that local | :19:45. | :19:47. | |
people should have a say in decisions which affect them. I have | :19:48. | :19:58. | |
seen and so... I would like to highlight to help the | :19:59. | :20:00. | |
inconsistencies of the principle that he set up the local people of | :20:01. | :20:04. | |
having a say in the governmdnt often approach two decisions about | :20:05. | :20:08. | |
fracking. I have great symp`thy for the argument that local people to | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
have their say and what the circumstances. In my own | :20:14. | :20:17. | |
constituency, we are facing a terrible situation that has been | :20:18. | :20:22. | |
overridden by national planning policy in the face of local | :20:23. | :20:27. | |
decision-making, I know advdrse sentiments persist for a long time, | :20:28. | :20:31. | |
so wherever possible, one should give priority to local feelhng. I | :20:32. | :20:43. | |
think the point was made th`t a lot of anger and listen to onshore wind | :20:44. | :20:47. | |
farms and the reason why thhs has become a call from such polhtical | :20:48. | :20:51. | |
contention, which was not the case previously, is because local people | :20:52. | :20:55. | |
have not had their say, and one has been against the interests of the | :20:56. | :20:58. | |
local community, they feel ht is being forced upon them. The second | :20:59. | :21:05. | |
principle is the idea of economic viability, and another has been a | :21:06. | :21:08. | |
lot of debate about the exact amount of subsidy that is clearly ` large | :21:09. | :21:16. | |
number to onshore wind. Whether that figure is ?20 million or at the | :21:17. | :21:20. | |
higher end of ?270 million, that is still money being paid an individual | :21:21. | :21:28. | |
in energy consumers, and those consumers are the least abld to pay | :21:29. | :21:33. | |
it. Since every single constmer pays and my muscles pretty much, the | :21:34. | :21:41. | |
impact on the poorest members of our society is far greater than under | :21:42. | :21:42. | |
bridges, and it surprises md that bridges, and it surprises md that | :21:43. | :21:47. | |
members opted to not take into account the aggressive nature of the | :21:48. | :21:51. | |
effect of subsidies of individual energy bills also. But diffdrence | :21:52. | :21:59. | |
was the value of the landsc`pe, and the general economic well-bding of | :22:00. | :22:05. | |
people to live in beautiful places in to assert those places. ,- the | :22:06. | :22:10. | |
third principle. Some of thd most parts of this country have been | :22:11. | :22:17. | |
defiled by ugly wind farms, that no one has consented to. Members | :22:18. | :22:23. | |
opposite from mission frackhng, a practice session tends to bd a small | :22:24. | :22:29. | |
building, and most of the work is done on the ground. These ghastly | :22:30. | :22:35. | |
wind farms often, doesn't sde high and block the landscape for miles | :22:36. | :22:41. | |
around. I do not think it is that sensible of a comparison. The | :22:42. | :22:51. | |
important point of all this is that if members are arguing that we | :22:52. | :22:54. | |
should protect our environmdnt in the long run, which I agree, it is | :22:55. | :23:00. | |
this presents a threat and had to accept that balance of eviddnce why | :23:01. | :23:06. | |
should we be destroying what we so love in the short term by f`iling to | :23:07. | :23:09. | |
consider some of the most bdautiful parts of this country. That's | :23:10. | :23:13. | |
preserved. I think the important point with all of these principles | :23:14. | :23:19. | |
is that one should not take one element, which is a state that you | :23:20. | :23:24. | |
can take away the planning dlement, and say we agree with giving local | :23:25. | :23:30. | |
people a say on the planning element, then disagree with the | :23:31. | :23:34. | |
removal of the subsidy. The two are part of a coherent policy that has | :23:35. | :23:38. | |
been developed over a large vast number of years in the opposition | :23:39. | :23:43. | |
and the government. Most of those policies have been bolted for, they | :23:44. | :23:50. | |
were clearly flagged in the manifesto, and the Conservative | :23:51. | :23:55. | |
Party won the majority. -- voted. This is the extraordinary thing the | :23:56. | :23:59. | |
people of that were impede hn the election, the Liberal Democrats | :24:00. | :24:03. | |
presently, have used their security force in the other place to defeat | :24:04. | :24:15. | |
the elected love this chambdr. We join me interspersing his | :24:16. | :24:18. | |
astonishment that that partx has chosen not to attend this ddbate at | :24:19. | :24:23. | |
all today. It is about thred hours since one representative left. I | :24:24. | :24:31. | |
agree with them. For a partx that has long advocated the abolhtion of | :24:32. | :24:38. | |
the other place, they seem to have become the party of the unelected | :24:39. | :24:45. | |
place to stick it impose thdir will on the democratically electdd place. | :24:46. | :24:49. | |
Somehow these measures are extremely. It is extraordin`ry when | :24:50. | :24:56. | |
you look to the amount of onshore wind that we already have. We are on | :24:57. | :25:01. | |
track to generate more than 30% of our energy from renewables, | :25:02. | :25:05. | |
renewable energy capacity h`s actually travelled under thhs | :25:06. | :25:10. | |
conservative government and others Coalition. -- tripled. At this | :25:11. | :25:15. | |
moment, we have the governmdnt subsidy worth ?100 million for | :25:16. | :25:22. | |
renewable onshore wind, with 49 farms and 4751 turbines. Onshore | :25:23. | :25:30. | |
wind farms already account for a large part of the energy mix in this | :25:31. | :25:34. | |
country, they have an important part of flight, but they should not play | :25:35. | :25:41. | |
a dominant part, and this is why it is important we start this guy at | :25:42. | :25:42. | |
the level of subsidy that is given the level of subsidy that is given | :25:43. | :25:45. | |
to them so that we have a b`lance between different technologhes. | :25:46. | :25:50. | |
There are many flaws with onshore wind. We've already heard how it is | :25:51. | :25:55. | |
not reliable, requires largd amounts of tobacco, often in the wrong | :25:56. | :25:59. | |
place, very far distant frol the industry that actually requhres it. | :26:00. | :26:07. | |
That means that further forls of transmission are required to get it | :26:08. | :26:11. | |
from where it is being generated to where it is needed, which ftrther | :26:12. | :26:16. | |
adds to the subsidy requirelents. It is against the wishes of local | :26:17. | :26:20. | |
communities also. In conclusion argued that this is a reasonable | :26:21. | :26:26. | |
proposition. At the support of the British people, as reflected in the | :26:27. | :26:30. | |
general election. And we should resist the attempt to unelected | :26:31. | :26:34. | |
members of the other house to force a view that is not shared bx the | :26:35. | :26:37. | |
British people on this placd, and I would urge members to support of the | :26:38. | :26:41. | |
measures of running the manhfesto and I hope they'll be introduced by | :26:42. | :26:52. | |
ministers. Querrey a pleasure to follow are from such thoughtful | :26:53. | :26:53. | |
speeches. He talked about the poverty of | :26:54. | :27:02. | |
ambition in this bill, but `lso to follow on the space. He talked about | :27:03. | :27:10. | |
the regressive nature of thd fuel subsidies, but one thing he did not | :27:11. | :27:13. | |
talk about it the regressivd nature of fuel poverty, and that is | :27:14. | :27:19. | |
something I want to talk about. I want to begin with the big picture, | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
a couple of months ago, scidntific lab that we are not living hn the | :27:25. | :27:29. | |
encompassing age, one of thd things that we will have to learn to spell | :27:30. | :27:32. | |
and pronounce properly. It essentially means that humanity | :27:33. | :27:45. | |
cosmic impact on the earth atmosphere, ocean, and wildlife has | :27:46. | :27:49. | |
not created a new geological Utah, and the tall afar is how do we | :27:50. | :27:54. | |
eradicate fuel poverty and lower carbon emissions to keep global | :27:55. | :27:59. | |
warming well below the 2 degrees of agreed at Paris, by ensuring that we | :28:00. | :28:03. | |
meet the sustainable goals that were also agreed in the garden a couple | :28:04. | :28:06. | |
of months earlier and protect our planet to pass on to our chhldren | :28:07. | :28:20. | |
and grandchildren. We take our. . I remember scraping the ice off the | :28:21. | :28:24. | |
inside of the bedroom window as a child, a common feature in ly home. | :28:25. | :28:31. | |
Discover sea of oil and gas transformed this energy cost | :28:32. | :28:35. | |
infrastructure for families like mine and we would have bedrooms | :28:36. | :28:41. | |
instead of just a guess or. That has really changed people's lies for the | :28:42. | :28:46. | |
better, so that was as aqua war homes and the importance of low | :28:47. | :28:54. | |
bills, and green energy. For me energy has to be affordable and when | :28:55. | :28:59. | |
we were in government, we understood that. We invested ?20 billion in the | :29:00. | :29:04. | |
decent homes standard, making people's homes warm and | :29:05. | :29:07. | |
weatherproof. We installed when the get new central heating systems we | :29:08. | :29:11. | |
rewrite it three quarters of a million homes, and help to further | :29:12. | :29:16. | |
to begin homes to the warm front scheme. That stance and there are | :29:17. | :29:21. | |
sharp contrast to the 16,000 homes that have been retrofitted since | :29:22. | :29:24. | |
2013 under this Government's a great deal. This has a very real hmpact on | :29:25. | :29:32. | |
people's lives. Over 40,000 excess winter deaths amongst old pdople | :29:33. | :29:36. | |
last year. Five years ago, H discovered that tuberose, homes were | :29:37. | :29:44. | |
not connected to the nation`l grid. No possibility of a gas connection | :29:45. | :29:48. | |
for both home. I conducted ` severed their in 2009 -- survey, we | :29:49. | :29:53. | |
discovered that the average fuel bill that was ?2000 a gear. And we | :29:54. | :29:59. | |
fought those homes to be connected to the national Grid, would | :30:00. | :30:03. | |
government help to warm of this cold spot along with the Whitfield | :30:04. | :30:09. | |
district housing Association, a community energy solution. ,- | :30:10. | :30:12. | |
Wakefield. There are some of the 1000 homes in the area of the city | :30:13. | :30:21. | |
that were connected, one resident had to us to discuss a how luch he | :30:22. | :30:26. | |
enjoyed seeing all the little gas boilers and the pipes pumping | :30:27. | :30:29. | |
outstanding during the recent calls back. Something we all take for | :30:30. | :30:33. | |
granted, but one paying ?2000 a year to heat and metal home, this is | :30:34. | :30:39. | |
something that has me every difference in each of those homes. | :30:40. | :30:48. | |
-- made Israel. Save 246 tonnes of carbon every year. What warl tones, | :30:49. | :30:53. | |
really do make a impact on terms of the virtual circle of reduchng our | :30:54. | :30:59. | |
carbon emissions. I still h`ve nearly 4000 households living in | :31:00. | :31:01. | |
fuel poverty in Wakefield, `nd we know that nationally bills have | :31:02. | :31:11. | |
risen from ?500 in 2010 to ?606 and 2015. I'm afraid the governlent s | :31:12. | :31:15. | |
abreast of people to switch is not enough. But people have to go I want | :31:16. | :31:18. | |
to switch, and the people wd are talking about do not have ehther the | :31:19. | :31:22. | |
headline or the computers or the computer skills to switch. Lany | :31:23. | :31:27. | |
colleagues on all sides havd had switch system so that peopld can | :31:28. | :31:30. | |
come in and switch up, but often the Lord Bill bills are Antonelli, | :31:31. | :31:36. | |
paperless bills and people do not trust them. I will never swhtch to | :31:37. | :31:44. | |
an only bill. Hash tag gesttring. -- the same. So the talk briefly about | :31:45. | :31:51. | |
this government's record, particularly on production of solar | :31:52. | :31:55. | |
subsidies. Which another, a 10% and the plans to sell off the green | :31:56. | :31:59. | |
investment bank, which was criticised by the committee for | :32:00. | :32:09. | |
risking bank identity. -- 87%. Proposals in this bill, we have had | :32:10. | :32:15. | |
the government talk of reducing the proposals put carbon capturd | :32:16. | :32:18. | |
technology, that could have been a huge new industry in Scotland and in | :32:19. | :32:23. | |
Yorkshire. People in Georgi` are ready to bring a subsidy from DEQ | :32:24. | :32:27. | |
and the government had offered. -- DEQ. I will have a massive hmpact on | :32:28. | :32:33. | |
the creation of new jobs and Yorkshire and Scotland Avente two, | :32:34. | :32:38. | |
what they do CCS strategy vdry quickly bashers who do not liss out | :32:39. | :32:41. | |
on the opportunity from this new technology. This bill has bden so | :32:42. | :32:47. | |
what when, which is one of the cheapest options come always worth a | :32:48. | :32:51. | |
big impact on business confhdence and inward investment. When this | :32:52. | :32:59. | |
from bluebird forecast that over the new next five years, investlent in | :33:00. | :33:02. | |
renewable energy could fall off the cliff. -- Bloomberg. I think the | :33:03. | :33:10. | |
world and 2016 as a much more uncertain place for investmdnt. | :33:11. | :33:16. | |
Bloomberg predicts the country will lose at least one gigawatt of | :33:17. | :33:20. | |
renewable energy generation because of the early closure of the | :33:21. | :33:24. | |
renewable obligation. That hs not good news, as with solar fedd in | :33:25. | :33:29. | |
tariff, the government is changing energy policy with very little | :33:30. | :33:33. | |
notice and that really damages investor confidence. And puts risk | :33:34. | :33:44. | |
jobs -- at risk. Hundreds of those jobs, has its main manufacttring | :33:45. | :33:50. | |
plant in my constituency. Enclose a people. Solar also want to leave | :33:51. | :33:54. | |
five years ago with the first proposal for changes to the | :33:55. | :34:00. | |
terror... Which manufactures in practice with reduced insulhn | :34:01. | :34:02. | |
installation, excellent temperatures. I want to say high | :34:03. | :34:10. | |
skill jobs from Crimson and can expand and Wakefield, safegtarded | :34:11. | :34:15. | |
and secured for the future. On to say something very quickly `bout | :34:16. | :34:19. | |
smart metres and the governlent s programme that is behind schedule. | :34:20. | :34:24. | |
The government has tax energy supply for the style of the smart letres by | :34:25. | :34:29. | |
2020. -- task. Contact the Linister when she is responding to look at | :34:30. | :34:33. | |
the possibility of using thd installation is a way of edtcating | :34:34. | :34:36. | |
household is about the dangdrs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Over 200 | :34:37. | :34:41. | |
people aged go to hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, | :34:42. | :34:46. | |
and around 40 of these will die If you once in a generation ch`nce of | :34:47. | :34:49. | |
going into people's homes, people should beware the carbon monoxide | :34:50. | :34:54. | |
monitor so they are not averse, but they do have the opportunitx to | :34:55. | :34:57. | |
difficulties that may be happening difficulties that may be happening | :34:58. | :35:03. | |
with their boilers. The conference out there with about one of the | :35:04. | :35:06. | |
concrete areas that we wantdd to minister to look at. Just to | :35:07. | :35:11. | |
conclude, I think the policx should be on the dilemma, low bills, green | :35:12. | :35:16. | |
energy. In the government's track records in the area has been | :35:17. | :35:20. | |
chequered. The government ndeds to stop changing the goalposts on green | :35:21. | :35:26. | |
energy and all changes reduce and affect our abilities to meet our | :35:27. | :35:29. | |
common change target, they `ffect families, businesses and growth and | :35:30. | :35:34. | |
to live up to our past record as a leading player, not just on the big | :35:35. | :35:38. | |
picture, but also on green dnergy investment and tackling fuel | :35:39. | :35:39. | |
poverty. Therefore to speak on this bill -- | :35:40. | :36:02. | |
grateful. I must say that I'm honoured to follow the Honorable | :36:03. | :36:07. | |
Lady for Wakefield. I wanted to spell or pronounce the age she said | :36:08. | :36:12. | |
we live in. -- what not. Shd spoke a lot about fuel poverty and H have to | :36:13. | :36:18. | |
say I cannot think of ethics and measured has held my constituency | :36:19. | :36:26. | |
tackled poverty. -- any measure It not 60% cheaper than it was a dear | :36:27. | :36:30. | |
ago to fill those in gas tanks. In a safer diesel, petrol. That's the | :36:31. | :36:39. | |
same. I welcome the fall. And all the prices. I was intrigued to hear | :36:40. | :36:48. | |
illiterate the Member for Swansea West, on his front bench to lobby | :36:49. | :36:56. | |
the American government to so we can increase of prices. I'll be | :36:57. | :36:59. | |
interested to see what the leader of the Liberal party says about that. | :37:00. | :37:04. | |
It is not about prices becatse the most part a part of this bill is | :37:05. | :37:08. | |
that it brings forward the oil and gas authority. Clearly it is, for at | :37:09. | :37:13. | |
a time of crisis for the industry. Members have spoken about ohl | :37:14. | :37:18. | |
falling of $29, at that, if as well as $27, ... Even ten to one on or | :37:19. | :37:30. | |
below $10 a barrel in the coming weeks. Incredible prices. Wd passed | :37:31. | :37:36. | |
65,000 jobs lost in the sector since the beginning of 2014. -- wd have | :37:37. | :37:45. | |
had. A difficult time for the industry, but are brusquely over to | :37:46. | :37:48. | |
the 4 billion barrels left hn the North Sea. -- roughly. When the | :37:49. | :37:55. | |
ineffective regulator at thhs time because they can bring stabhlity and | :37:56. | :38:02. | |
encourage investment. I'm the expertise and industry, my | :38:03. | :38:04. | |
background is director of a small business which is regulated by the | :38:05. | :38:10. | |
financial services. It had to say the SCA was not a burden regulator, | :38:11. | :38:15. | |
it dealt fundamentally, but it is important that sector than H have | :38:16. | :38:19. | |
adjusted regulator and I'm sure he'll be the same in the oil and gas | :38:20. | :38:24. | |
industry. That said we belidve the OGA is a critical catalyst for the | :38:25. | :38:28. | |
work being undertaken to sustain offshore gas activity and the | :38:29. | :38:33. | |
associated rep... This tool the capabilities to remain focused | :38:34. | :38:39. | |
solely on this task. Another point, I must sake, one has to been on him | :38:40. | :38:51. | |
rather with the S and P could do, suggested it was naive to think that | :38:52. | :38:54. | |
the Scottish Government shotld try and do anything about the crisis | :38:55. | :38:59. | |
which is that UK prices, but is hitting Scotland so hard. I do not | :39:00. | :39:08. | |
think that will take their assessment what I said. Scottish | :39:09. | :39:16. | |
Government views this new fhscal powers to support the whole gas | :39:17. | :39:19. | |
industry was not something that I saw being manageable and th`t think | :39:20. | :39:26. | |
otherwise would be naive. Stpport is being provided by the government has | :39:27. | :39:31. | |
been well received. The govdrnment would have the power to raise tax, | :39:32. | :39:35. | |
raise attacks and speak to the Chancellor and say we are actually | :39:36. | :39:41. | |
worried about the crisis hitting our people. -- raise taxes. But are so | :39:42. | :39:48. | |
controversial on court naivd about the? We have all this passion from | :39:49. | :39:54. | |
the S and P after Rafa no, passion about Scotland and I would have a | :39:55. | :39:57. | |
crisis of Scotland, and what are they doing about it? Have a duty to | :39:58. | :40:01. | |
put their finger out, put a hand in their pockets and step up to the | :40:02. | :40:08. | |
bridge here. -- pulled their finger. On the subject of dilution, we have | :40:09. | :40:12. | |
devolution in England and Scotland. That's devolution. There is an | :40:13. | :40:19. | |
important measure in this bhll in relation to planning onshord wind, | :40:20. | :40:25. | |
and the result of this bill is power or the local people, but I `sked the | :40:26. | :40:30. | |
Minister what will happen if combined authorities which would | :40:31. | :40:35. | |
have suited to Paris, with that then take over declining powers that we | :40:36. | :40:40. | |
would give to local authorities under this measure. There cdrtainly | :40:41. | :40:50. | |
had my constituency -- we h`ve had. We had a major case of wind turbine | :40:51. | :40:59. | |
and farms and were so, if I'm in a BBC TV fame. This was sadly | :41:00. | :41:06. | |
rejected, with support from the communities. These amenities of the | :41:07. | :41:15. | |
loop would very much welcomdd the measures contained in this bill | :41:16. | :41:20. | |
That's these communities. On the subject upon it, we performdd by | :41:21. | :41:25. | |
members -- of finding, if communities should have the say of | :41:26. | :41:28. | |
onshore wind, why should thd same applied to fracking. I see the point | :41:29. | :41:34. | |
they are making, but at the moment that planning rests with thd Noble | :41:35. | :41:37. | |
pundit Lord Tillman authorities I do not say it did not, I was. . | :41:38. | :42:00. | |
Lancashire has vanishingly hmportant issue with fracking at the loment. | :42:01. | :42:06. | |
My position on this is fracking is controversial. Some the stuff we are | :42:07. | :42:10. | |
hearing, Alice of the media was a terrible thing that can happen. I do | :42:11. | :42:15. | |
not see how a District Council would ever approve of fracking application | :42:16. | :42:18. | |
and the current climate. Get this industry am a potentially offers so | :42:19. | :42:22. | |
much we had to at least givd it a go. Fracking could create the 7 ,000 | :42:23. | :42:30. | |
jobs with many areas -- in `reas of high unemployment. It is easy to | :42:31. | :42:38. | |
support if your MP for suffhx. We have to recognise there are | :42:39. | :42:42. | |
different context there. Renewables is an industry which is devdloped | :42:43. | :42:48. | |
to, she has not got going, `nd we only have exploratory Gillette, who | :42:49. | :42:51. | |
did not have commercial drilling. Need to get a chance to get some | :42:52. | :42:53. | |
commercial drilling going to see what impact it has in reality so we | :42:54. | :42:58. | |
can get away from some of the hysteria. I can't honestly believe, | :42:59. | :43:10. | |
is he really arguing that bdcause fracking is controversial that that | :43:11. | :43:15. | |
is the reason why communitids should be denied? Surely that is the reason | :43:16. | :43:20. | |
why communities should be ghven a say. Is the point I am making. If | :43:21. | :43:28. | |
you have a lot of hysteria `bout a sector, it can be very diffhcult to | :43:29. | :43:32. | |
achieve a rational agents of the session. Let's not forget the whole | :43:33. | :43:36. | |
point of planning is the fun applications must be considdred in a | :43:37. | :43:40. | |
balanced fashion, and that lay not be possible. We do strategically | :43:41. | :43:47. | |
need this industry. I know ht is divisive and all my numbers showed | :43:48. | :43:51. | |
that, if I was an MP in Lancashire and happy issues, I'm sure H will | :43:52. | :43:57. | |
will be difficult to cope whth that. There is potential. I wonder if he | :43:58. | :44:06. | |
would share my view that wotld be plummeting price of oil, thdre is no | :44:07. | :44:13. | |
way of the Opec is going to allow another country to develop ` | :44:14. | :44:17. | |
commercial fracking enterprhse and the costs associated in the planning | :44:18. | :44:24. | |
prices when I present sufficient evidence on the investment, in order | :44:25. | :44:27. | |
to support aid UK fracking check the wall this is as low as it is. - | :44:28. | :44:36. | |
sector. A interesting questhon. Today I think the first evidence | :44:37. | :44:43. | |
than off additions of you if she finally started to fill in response | :44:44. | :44:51. | |
and price. -- shell. I happdn to think that... US production of shell | :44:52. | :45:03. | |
may be about to fall, that has not started to explore what thex have | :45:04. | :45:07. | |
got and when they do, it will have a big impact on the LNG markets both | :45:08. | :45:12. | |
in Europe and the Far East. That is to case and I am supporting. There | :45:13. | :45:19. | |
is no doubt that you left she has had the single biggest impact on the | :45:20. | :45:25. | |
following oil price. There `re many factors and I'm grateful for that | :45:26. | :45:29. | |
because I think the economic impact will be huge. There are manx people | :45:30. | :45:33. | |
in the other place who sat hn the debate that because the oil price | :45:34. | :45:39. | |
was so low, that they should use the opportunity to introduce for the | :45:40. | :45:44. | |
winnable fossil. We know thd price will not be temporary, but `lso make | :45:45. | :45:50. | |
the point when energy prices are low, the negative impact of the | :45:51. | :45:53. | |
energy crisis we are saying like loss of jobs, lack of confidence, of | :45:54. | :45:58. | |
the the stock market, the f`lling energy prices allow automathc | :45:59. | :46:03. | |
economic stabilisers. There really economic pressure and help the | :46:04. | :46:08. | |
community -- country to keep going. I support this bill because I | :46:09. | :46:14. | |
believe it will give stabilhty and features to an industry which are | :46:15. | :46:18. | |
struggling at the moment. That is a a part a part of it. I also support | :46:19. | :46:22. | |
the part about global oblig`tion and I look forward to going to currently | :46:23. | :46:23. | |
in committee. It is a pleasure to speak after so | :46:24. | :46:33. | |
many engaging and insight for cost reasons this evening. It has almost | :46:34. | :46:41. | |
been ten years since the Prhme Minister, the been the Leaddr of the | :46:42. | :46:47. | |
Opposition, five years sincd declaring his determination to lead | :46:48. | :46:51. | |
the greatest government ever. As soon as the Prime Minister walks | :46:52. | :46:55. | |
down the Downing Street, made his way to the Rose Garden, and what he | :46:56. | :47:00. | |
was out of earshot, what did he do? He instructed his advisers to, and I | :47:01. | :47:07. | |
quote" cut to the drink clap." I said is not to to him -- cl`p. I say | :47:08. | :47:16. | |
it because it shows the unddniable truth, that talking is easy, but the | :47:17. | :47:22. | |
action is hard. We see that the government's failure to act to | :47:23. | :47:26. | |
support the steel industry `nd jobs in my constituency, and we see it on | :47:27. | :47:29. | |
climate change. Warmer words will not stop global warming, only | :47:30. | :47:34. | |
contrary action. The connection between how we tackle climate change | :47:35. | :47:38. | |
and how we get our energy is self evident. For that reason thd deck | :47:39. | :47:46. | |
was set up, and white view, change committee acted to reduce elissions | :47:47. | :47:53. | |
by 2050. We need a detailed plan to move to a low carbon economx. The | :47:54. | :47:58. | |
government is enthusiastically dismantling that, injecting | :47:59. | :48:03. | |
uncertainty and instability into the energy sector as possible. H was | :48:04. | :48:10. | |
privy to the thoughts of CEOs and leaders, and most of those people | :48:11. | :48:14. | |
got it, they would tell me that our business is not sustainable. If our | :48:15. | :48:21. | |
plan is not sustainable. It is not the case that does this in the | :48:22. | :48:26. | |
private sector could be part of the sustainability, the truth is that | :48:27. | :48:29. | |
the business community wants to part with government on a green growth. | :48:30. | :48:33. | |
Like me, they have seen the reports that unchecked climate change | :48:34. | :48:37. | |
threatens a 4.2 tooling dollars of assets around the world. Thdy know | :48:38. | :48:41. | |
that sustainable business ndeds a sustainable planet. I have seen the | :48:42. | :48:47. | |
revolutionary capacity of private sectors acting in concert of public | :48:48. | :48:53. | |
goals, but that requires support from government. Part of th`t | :48:54. | :48:57. | |
government to support must be about creating an environment of | :48:58. | :49:01. | |
certainty. Business can onlx mobilise and invest its intdllectual | :49:02. | :49:04. | |
and financial capital in grden energy if it can have some sense of | :49:05. | :49:08. | |
certainty. If it can be surd that the floor will not be pulled out | :49:09. | :49:13. | |
from underneath it overnight. It is on this that the government is | :49:14. | :49:16. | |
failing, and with this bill in particular. Already the govdrnment | :49:17. | :49:20. | |
has decided to block the solar industry from any certainty over | :49:21. | :49:24. | |
terrorists that they will rdceive once projects are finished. Now we | :49:25. | :49:30. | |
see greater uncertainty injdcted around the issue of carbon capture | :49:31. | :49:35. | |
and storage, and wind farms with early closure of renewable | :49:36. | :49:38. | |
obligation. Onshore wind is most cost effective and low carbon in the | :49:39. | :49:46. | |
UK. The government decision to retrospectively cold desk close down | :49:47. | :49:52. | |
the scheme, something not contained in the manifesto, is an exalple of | :49:53. | :49:56. | |
reckless chopping and changhng of policy. It should be worrying for | :49:57. | :50:02. | |
the reasons following. It whll cost hundreds of highly skilled jobs | :50:03. | :50:06. | |
they will be laid off because of the government's mismanagement of | :50:07. | :50:10. | |
subsidies. Second, the government claims that ending solar and wind so | :50:11. | :50:16. | |
energy will save money. Most of those savings will be offset by | :50:17. | :50:22. | |
hand-outs to more energy projects. The government's approach is | :50:23. | :50:27. | |
inconsistent. Stripping awax clean energy for the cheapest energy just | :50:28. | :50:32. | |
when it is on the verge of nonrenewable so at the same time as | :50:33. | :50:39. | |
new subsidies. That is not ` fair market, it is about ideologx. | :50:40. | :50:42. | |
Thirdly, all of this has bedn done with no notice, and it will totally | :50:43. | :50:49. | |
wreck investor confidence. H have to ask the Secretary of State to put | :50:50. | :50:54. | |
herself in a position of investor in the energy market. Faced with the | :50:55. | :50:59. | |
choice of investing in the TK or the US where renewable energy h`s | :51:00. | :51:02. | |
doubled under President Obala, where would she choose? A UK or Gdrmany, | :51:03. | :51:09. | |
where 6% of the energy sector has increased to 30% in 2014, where | :51:10. | :51:13. | |
would she choose? Does the Secretary of State really think... He mentions | :51:14. | :51:22. | |
Germany where Germany's -- renewables are more in the TK. In | :51:23. | :51:30. | |
Germany carbon emissions ard higher than the more part of their GDP Can | :51:31. | :51:37. | |
he accept that the government has a responsibility to decarbonize as | :51:38. | :51:46. | |
cheaply as possible? Prices are doubled for products to the | :51:47. | :51:49. | |
equipment company in Germanx. Does he not accept that part of what | :51:50. | :51:55. | |
government must do is mitig`te that? I accepted that there has to be | :51:56. | :51:59. | |
exceptions for energy in terms of industries. That is why the steel | :52:00. | :52:03. | |
industry has needed compens`tion packages for over four years, the | :52:04. | :52:09. | |
Chancellor recognised that hn 2 11. It is taken until now to get it | :52:10. | :52:12. | |
sorted, and one of the reasons for that is because we are expending | :52:13. | :52:15. | |
political capital in Europe trying to negotiate. That is anothdr case | :52:16. | :52:22. | |
altogether. Does the Secret`ry of State think that investors will | :52:23. | :52:26. | |
choose the UK, where you cotld be liable to see your governmental and | :52:27. | :52:29. | |
regulatory support White aw`y overnight with no warning? ,- wiped | :52:30. | :52:39. | |
away. Or will you invest in emerging markets such as China, which is now | :52:40. | :52:43. | |
investing more in clean energy than the whole of Europe, or Indha who | :52:44. | :52:50. | |
are planning a fivefold increase in their energy investment instead of | :52:51. | :52:54. | |
putting their money into an uncertain British market. Wd must be | :52:55. | :52:57. | |
clear that this uncertainty will affect renewable sectors, there will | :52:58. | :53:04. | |
be contagion elsewhere in this assault on investors urgencx. Also, | :53:05. | :53:09. | |
today of all days, I needed to talk about a specific example whdre the | :53:10. | :53:14. | |
government has failed to act decisively and creates urgency, | :53:15. | :53:19. | |
where it is costing our country dearly. That is the Swansea Bay | :53:20. | :53:27. | |
tidal lagoon. There are a thousand redundancies, 750 being in ly | :53:28. | :53:34. | |
constituency. I can scarcelx believe that I would hear such a cldar | :53:35. | :53:39. | |
example of sadomasochism. From a member who represents a stedl mining | :53:40. | :53:43. | |
industry, calling for the hhghest cost energy in the Western world to | :53:44. | :53:48. | |
go ahead, which could only lake the problem of the jobs of his workers | :53:49. | :53:54. | |
even worse. I can't imagine how he stands any chance of getting | :53:55. | :54:04. | |
reelected. The member is right, I will leave the last bit of the | :54:05. | :54:08. | |
intervention to my constitudnts What I would say is that I would | :54:09. | :54:14. | |
explain the need for compensation package for energy intensivd | :54:15. | :54:22. | |
industries. As I have mentioned before in my speeches on thd steel | :54:23. | :54:27. | |
industry, the government's foot dragging is the major reason for the | :54:28. | :54:33. | |
crippling of the steel industry too little too late. This happened | :54:34. | :54:37. | |
because of the government's failure to act on the dumbing of Chhnese | :54:38. | :54:45. | |
steel, no long-term strategx, and no concrete action on procuremdnt and | :54:46. | :54:53. | |
energy. The priorities for ly constituents are to support | :54:54. | :54:55. | |
transitions for those made redundant. In the Swansea B`y tidal | :54:56. | :55:00. | |
lagoon project, there is an attack opportunity for job creation and | :55:01. | :55:04. | |
support to the steel industry because of the turbines that would | :55:05. | :55:07. | |
be at the heart of the lagoon project. The government has dodged | :55:08. | :55:13. | |
and delayed the decision. Every day or week of delay cost months or | :55:14. | :55:18. | |
years, and it costs jobs. The Swansea Bay tidal lagoon wotld be | :55:19. | :55:21. | |
the first of its kind in thd world, and it shows how important ht is for | :55:22. | :55:26. | |
the government to create certainty. My constituency urges the Sdcretary | :55:27. | :55:32. | |
of State to take urgent acthon to support this. We have been let down | :55:33. | :55:37. | |
it too many times, today behng a prime example. It is time the | :55:38. | :55:41. | |
government took action, so H would appreciate an reply from thd | :55:42. | :55:48. | |
Secretary of State. It is not just do this, that the government is | :55:49. | :55:52. | |
failing on. The disorders and to act on the CCS project, when thd UK is | :55:53. | :55:57. | |
on the brink of securing investment from the European sector puts the | :55:58. | :56:05. | |
CCS at risk. CCS technology offers the carbonization, transforling | :56:06. | :56:07. | |
nonrenewable energy into solething that could be made part of ` viable | :56:08. | :56:11. | |
sustainable energy mix, it `lso supports jobs. Again, we sed a | :56:12. | :56:17. | |
government unable to create an environment of certainty for | :56:18. | :56:19. | |
investors, employees, and for our country. Energy security is poor | :56:20. | :56:25. | |
risk, as is the future of otr planet. There can be no doubt, the | :56:26. | :56:30. | |
government's actions are behng noted around the world. The Prime Minister | :56:31. | :56:35. | |
will parade his prime -- Paris Accord agreement, while members in | :56:36. | :56:40. | |
the House see him slashing dnergy funding. We face an uphill battle to | :56:41. | :56:51. | |
meet our EU target. We should ask, what is it the theme running through | :56:52. | :56:55. | |
this? I think it is a government driven by the politics of now, as | :56:56. | :57:04. | |
white a 2005 we saw other pledges. That is why we saw the ditching of | :57:05. | :57:10. | |
the Green deal, a pesky pussy that the Labour government left. | :57:11. | :57:16. | |
There were too many complaints of their local association meetings, | :57:17. | :57:24. | |
because there were too many expensive nuclear projects `nd a | :57:25. | :57:28. | |
cozying up to China. The government did not feel that green isstes were | :57:29. | :57:33. | |
fashionable anymore, becausd internal politics of the | :57:34. | :57:37. | |
conservative party pushes them back to their conflict ground, and away | :57:38. | :57:40. | |
from a commitment to a sust`inable fixed -- future. This cannot be met | :57:41. | :57:48. | |
by short-term thinking and management. The conservativd party | :57:49. | :57:52. | |
finds to be entrepreneurs, so I think that it is time they `ct like | :57:53. | :57:57. | |
it. With an entrepreneurial state willing to collaborate, working with | :57:58. | :58:01. | |
the support of those in the private set sector who want to build a | :58:02. | :58:04. | |
sustainable future. There h`s to be a collaborative approach to business | :58:05. | :58:08. | |
and government, and that thd heart and environment of certaintx. That | :58:09. | :58:12. | |
is how investment will be sdcured and jobs will be secured. Most | :58:13. | :58:17. | |
importantly, how we will sit for a sustainable future. Stop destroying | :58:18. | :58:24. | |
investor confidence, stop the insurgency, and to start supporting | :58:25. | :58:29. | |
a sustainable energy market for the future. I would remind the House | :58:30. | :58:38. | |
that I provide advice for the industries. At $20 a barrel, the | :58:39. | :58:43. | |
North Sea and its investment faces a damaging threat. And the bus can now | :58:44. | :58:50. | |
weather in the new future it might change its policy and reducd | :58:51. | :58:54. | |
capacity and put the price tp. None of us can now when enough c`pacity | :58:55. | :58:58. | |
will be closed elsewhere in the world where there are exposdd | :58:59. | :59:04. | |
investments and high costs. To this apply back into line with ddmand and | :59:05. | :59:09. | |
to get oil price higher. All we can do at the moment is to try to manage | :59:10. | :59:14. | |
what we have. Today, we havd a very low oil price by recent historical | :59:15. | :59:20. | |
standards. It has undermined the business model in the investment | :59:21. | :59:25. | |
case for many parts of the hndustry. I am delighted that the secretary of | :59:26. | :59:30. | |
state has pledged very strongly that she sees the North Sea as a | :59:31. | :59:35. | |
fundamental part of Britain's energy requirements in the future, and the | :59:36. | :59:38. | |
fundamental part of our indtstrial base. That indeed, it is. The North | :59:39. | :59:43. | |
Sea has not just formed substantial energy serves, but it has enabled | :59:44. | :59:51. | |
the growth of a large number of technical jobs and talented people | :59:52. | :59:54. | |
working in a large number of companies. The Scottish Nathonalists | :59:55. | :00:01. | |
say of this review again and have higher rates going forward. At the | :00:02. | :00:06. | |
moment there is no revenue coming into the Treasury from the OC taxes, | :00:07. | :00:11. | |
because the oil prices so low and the investment is damaged. H am | :00:12. | :00:15. | |
relaxed about their advice, and I'm sure the will think carefully about | :00:16. | :00:22. | |
the support for going forward for more investment. I have to warn the | :00:23. | :00:27. | |
house that if you were exceddingly generous about North Sea taxation, | :00:28. | :00:31. | |
it will not be enough to make a difference against the $28 will | :00:32. | :00:39. | |
price. Now what we are battling for is not the revenue we use to get, we | :00:40. | :00:43. | |
are battling for the substantial income tax revenues that we have | :00:44. | :00:49. | |
been getting as the UK and Scotland on the highly paid jobs in the | :00:50. | :00:53. | |
Aberdeen area and other supporting areas and in the North Sea. If we | :00:54. | :00:59. | |
are not careful, $28 a barrdl oil will lose a large number of those | :01:00. | :01:03. | |
jobs, some of them are alre`dy gone. It will flatten the incomes of | :01:04. | :01:07. | |
others, and it will mean a very big hole in the Scottish income tax | :01:08. | :01:13. | |
revenues on top of the damage done to the UK's Scottish revenuds from | :01:14. | :01:17. | |
the oil itself. That is why I hope that the Treasury and my frhend will | :01:18. | :01:21. | |
work with the industry to come up with any kind of scheme that gives | :01:22. | :01:26. | |
us a chance of reinvesting. We need to use the best extraction | :01:27. | :01:29. | |
techniques, the best technologies, we need the industry to work on its | :01:30. | :01:34. | |
cost base, because this will require some the major. He is also right | :01:35. | :01:43. | |
that security of supply must be the single most important thing. She | :01:44. | :01:47. | |
tries to balance security whth cost and green issues, but she is right | :01:48. | :01:51. | |
to regard security is fundalental thing. If there are tensions, surely | :01:52. | :01:56. | |
the government must put sectrity before all others. In our policy, we | :01:57. | :02:04. | |
are relying more on interconnectedness. I would have a | :02:05. | :02:07. | |
word of warning that it via a short-term solution, but to | :02:08. | :02:11. | |
interconnect our supply to the continent of Europe, a conthnent | :02:12. | :02:15. | |
sure of energy resources dods not make us more secure. When you bear | :02:16. | :02:22. | |
in mind the importance of Rtssian gas throughout our continent, and | :02:23. | :02:26. | |
the further east you go, I do not wish that in the long-term by | :02:27. | :02:31. | |
country be geared to in energy short continent dependent on Russhan | :02:32. | :02:38. | |
goodwill. Our security supply must rely on indigenous UK resources | :02:39. | :02:41. | |
renewable and carbon based hn the right balance. Above all, coming | :02:42. | :02:49. | |
from generation resources that provide continuous and flexhble | :02:50. | :02:53. | |
supply, I support this bill in its wings sections. I have been a critic | :02:54. | :02:57. | |
of wind, saying that is far too expensive. It is expensive because | :02:58. | :03:04. | |
you cannot rely on wind, so you need to bill to power generators to be | :03:05. | :03:11. | |
secure. You have wind, which sometimes works, and then you need | :03:12. | :03:16. | |
hundred percent covered for the wind in other cases with some types of | :03:17. | :03:19. | |
generation in case of the whnd does not blow. As the wind does not blow | :03:20. | :03:25. | |
when it is really cold and when the industry needs energy, it is | :03:26. | :03:27. | |
important that you have the further back-up. Average me to the second | :03:28. | :03:34. | |
most important proposition that she handles, cost. We have all witnessed | :03:35. | :03:37. | |
today and extremely sad announcement in this house, one of a serhes of | :03:38. | :03:43. | |
sad announcements about our steel industry. The Minister chiddd me to | :03:44. | :03:47. | |
say that as I believe in markets, why did I want British investment | :03:48. | :03:54. | |
projects to buy British stedl? I would like to reassure the | :03:55. | :04:00. | |
government from best -- front bench -- my salary is paid from the taxes | :04:01. | :04:05. | |
paid by people who go to work in my country. It is only courteots to buy | :04:06. | :04:09. | |
some of the more expensive products when I can afford a car. Sililarly I | :04:10. | :04:15. | |
like to take holidays in England, because the ads to the jollhty of | :04:16. | :04:22. | |
nations, and provides circulation of the salary that I am paid hdre. I | :04:23. | :04:26. | |
have always believed that if you live in a society or political | :04:27. | :04:30. | |
community, you have to accept mutual obligations. I strongly belheve that | :04:31. | :04:36. | |
when we are voting huge sums of money for large investment | :04:37. | :04:39. | |
programmes that have a steel components, and they are voted by | :04:40. | :04:42. | |
us, we should go to the next stage and say that by the way, we want | :04:43. | :04:47. | |
competitive British steel to be at the core of this. We ought to be | :04:48. | :04:52. | |
able to live that down as a requirement and still have | :04:53. | :04:54. | |
competition between different British country -- thunder benders | :04:55. | :04:57. | |
and keep them competitive. Because we have so much wind in our | :04:58. | :05:08. | |
system and that we have to provide back up on top of that, the cost of | :05:09. | :05:12. | |
our energy has become a verx high. It is undermining the industrial | :05:13. | :05:16. | |
policy that my right honour`ble friend the Chancellor set ott in the | :05:17. | :05:19. | |
previous parliament seeking the march of the makers. We will only | :05:20. | :05:24. | |
get the march of the makers on the scale that we want if we offer cheap | :05:25. | :05:29. | |
energy. Our energy needs to be cheaper than Germany's. Thex need to | :05:30. | :05:36. | |
be competitive. It is far from competitive at the moment. Lodern | :05:37. | :05:40. | |
industry is very energy intdnsive. It is not just the so-called eight | :05:41. | :05:46. | |
energy intensive industries that attracts subsidy, it is gendral | :05:47. | :05:49. | |
process industry that is endrgy intensive as well, because ht is | :05:50. | :05:53. | |
highly automated and the gr`nt that is now provided by electrichty | :05:54. | :05:57. | |
driven machinery, not by hulan hands and arms. We need to understand that | :05:58. | :06:04. | |
one of the core elements of any successful industrial policx must be | :06:05. | :06:08. | |
cheap energy, and therefore I wish my right honourable friend dvery | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
success in trying to bring together those three different components of | :06:13. | :06:16. | |
heard policy to bring more dvident the Mac emphasis on cheaper energy. | :06:17. | :06:24. | |
To do that we need a new generation of electricity plant that h`s cost | :06:25. | :06:29. | |
as one of its main consider`tions, and that may well be gas pl`nt. At | :06:30. | :06:34. | |
plant has to operate for considerable lengths of timd in | :06:35. | :06:38. | |
order to get the proper economy to scale. The danger of our current | :06:39. | :06:42. | |
system is that we need to m`ke sure to pay as much energy at anx given | :06:43. | :06:50. | |
time. If energy is availabld with wind energy, that makes the cheaper | :06:51. | :06:54. | |
energy dearer, because he c`nnot run a base load anymore, and thd cost of | :06:55. | :07:00. | |
switching on and off become large. Three cheers for this bill, three | :07:01. | :07:06. | |
cheers for the secretary of state. Let's not rely on to form the | :07:07. | :07:10. | |
supply, let's not rely on whnd. Let's have reliable electricity at a | :07:11. | :07:21. | |
price the industry can afford. Is a pleasure to follow the honotrable | :07:22. | :07:25. | |
gentleman. The Conservatives and manifesto for the 20 15th election | :07:26. | :07:32. | |
undertook to metre climate change commitments cutting emissions as | :07:33. | :07:36. | |
cheaply as possible to save money. Welcome action towards achidving | :07:37. | :07:42. | |
this goal, particularly recdnt action -- action does not sdem in | :07:43. | :07:50. | |
compliance with climate change agenda. With technology, cldan | :07:51. | :07:57. | |
renewable energy can be less expensive to the consumer than the | :07:58. | :08:00. | |
traditional carbon based endrgy Creating market incentives to | :08:01. | :08:11. | |
achieve is -- an intervention. Is he saying that renewables are cheaper | :08:12. | :08:19. | |
and they do not need subsidhes? Discuss. Thanks you for your | :08:20. | :08:27. | |
intervention. The price guaranteed for 35 years, that would be a case | :08:28. | :08:31. | |
and point in case of altern`tives that may be cheaper in the future. | :08:32. | :08:37. | |
Energy storage, allied to the intermittent nature of wind power. | :08:38. | :08:40. | |
We talk about eggnog logical prior to coming here I was fortunate | :08:41. | :08:54. | |
enough to work in the energx sector for 13 years, and for considerable | :08:55. | :08:59. | |
time was shall's contract ldader for the project, and moved to from power | :09:00. | :09:07. | |
stations to the Peterhead g`s fire station. I understand all too well | :09:08. | :09:12. | |
what advances in technology means. When we were talking about the | :09:13. | :09:18. | |
process we were talking when before the rug was pulled under our | :09:19. | :09:22. | |
collective feet, we are likdned the technology process to the mobile | :09:23. | :09:29. | |
phone. You see the gentleman is not yet enough not to forget is clunky | :09:30. | :09:37. | |
mobile phones. That technology would capture 90% of renewable endrgy | :09:38. | :09:42. | |
omissions. With advances in technology to develop this process, | :09:43. | :09:47. | |
we can be 92, 94, 96, ever reducing costs. This was a missed | :09:48. | :09:51. | |
opportunity, that was the point I was making. 2-pronged goal of | :09:52. | :10:00. | |
cleaner energy requires UK involvement in the energy sdctor and | :10:01. | :10:03. | |
rethinking the relationship with energy. As part of the energy bill | :10:04. | :10:08. | |
the governor proposed to close the renewable obligation. As thd only | :10:09. | :10:18. | |
current mechanism that enables Lars scale wind to enter the market, the | :10:19. | :10:24. | |
proposed closure proposes a significant threat to the ftture of | :10:25. | :10:31. | |
onshore wind sector and the UK's green manufacturing, export, and | :10:32. | :10:35. | |
manufacturing potential. Thd cost associated with achieving these | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
difficult decarbonization t`rgets. In the House of Lords, the | :10:41. | :10:44. | |
government opposed grace periods designed to allow projects that | :10:45. | :10:49. | |
committed sick significant investment under the expect`tion of | :10:50. | :10:52. | |
delivering before April 2017 to proceed. Here's rejected thd causes, | :10:53. | :10:58. | |
calling for the government to respond more fully to the | :10:59. | :11:04. | |
substantive concerns of the industry of grace periods. I support this. | :11:05. | :11:10. | |
Investors and developers nedd 3 for parliament on the future of | :11:11. | :11:13. | |
renewable obligation without the surgeons he that investors will be | :11:14. | :11:29. | |
able to take press with. Without such a route to market, the | :11:30. | :11:36. | |
government increases the cost of meeting long-term carbonate | :11:37. | :11:49. | |
reduction prices. The onshore wind industry has gone significantly in | :11:50. | :11:55. | |
it recent years, 19,000 jobs in 2015. 18 | :11:56. | :12:04. | |
all give way. Why was there such a high import component in thd wind | :12:05. | :12:13. | |
equipment we needed coming from Germany? That is something that we | :12:14. | :12:22. | |
need to invest and research and develop in this country, another | :12:23. | :12:26. | |
shortfall of this government and previous governments. That hs why we | :12:27. | :12:31. | |
like behind in technology. We are advanced in subsea technology in the | :12:32. | :12:35. | |
North Sea and we do it well. We had to research and development and the | :12:36. | :12:38. | |
conditions to develop. Something that this government has fahled to | :12:39. | :12:44. | |
do for wind. Scotland in particular has embraced the benefits of onshore | :12:45. | :12:47. | |
wind with over five gigawatts operational projects and thd country | :12:48. | :12:55. | |
swore to 70% of onshore wind project in the UK system. Onshore whnds has | :12:56. | :12:59. | |
been the force behind renew`bles counting for half of Scotland's | :13:00. | :13:05. | |
gross electricity consumption. It is also the cheapest source of | :13:06. | :13:07. | |
renewable energy, and will be competitive with convention`l forms | :13:08. | :13:12. | |
of generation. According to the committee of climate change, the | :13:13. | :13:18. | |
fuel cost will be similar to that of gas generation in 2020, 80 ?5 per | :13:19. | :13:26. | |
Mike megawatt. Prices could be considerably cheaper, and cost could | :13:27. | :13:30. | |
continue to fall as the effhciencies increase. The energy bill ilpact | :13:31. | :13:34. | |
assessment states that the Government institutes of employee | :13:35. | :13:39. | |
six gigawatts of onshore wind by 2020, ten point operational around | :13:40. | :13:44. | |
construction leaving at one point to gigawatts to come forward bdfore our | :13:45. | :13:48. | |
closure in April. Under the grace periods that the government | :13:49. | :13:55. | |
proposes, it further states that 2.9 gigawatts of onshore capacity with | :13:56. | :13:57. | |
planning awaits construction that could've come forward earlidr. | :13:58. | :14:03. | |
Meaning that up to 1.7 gigawatts capacity will be lost under the | :14:04. | :14:07. | |
government's plans. 1.7 gig`watts looks like of onshore wind capacity | :14:08. | :14:21. | |
equivalent to the annual power needs of over 900,000 homes. Clostre of | :14:22. | :14:27. | |
the renewable obligation without closing for their utter wind could | :14:28. | :14:32. | |
assess the market risk of UK falling behind in 2020 renewable targets, | :14:33. | :14:36. | |
and increasing the cost of the carbon is in the energy system. The | :14:37. | :14:41. | |
government's in impact assessment centralizes, closure would reduce | :14:42. | :14:49. | |
bills by 30p per year. Government and industry must minimise, | :14:50. | :15:03. | |
achieving reduction in carbon. It could increase overall cost of | :15:04. | :15:07. | |
energy -- investment in our energy sector. Consumers could facd higher | :15:08. | :15:16. | |
bills as the UK must rely more heavily on more expensive gdneration | :15:17. | :15:19. | |
technologies as we seek to cut carbon from the sector by 2020. The | :15:20. | :15:32. | |
latest edition of the renew`ble energy is touched on by a mdmber who | :15:33. | :15:38. | |
is no longer here. It puts the UK at the number 11. For the first time | :15:39. | :15:42. | |
the UK has fallen outside of the ten, down from number five hn the | :15:43. | :15:50. | |
2014. CCI have been warding of the damage to the framework of the UK | :15:51. | :16:02. | |
ability to provide structurd. More than half of the wind sure were not | :16:03. | :16:09. | |
prepared to lend until the dnergy bill received consent, largdly due | :16:10. | :16:15. | |
to the political and regulatory concerns and the lack of gales from | :16:16. | :16:18. | |
the process and timing of the energy bill. The UK is not going to meet | :16:19. | :16:31. | |
its target, covering the usd of technologies and transport. Of these | :16:32. | :16:35. | |
three sectors, only electricity is on track at present. 50 ter`watt | :16:36. | :16:43. | |
hours, made up of under delhvery of heat and transport. Increashng | :16:44. | :16:48. | |
electricity from new renewable sources is cost-effective in the UK | :16:49. | :16:51. | |
could make up some of that shortfall. As a benefit of `n | :16:52. | :16:57. | |
established industry with a track record of delivering signifhcant | :16:58. | :17:02. | |
capacity over short periods. The lack of clarity for renewable | :17:03. | :17:06. | |
projects and its replacements and contracts for different means that | :17:07. | :17:10. | |
Scotland is at risk for not meeting its own 2020 goal of 120% for | :17:11. | :17:20. | |
renewables by 2020. In conclusion, I would like to thank those mdmbers | :17:21. | :17:25. | |
who have contributed to those - this critical debate. White welcomed | :17:26. | :17:30. | |
the market of form, it is essential to achieve clean and renewable | :17:31. | :17:35. | |
energy. I have concerns abott the way that the government has enacted | :17:36. | :17:40. | |
it in terms of onshore wind, carbon capture, the rich of oil and gas | :17:41. | :17:44. | |
infrastructure, green investment bank, and solar energy. The closure | :17:45. | :17:50. | |
of renewable obligations has been a huge blow for small independent | :17:51. | :17:54. | |
developers whose projects h`ve potentially been compromised. | :17:55. | :17:58. | |
Amendments introducing gracd periods must be introduced at committee | :17:59. | :18:05. | |
stage. UK is backpedaling of obligations it created uncertainty | :18:06. | :18:10. | |
among investors. I look forward to hearing proposals from the | :18:11. | :18:13. | |
government about how these hssues will be addressed, and urge all | :18:14. | :18:17. | |
involved to expedite the mentation of this bill as quickly as | :18:18. | :18:20. | |
reasonably possible. The endrgy industry in the UK has been | :18:21. | :18:24. | |
undermined by the government's continuous moving of the go`lposts, | :18:25. | :18:28. | |
and it needs legislative assist stability to attract financd and to | :18:29. | :18:34. | |
bring back a investor confidence that is essential to the excess of | :18:35. | :18:35. | |
this industry. It is a pleasure to follow the | :18:36. | :18:48. | |
honourable gentleman. He re`dily admits, he is concerned with undue | :18:49. | :18:52. | |
modesty and that he has a htge wealth of knowledge in regards to | :18:53. | :18:55. | |
the British energy sector whll stop that said, I cannot be alond on this | :18:56. | :19:06. | |
side of the House in being slightly surprised by the relaxed nature of | :19:07. | :19:12. | |
the best in people in regards to their trumpeting of the rendwables. | :19:13. | :19:21. | |
Their largest industry sector and one of the... I am sure that | :19:22. | :19:30. | |
commentators and others frol his constituency and elsewhere will note | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
this. It is a pleasure to rhse and speak in support of the bill this | :19:35. | :19:40. | |
evening. For those I'd think to look for what could be described as a | :19:41. | :19:46. | |
golden thread that runs through UK energy policy, I think prob`bly | :19:47. | :19:49. | |
looks in vain because as we have heard from many speeches today, it | :19:50. | :19:54. | |
is broken down into so many sectors. All trying to generate one | :19:55. | :19:58. | |
particular commodity, but looking them at different modes of | :19:59. | :20:01. | |
generation in order to achidve it. The government has to wrestle | :20:02. | :20:05. | |
between tensions and other lembers that reference the tension between | :20:06. | :20:12. | |
cost-effectiveness of large,scale uses in industry as well as domestic | :20:13. | :20:15. | |
users and trying to reduce demand. Through energy-efficient buhlds and | :20:16. | :20:22. | |
reset that the honourable L`dy from Wakefield was talking about. To try | :20:23. | :20:28. | |
and address climate change, and to ensure as another member made clear, | :20:29. | :20:32. | |
the need for energy securitx. The security has to be absolutely at the | :20:33. | :20:37. | |
top of the tree. I do believe that the government and Department | :20:38. | :20:44. | |
wrestle with those often colpeting tensions on a daily basis btt | :20:45. | :20:48. | |
clearly have security and stpply at the top of their agenda as well and | :20:49. | :20:52. | |
that seems to be welcome. Bx the number of people who have spoken | :20:53. | :20:58. | |
about fuel poverty. I share that concern as well. That is whx I | :20:59. | :21:06. | |
trumpet the huge reduction hn the oil price and constituencies such as | :21:07. | :21:12. | |
my which has well below the national take-home amount. Low oil prices for | :21:13. | :21:18. | |
domestic heating is a godsend. Particularly when, I do not think | :21:19. | :21:24. | |
there is a single house in North Dorset which has access to gas for | :21:25. | :21:28. | |
example. Most of us will be looking to oil heating. Returning to | :21:29. | :21:32. | |
specifics of the bill, I thhnk it is good news that we have part to my | :21:33. | :21:38. | |
bipartisan support for this. And I welcome its creation. I think there | :21:39. | :21:42. | |
are some notable points which could be focused on. The fact that the | :21:43. | :21:48. | |
secretary of state in the bhll retains the environmental rdgulation | :21:49. | :21:52. | |
and function, that is important It should be democratically accounted | :21:53. | :21:58. | |
for by those people who deal with those regulations as we havd seen in | :21:59. | :22:03. | |
regards to cracking. I also welcome the fact that the LGA will have | :22:04. | :22:07. | |
access to company meetings, protection, and to have a role to | :22:08. | :22:11. | |
play and dispute resolutions as well as imposing sanctions. I welcome as | :22:12. | :22:17. | |
well be proposed changes and charges to ensure the LGA costs are more | :22:18. | :22:22. | |
closely linked to those who benefit from it in services and functions. I | :22:23. | :22:30. | |
do hope that when we come to debate and vote on this in committde, we | :22:31. | :22:35. | |
will find the best MP support for the government stance on he`rt and | :22:36. | :22:39. | |
captured storage. It seems to me that the amendments proposed and | :22:40. | :22:45. | |
agreed in the other place I yet another unholy alliance of neighbour | :22:46. | :22:51. | |
and others appear. It only seems to put a further burden on indtstry, | :22:52. | :22:57. | |
particularly those operating within the North Sea to keep in pl`ce and | :22:58. | :23:03. | |
up to scratch certain things they may see as redundant, adding to | :23:04. | :23:11. | |
their costs. I hope we can have some agreement there. Just pausing, | :23:12. | :23:15. | |
following the other place's vote on tax credits, they are reallx skating | :23:16. | :23:24. | |
on incredibly thin ice. To vote against something which was so | :23:25. | :23:27. | |
clearly contained within thd manifesto, which was so recdntly | :23:28. | :23:33. | |
endorsed as May 20 15. The clear commitment I contribute to ly | :23:34. | :23:36. | |
honourable friend for the work he has done in regards to offshore | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
wind, it was in the manifesto and it was clear. I welcome as well, as | :23:42. | :23:46. | |
contained in the bill, the changes to the planning regime in rdspect to | :23:47. | :23:53. | |
the amount of power generatdd, this is to be determined by the local | :23:54. | :23:58. | |
planning authorities. I do share a comment made by the shadow Secretary | :23:59. | :24:05. | |
of State who is with the le`der s opposition at the current thme, I | :24:06. | :24:11. | |
would like to see that extended as well to... I am trying to agree with | :24:12. | :24:14. | |
the honourable lady, she is engrossed with her honourable | :24:15. | :24:19. | |
friend. I would agree with her on the points that she has madd | :24:20. | :24:22. | |
generally about the consumption of principle of greater communhty | :24:23. | :24:26. | |
concentration in determining planning applications with ht comes | :24:27. | :24:32. | |
to cracking, I think that would be the sensible conclusion. Cotld I | :24:33. | :24:34. | |
just urge my honourable fridnd on the front bench, when he considers | :24:35. | :24:41. | |
his bill further and relating to planning, she has a detailed | :24:42. | :24:44. | |
conversation with her colle`gues in deep-sea LG in regards to the | :24:45. | :24:49. | |
planning policy framework. H have seen in my life prior to becoming a | :24:50. | :24:52. | |
member of Parliament too many instances where as my honourable | :24:53. | :24:57. | |
friend from Daventry pointed out, and Inspector and or planning | :24:58. | :25:02. | |
officer have said yes, we h`ve all of this, we understand about setting | :25:03. | :25:08. | |
up or whatever it may happen to be, but the resumption of policx | :25:09. | :25:11. | |
planning is the principal that they should go ahead. Paragraphs 97 in | :25:12. | :25:18. | |
particular, the second will a point of that paragraph, while local | :25:19. | :25:26. | |
authorities mandated to deshgn their policies to maximise renewable and | :25:27. | :25:32. | |
low carbon development, wild diverse and taxes and etc. It is under | :25:33. | :25:38. | |
paragraph 98 to say that it is exactly what is expected, the | :25:39. | :25:42. | |
applications would be approved if any new changes were made to be | :25:43. | :25:46. | |
acceptable. It is made to h`ve some tweaking in the national fr`mework | :25:47. | :25:51. | |
to better reflect the welcole ambition of my honourable friend | :25:52. | :25:57. | |
with regards to planning. This has been a very interesting deb`te and a | :25:58. | :26:00. | |
lot of people have spoken forcibly, I think what we're going to see is a | :26:01. | :26:06. | |
bill which comes through colmittee and hopefully to the floor of this | :26:07. | :26:10. | |
house for a third reading, which takes head on the arguments deployed | :26:11. | :26:17. | |
in the other place and frankly, shreds them. Because the arguments | :26:18. | :26:22. | |
and basis for those arguments are frankly very shaky indeed. H | :26:23. | :26:28. | |
understand that I as well and to serve on the energy bill colmittee | :26:29. | :26:30. | |
and I look forward to playing my role and that in ensuring mx | :26:31. | :26:34. | |
constituents and North Dorsdt and every constituent in this country, | :26:35. | :26:37. | |
north or south of the border can have reliable security and dnergy | :26:38. | :26:41. | |
which is cost effective and reliable. Thank you very much for | :26:42. | :26:49. | |
the opportunity to contributing this important debate. I wanted to focus | :26:50. | :26:54. | |
my brief comments on three `reas, the aims of the bill overall and | :26:55. | :26:59. | |
CCS, given the activity on that issue and third on the Paris outcome | :27:00. | :27:04. | |
and why there is a strong economic and up on a case for going back to | :27:05. | :27:07. | |
the drawing board when it comes as legislation, not to state | :27:08. | :27:11. | |
environmental one. When it was first published, the energy bill `ppeared | :27:12. | :27:14. | |
to be competing for the Ward for Leesburg is less list of thd year | :27:15. | :27:17. | |
and I have to say the competition for that will award is strong. It | :27:18. | :27:21. | |
must've been some positive `nd the bill since it was first published, | :27:22. | :27:27. | |
the Paris clinical, the picture remains unchanged. At a timd when we | :27:28. | :27:31. | |
should be speeding up proponents of renewable energy, getting sdrious | :27:32. | :27:35. | |
about efficiency and working out out the majority of fossil fuels in the | :27:36. | :27:39. | |
ground, this bill takes us hn precisely the opposite direction. | :27:40. | :27:42. | |
That is why I tabled a recent amendment to completely oppose it. | :27:43. | :27:46. | |
The bulk of this bill takes for the oil and gas industry review | :27:47. | :27:50. | |
WishList, it continues the delivery of the strategy to maximise the | :27:51. | :27:54. | |
economic recovery of oil and gas, shockingly made into a legal duty in | :27:55. | :27:58. | |
this bill. Were it not for the Lord's amendments there would also | :27:59. | :28:03. | |
be hammering a nail in the coffin of the offshore wind industry. The only | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
closure of the renewable obligation for onshore wind undermines | :28:08. | :28:10. | |
investment, destroys jobs, `nd flies in the face of ministerial `rguments | :28:11. | :28:15. | |
on cost. Especially with nuclear power. This ideological att`ck on | :28:16. | :28:22. | |
offshore wind would crush the inspirations of many local | :28:23. | :28:25. | |
businesses to harness it for their own benefit. The bill is unfit for | :28:26. | :28:28. | |
purpose because of what it leaves out as well. There is nothing on | :28:29. | :28:32. | |
energy efficiency, nothing on community ownership, maximizing the | :28:33. | :28:37. | |
security and employment contribution of home-grown owners. There have | :28:38. | :28:42. | |
been a number of welcome improvements to all sections of the | :28:43. | :28:45. | |
bill, in particular I welcole Clause 80. Honest accounting of thd carbon | :28:46. | :28:51. | |
reductions. Making sure that UK emission reductions only cotnt when | :28:52. | :28:55. | |
they have to hear rather th`n relying on the EU TS as a excuse to | :28:56. | :28:59. | |
carry on. The global carbon budget is so small that there is no room | :29:00. | :29:02. | |
for further writers, least of all which have been like the EU. I want | :29:03. | :29:07. | |
to turn to carbon capture storage because a lot of debate in the | :29:08. | :29:11. | |
Lord's was about CCS and thdir new clauses on that as well. Thd fuel | :29:12. | :29:17. | |
industry is desperate for CCS to get out of jail free cards. This is not | :29:18. | :29:22. | |
only hugely expensive and economically unproven, but `lso does | :29:23. | :29:25. | |
not stand up to scrutiny, ehther against the speed and scale of the | :29:26. | :29:29. | |
carbon reductions that are needed. I would recommend to colleaguds who | :29:30. | :29:35. | |
may agree with this, carbon tracker 2013 report that shows that even if | :29:36. | :29:40. | |
CCS were deployed in line whth 050 projections, it would only dxtend | :29:41. | :29:45. | |
fossil fuel carbon projections by a certain percent. Nor am I aware of | :29:46. | :29:49. | |
any serious suggestion that CCS could even come online before 2 30. | :29:50. | :29:54. | |
By which point the global c`rbon budget may already be used tp and | :29:55. | :29:58. | |
even that timescale is subjdct for a long list of its. If politicians | :29:59. | :30:05. | |
failed to heed this, if our actions fail to measure up to our words not | :30:06. | :30:10. | |
only perpetuate widespread disillusionment and its eng`gement | :30:11. | :30:12. | |
with politics, I think we whll also see more citizens, students, | :30:13. | :30:16. | |
grandparents, social workers, scientists putting their bodies on | :30:17. | :30:20. | |
the line and taking diesel `ction to keep fossil fuels in the ground | :30:21. | :30:23. | |
This energy bill did illustrates why they have my support. The c`rbon is | :30:24. | :30:28. | |
not the only reason to keep fossil fuels in the ground and go `ll out | :30:29. | :30:31. | |
for renewables instead, carbon is not the only reason this endrgy bill | :30:32. | :30:34. | |
is completely unfit for purpose But a strong purpose and economhc | :30:35. | :30:40. | |
argument as well. Let me end by looking again at what the P`ris | :30:41. | :30:43. | |
climate agreement should me`n for the UK policy. The conclusion of | :30:44. | :30:49. | |
Paris is unquestionably a dhplomatic triumph. If the UK is seriots about | :30:50. | :30:55. | |
keeping well below 2 degrees or doing their contribution to the | :30:56. | :31:00. | |
goal, as a matter of life and death in countries, there are major | :31:01. | :31:04. | |
implications for policy. It is important to emphasise the response | :31:05. | :31:07. | |
including from business dat` has in many resource has been positive | :31:08. | :31:12. | |
Many businesses are recognising the need and advantage of shifthng to | :31:13. | :31:17. | |
post carbon economics. James Murray of a newspaper quotes, ... To the | :31:18. | :31:27. | |
states detailing plans... From the development banks amending billions | :31:28. | :31:32. | |
of dollars of new planet funding to the various sector alliances | :31:33. | :31:38. | |
accelerating the development of power, zero emission vehiclds and | :31:39. | :31:41. | |
other clean technologies, from the financial stability Ward's, | :31:42. | :31:44. | |
disclosure commitments to multinational forms sourcing all of | :31:45. | :31:47. | |
their power from renewables, it is increasingly clear that he shipped | :31:48. | :31:51. | |
an proper engagement with climate change that has been gatherhng pace | :31:52. | :31:53. | |
for the last decade is finally starting to come of age. And then | :31:54. | :31:59. | |
there was the entrepreneur calling the time to action, a joint | :32:00. | :32:04. | |
statement from 20 CEOs of n`tional operations which was issued in the | :32:05. | :32:07. | |
climate talks. They made an incredibly powerful point, the | :32:08. | :32:10. | |
technology and business moddls already exist for 100% fosshl free | :32:11. | :32:16. | |
solutions, as opposed to a slightly better version of an alreadx | :32:17. | :32:20. | |
existing polluting initiative. That is the direction of travel, that is | :32:21. | :32:23. | |
recognised by many businessds and yet this government is lagghng far | :32:24. | :32:28. | |
behind in this energy bill `ppears blind to the economic case. To make | :32:29. | :32:33. | |
the Paris agreement meaningful, the government has to do more than | :32:34. | :32:36. | |
restate its commitment to the climate change act, as important as | :32:37. | :32:41. | |
that is, and stop talking mx past achievements. There's a big | :32:42. | :32:44. | |
difference between meeting dxisting target and doing future targets | :32:45. | :32:50. | |
There are some red lines proposed Paris energy bill. Those red lines | :32:51. | :32:55. | |
include provision to get to 100 energy by 2050, at the latest by the | :32:56. | :32:59. | |
UK. And keep the majority of fossil fuels in the ground. I look forward | :33:00. | :33:03. | |
to working with honourable lembers across the House to change the | :33:04. | :33:06. | |
direction of the bill, but `t this stage, I believe it's also sure of | :33:07. | :33:11. | |
those red lines. The Paris `greement provides a stronger case to refuse | :33:12. | :33:14. | |
to give this energy bill a second reading, to reject in its entirety | :33:15. | :33:17. | |
and to demand that the government goes back the drawing board. It is a | :33:18. | :33:24. | |
pleasure to follow the Membdr for Pavilion. I do not think it was | :33:25. | :33:31. | |
house to learn that there w`s one paragraph in her remarks with which | :33:32. | :33:36. | |
I agree. I am sure she will wear that with a badge of pride. I think | :33:37. | :33:41. | |
we should remember why we all here tonight. Because with a few | :33:42. | :33:46. | |
exceptions, we have not really addressed what is the main purpose | :33:47. | :33:49. | |
of this bill when it was put forward, that was to implemdnt the | :33:50. | :33:55. | |
wood review. That is why thd bill first came forward and the wood | :33:56. | :34:01. | |
review is a very necessary review and it looks at creating a lore | :34:02. | :34:06. | |
participative and sharing environment in the North Se`. Over | :34:07. | :34:12. | |
the last decade of its life, at the time, it looked like the life was | :34:13. | :34:15. | |
going to be a bit longer th`n it looks now. We should recall that | :34:16. | :34:20. | |
this country has had two industries over the last couple decades would | :34:21. | :34:24. | |
have been world-class. One of them has been banking and the other has | :34:25. | :34:28. | |
been frankly oil and gas. That has been... It has made a massive | :34:29. | :34:35. | |
contribution to the jobs and prosperity will stop the situation | :34:36. | :34:42. | |
it finds themselves in, I think it is worse than some of the speeches | :34:43. | :34:50. | |
would imply. Right now, the operating costs in the North Sea, | :34:51. | :34:55. | |
not the development cost, not the exploration costs, the oper`ting | :34:56. | :34:58. | |
costs, according to the wood review are around 28 - $30 a barrel. That | :34:59. | :35:05. | |
is oil prices now. That is saying that not only are we not developing | :35:06. | :35:08. | |
new oil fields, unless something changes, we will have to struggle to | :35:09. | :35:15. | |
keep operating the platforms and activities we currently havd. It | :35:16. | :35:20. | |
behooves this house to sort that out and do what he can. I do not think | :35:21. | :35:24. | |
the wood review is going to make a big enough difference to make a big | :35:25. | :35:27. | |
enough impact, but let's relember that there are 475 installations in | :35:28. | :35:32. | |
the North Sea, platforms and whatnot that have to be decommissioned in | :35:33. | :35:37. | |
the next few decades. 10,000 km 5000 wells, nearly 400,000 people. | :35:38. | :35:44. | |
It does not employ them all, I often knock on the door when I'm talking | :35:45. | :35:49. | |
to someone, where are you working? The work offshore. They work at some | :35:50. | :35:55. | |
part of the supply chain. Every constituency here, every melber | :35:56. | :35:58. | |
will have a large part of hhs constituency with high-paying jobs | :35:59. | :36:02. | |
in the North Sea. It behoovds us to get this right. What we are trying | :36:03. | :36:08. | |
to do is create this facilitative environment, just because shall want | :36:09. | :36:14. | |
to abandon a platform or no longer use a pipeline, which might be | :36:15. | :36:18. | |
useful to others, they will be prevented from doing and thd future | :36:19. | :36:21. | |
because people will look at the bigger picture and say we are to | :36:22. | :36:25. | |
maximise the whole operation. They used to be a sensible target. An | :36:26. | :36:30. | |
essential objective of the bill as well, maximization of econolic | :36:31. | :36:33. | |
recovery, and that is why I regret the Labour Party aren't banking to | :36:34. | :36:39. | |
change that in the laws with this point on CCS. It is not we do not | :36:40. | :36:44. | |
agree with CCS, it is not that CCS is not importing, it is that, to use | :36:45. | :36:50. | |
the phrase that and the member said earlier, we need to have a laser | :36:51. | :36:54. | |
like focus on the objective of keeping the industry and those | :36:55. | :37:02. | |
354,000 highly paid good jobs in existence for as long as possible. | :37:03. | :37:06. | |
That is why we want that, not because we do not believe in CCS. If | :37:07. | :37:11. | |
you would like to interview, please do. That is precisely the point we | :37:12. | :37:17. | |
need a long-term and short-term strategy which not be seeking to | :37:18. | :37:21. | |
pick one against the other. That's why we'll be seeking to amend this | :37:22. | :37:25. | |
bill, to make sure that where economically viable, those `re | :37:26. | :37:30. | |
considered. Should I just go back to the point of how many adjectives can | :37:31. | :37:35. | |
you give an agency like this, the North Sea is not that far away from | :37:36. | :37:40. | |
being unviable. We need in this house to put our shoulders to the | :37:41. | :37:45. | |
wheel with not caveats, but a practical set of solutions to set | :37:46. | :37:51. | |
out in the wood work. I havd two points to make. Yes certainly. I | :37:52. | :37:56. | |
think my honourable friend hs making an important point. Would hd not | :37:57. | :37:58. | |
agree with me that the challenges that he has outlined about the | :37:59. | :38:04. | |
long-term viability of North Sea oil and gas are further highlighted by | :38:05. | :38:10. | |
the nuclear deal that is behng signed today. The fact that they | :38:11. | :38:15. | |
would now be that supportivd oil going onto the global market, prices | :38:16. | :38:21. | |
already depressed. He is right. Funnily enough, my review on that | :38:22. | :38:26. | |
would be that is probably already discounted in the market. | :38:27. | :38:30. | |
Nevertheless, of course mord oil will bring the price down. H would | :38:31. | :38:35. | |
just say to the House, the lember opposite and I worked in thd | :38:36. | :38:38. | |
industry for appeared of life, during that period, the phr`se that | :38:39. | :38:43. | |
we used often was that the solution to low oil prices was low ohl | :38:44. | :38:48. | |
prices. That at some point, there will be a market reaction. That is a | :38:49. | :38:53. | |
long way off now and you ard right. It does not look as though ht is | :38:54. | :38:57. | |
helpful. I have two points before we leave this area of the bill. One is, | :38:58. | :39:02. | |
this is a point that members from the SNP would agree with. This new | :39:03. | :39:06. | |
authority apparently is going to beat Aberdeen in London, based | :39:07. | :39:10. | |
there. I would say to my own front bench, I do not have any | :39:11. | :39:13. | |
understanding of why any of it has to be in London. Let's leavd it at | :39:14. | :39:18. | |
that. We have this need in this country to have everything hn | :39:19. | :39:22. | |
London. If anything, Iniest` only been in Aberdeen, I think that | :39:23. | :39:27. | |
should. I think one final point on this is, I do not understand this, | :39:28. | :39:32. | |
this authority is going to have issues with US competition law. In | :39:33. | :39:38. | |
my experience, you could not even have a meeting between US ohl | :39:39. | :39:42. | |
companies in the same room without lawyers involved because of their | :39:43. | :39:47. | |
incredible concern about US antitrust laws. I just wonddr how | :39:48. | :39:51. | |
the authority is going to ddal with that, but I am sure that solebody | :39:52. | :39:56. | |
clever word than me will have thought about it. The CCS point in | :39:57. | :40:03. | |
this bill, I want to talk to the next, before we get wide net climate | :40:04. | :40:09. | |
change, I think in amending Clause 80, the opposition has forw`rd in | :40:10. | :40:15. | |
the House of Lords, that Cl`use says broadly that no longer should we | :40:16. | :40:22. | |
take credit from the EU emission trading system as part of the whole | :40:23. | :40:25. | |
process. If we step back and take them I think about that, th`t is the | :40:26. | :40:31. | |
party opposite seeing that they do not want a European solution in | :40:32. | :40:35. | |
capping trade. I made this point earlier. It is true that thd system | :40:36. | :40:41. | |
is completely useless, that is a different problem. It is colpletely | :40:42. | :40:45. | |
useless because the European Parliament would not increase the | :40:46. | :40:48. | |
cost of carbon, for example in the same way that we have. It sdems to | :40:49. | :40:53. | |
me there is no reason to give up on the European solution. It sdems odd | :40:54. | :41:01. | |
that the two parties opposite, those parties in this house wants to go | :41:02. | :41:06. | |
away from a European solution to sorting out the missions. They want | :41:07. | :41:10. | |
to go away, I have taken two interventions, they want to go away | :41:11. | :41:15. | |
from the fact that what the world desperately needs, this might be a | :41:16. | :41:19. | |
point that the member earlidr would agree on. We desperately nedd a cost | :41:20. | :41:23. | |
of carbon in existence becatse if there was a cost of carbon, the | :41:24. | :41:27. | |
investment decisions might cost the world in the same way and that is | :41:28. | :41:31. | |
what the system was trying to deliver. It would be in better | :41:32. | :41:36. | |
shape. I think it is a bit odd that the party opposite wants to take | :41:37. | :41:38. | |
that view. I am not going to talk for length on the points th`t others | :41:39. | :41:42. | |
in this house feel more strongly about, I have spoken at length about | :41:43. | :41:50. | |
it and I would say it appears to be beyond, very clear that it was in | :41:51. | :41:55. | |
the manifesto and we need to do that. I will say this though. The | :41:56. | :42:01. | |
wind point goes to the core of one of the issues that we have with this | :42:02. | :42:04. | |
whole climate change debate. That is the continuing confusion between | :42:05. | :42:10. | |
renewables and decarbonizathon. I have heard speeches today in which | :42:11. | :42:16. | |
members said that other people are building renewables more quhckly | :42:17. | :42:20. | |
than we are even though the carbon output of theirs is more th`n hours. | :42:21. | :42:27. | |
The truth is we need to be focused with laser-like efficiency on | :42:28. | :42:32. | |
decarbonization, not just bringing in CCS and nuclear, other | :42:33. | :42:39. | |
technologies, which focus on renewables as actually damaged. On | :42:40. | :42:45. | |
Paris, the member earlier m`de a speech which I found strangd, but | :42:46. | :42:52. | |
let me just say this. This goes for the whole house, I make this point | :42:53. | :42:58. | |
every time. European commitlent for decarbonization, which they put | :42:59. | :43:02. | |
forward, embarrassed, which we were a part of. It implies a | :43:03. | :43:11. | |
decarbonization which is half the rate that the climate changd act | :43:12. | :43:14. | |
that we passed in this housd requires us to do. It may wdll be | :43:15. | :43:20. | |
that these countries that dhd that do not yet realise that we `re | :43:21. | :43:23. | |
leading them. It may well bd that they have come down to the fact that | :43:24. | :43:30. | |
they are slower than us, it may well be that they desperately want to | :43:31. | :43:39. | |
protect their boils in a wax that perhaps has not gotten to the | :43:40. | :43:42. | |
consciousness of this house and eight a certain extent. I whll | :43:43. | :43:48. | |
finish just saying this on jobs We often hear how many jobs, solar | :43:49. | :43:56. | |
wind, and of course that is regrettable. I do not know the | :43:57. | :44:00. | |
extent to which those numbers are true. It is wrong to say th`t the | :44:01. | :44:06. | |
higher prices do not also cost jobs. It is not just about giving relief | :44:07. | :44:12. | |
to energy intensive industrhes, but if we expect to have a march of the | :44:13. | :44:19. | |
makers in this country, to tse a phrase, and we expect that larch of | :44:20. | :44:26. | |
the makers to be based on a energy regime which our manufacturdrs are | :44:27. | :44:31. | |
paying 50% more. Not those hn China or the US or Singapore, not those | :44:32. | :44:37. | |
countries, they are paying 40% more than in France, and Germany, and | :44:38. | :44:43. | |
Holland. It is going to be tough. I just think that members of this | :44:44. | :44:47. | |
house need to respect the government's duty to balancd cost | :44:48. | :44:52. | |
with decarbonization and all that goes with it. We are going to have | :44:53. | :44:59. | |
the drop into seven minutes, seven minutes. It is a great privhlege to | :45:00. | :45:05. | |
follow on from the honourable member. He is modest but his | :45:06. | :45:12. | |
expertise only match my expdrtise in this area, I am a passionatd | :45:13. | :45:17. | |
supporter of climate change action and I must join other honourable | :45:18. | :45:21. | |
members in congratulating the Secretary of State for her work at | :45:22. | :45:27. | |
Paris a few weeks ago. Whild it serves to not necessarily stpport | :45:28. | :45:30. | |
the campaign, I am helping with per the European Union. It is a shame | :45:31. | :45:36. | |
that the EU did not follow where she was bleeding. There were a number of | :45:37. | :45:39. | |
key areas in this bill that I want to focus on two areas as well as | :45:40. | :45:44. | |
explain my concerns and constituent's concerns and | :45:45. | :45:47. | |
reassurance around the Minister I would like to thank the minhsters | :45:48. | :45:52. | |
for their support over the last few weeks and answering some of these | :45:53. | :45:56. | |
concerns. As oil prices arotnd the globe tumble, this bill is timing as | :45:57. | :46:00. | |
others have said as workers across the UK who rely on this are starting | :46:01. | :46:05. | |
to struggle. We should be stpporting them as much as possible. That is | :46:06. | :46:08. | |
why I'm a little shocked earlier on to hear the comments raised by the | :46:09. | :46:15. | |
as MP member and not necess`rily supporting his constituents and the | :46:16. | :46:22. | |
best way possible. Companies also seem not to be pausing to mx passing | :46:23. | :46:28. | |
on the cost at the petrol ptmps which is not a point of this debate, | :46:29. | :46:33. | |
I hope they would join my c`use and other causes in passing on the | :46:34. | :46:38. | |
reduction to petrol pumps to consumers. I would also welcome that | :46:39. | :46:43. | |
this bill will formally est`blished the gas Authority as an inddpendent | :46:44. | :46:48. | |
regulator and as many of my constituents have contacted me on | :46:49. | :46:51. | |
this issue. I fear the framdwork is not helpful enough. At the | :46:52. | :46:56. | |
honourable member said earlher on, the Labour Party did little and 13 | :46:57. | :47:06. | |
years to do this for regulation It is a positive step in drafthng this | :47:07. | :47:10. | |
bill, creating one to regul`te the whole sector and ensuring its | :47:11. | :47:17. | |
growing and building interests. I'm particularly pleased the OT@ would | :47:18. | :47:21. | |
mean making recommendations, this is the would review suggestions that it | :47:22. | :47:29. | |
is necessary to guide the industry. It is crucial that where thd | :47:30. | :47:36. | |
disputes, where there are dhsputes, the potential risk for recovery in | :47:37. | :47:39. | |
the oil and gas rig industrx, there is nobody that can take acthon. | :47:40. | :47:45. | |
Given that the OGA can choose to get involved in this, without h`ving the | :47:46. | :47:48. | |
incident directly referring to it, it can take steps to get results and | :47:49. | :47:53. | |
resolve the issue. Looking forward, once is independent regulator is set | :47:54. | :47:56. | |
up, I can see it taking gre`ter control over the potential dnergy | :47:57. | :47:59. | |
reduction industries, I hopd the Minister can ensure the House that | :48:00. | :48:03. | |
that they are taking a holistic approach that and it can ensure | :48:04. | :48:08. | |
effective regulation of those new industries. My second point Mr | :48:09. | :48:12. | |
Deputy Speaker, I wanted for my attention to provisions of the bill | :48:13. | :48:16. | |
relating to onshore wind. As I've said before to the House, I want to | :48:17. | :48:20. | |
make it clear from the start, I am a strong advocate for this. This is | :48:21. | :48:23. | |
where we should be focusing our attention on. These resourcds of | :48:24. | :48:27. | |
energy that will save our environment as other members have | :48:28. | :48:30. | |
say, climate change exists to make sure we are taking essential steps | :48:31. | :48:35. | |
to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. I want to see greater | :48:36. | :48:39. | |
reliance on mobile energy, H also understand the government's | :48:40. | :48:45. | |
reasoning for removing onshore wind. This must be done logically. To this | :48:46. | :48:49. | |
end it is essential that thd developments do not rely on this to | :48:50. | :48:55. | |
survive and can develop it hnto their own survival entities. | :48:56. | :49:02. | |
Why does he think it is loghcal to lock ourselves into extremely high | :49:03. | :49:08. | |
subsidies for nuclear physics 3 years, and yet for a few more years | :49:09. | :49:12. | |
is all we would be for the renewables to become commercially | :49:13. | :49:18. | |
viable, why a nuclear subsidy perfectly logical and the rhtual one | :49:19. | :49:23. | |
is not according to have a? Thank you for your intervention, for me | :49:24. | :49:28. | |
the nuclear industry partictlarly as we have said will benefit the | :49:29. | :49:31. | |
economy for Somerset, says ` couple miles away from the other. Long term | :49:32. | :49:37. | |
impact for the UK economy whll be Vesely fell to the pockets of the | :49:38. | :49:43. | |
consumer. I think ultimatelx from her earlier speech she missdd that | :49:44. | :49:47. | |
point. We already have enough onshore wind in the pipelind to meet | :49:48. | :49:52. | |
our 2020 and, I find it intdresting that only a tiny portion of | :49:53. | :49:57. | |
constituents that have cont`cted me about the bill has identifidd that | :49:58. | :50:01. | |
the secretary is going to propose more on the wind that can bd | :50:02. | :50:04. | |
achieved. The study show th`t onshore wind production produces | :50:05. | :50:12. | |
more energy than onshore. Would this money be better spent on other | :50:13. | :50:15. | |
renewable technology rather than phrasing on projects that should not | :50:16. | :50:18. | |
be delivered? I would like to see the funds for onshore wind subsidies | :50:19. | :50:23. | |
channeled toward alternativd renewable energy which could be | :50:24. | :50:27. | |
supported by an investment hn Jackson, and the west of England, | :50:28. | :50:31. | |
renewable energy is emerging as one of the key economies. They can | :50:32. | :50:36. | |
certainly contribute to the national economy as well. To concludd, I hope | :50:37. | :50:39. | |
that the Minister could givd reassurance to the house on both | :50:40. | :50:42. | |
areas of this bill, I am pldased to the government has listened to the | :50:43. | :50:45. | |
review, however I would likd to agree with my fellow Honorable | :50:46. | :50:49. | |
members who need assurances from the Minister that the government | :50:50. | :50:52. | |
considers climate change as one of the most important areas th`t we | :50:53. | :50:56. | |
should be focusing on. It is affecting our planet today, as well | :50:57. | :51:00. | |
as I need to invest in renewable energy sectors and good ways. Thank | :51:01. | :51:07. | |
you Mr Deputy Speaker, the lission will be delighted that he spoke so | :51:08. | :51:15. | |
quickly. It is a honour to rise to speak in this evenings debate, not | :51:16. | :51:21. | |
least in my capacity as a mdmber of the energy and climate change select | :51:22. | :51:25. | |
committee. The energy bill hs limited in scope, but the energy | :51:26. | :51:31. | |
challenge faced by the government generally, is significant. For too | :51:32. | :51:35. | |
long energy policy of previous governments, has focused exclusively | :51:36. | :51:39. | |
on climate change, not the cost to consumers and energy security as | :51:40. | :51:44. | |
well. I applaud the front bdnch as it is now, for their work and a | :51:45. | :51:50. | |
rebalancing so that all parts of the trilemma oversees equal prolinence. | :51:51. | :51:53. | |
As the transition Mr Speaker, from mostly carbon generating generation, | :51:54. | :52:01. | |
to carbon free generation, ht is important to recognise the `bsolute | :52:02. | :52:08. | |
target of this government, we must employ some sort of bridging | :52:09. | :52:12. | |
technology, gas and biomass seemed the most obvious, to bridge the gap | :52:13. | :52:17. | |
until the renewables sector is fully ready to stand-alone to meet the | :52:18. | :52:22. | |
needs of this nation. We silply cannot risk the lights going out, by | :52:23. | :52:27. | |
jumping to that too soon. I absolutely agree with the government | :52:28. | :52:34. | |
that cold race is run. However, what is important to understand Lr Deputy | :52:35. | :52:42. | |
Speaker, and into that before and biomass and any other technology | :52:43. | :52:45. | |
that we employ is not mutually exclusive from continuing to promote | :52:46. | :52:51. | |
and invest in other renewable technologies that are avail`ble | :52:52. | :52:57. | |
Much has been made of the rdductions in subsidies to solar industry, but | :52:58. | :53:01. | |
from our work in the committee, I think we have become increasingly | :53:02. | :53:05. | |
struck, that there are other things that hamper our solar industry just | :53:06. | :53:10. | |
as much. Not least the insistence by the European unions that Brhtish | :53:11. | :53:14. | |
consumers a more to Chinese producers of photo for their solar | :53:15. | :53:20. | |
insulation. The prices being implanted they are equally by the | :53:21. | :53:25. | |
insistence that VAT is charged on solar sails, as if it was a home | :53:26. | :53:30. | |
improvement rather than the very necessary energy generation that it | :53:31. | :53:34. | |
is. Opportunities exist as we have heard this evening, tidal w`ve in | :53:35. | :53:39. | |
onshore wind, -- offshore, there is a challenge in making sure that | :53:40. | :53:44. | |
those are cost effective before they can be employed in charge of the | :53:45. | :53:49. | |
bill payer. Offshore wind forms a big part of the energy bill and I | :53:50. | :53:52. | |
make no apology for having been involved since campaigns to keep | :53:53. | :53:58. | |
wind turbines off the Somerset levels. It was a manifesto | :53:59. | :54:02. | |
commitment of the conservathve party, now the government, to | :54:03. | :54:06. | |
deliver a reduction, in onshore wind. I urge the government to | :54:07. | :54:12. | |
reinstate what was originally clause 60 six. So, that we in the selected | :54:13. | :54:17. | |
chamber of parliament, can vote on our manifesto pledge with how the | :54:18. | :54:20. | |
intrusion of liberal Democr`ts who seem to have abandoned this tabor | :54:21. | :54:24. | |
altogether and use the Lords to do whatever it is they have left to do. | :54:25. | :54:31. | |
So Mr Deputy Speaker, I would encourage you from bench to be | :54:32. | :54:35. | |
enthusiastic about pushing the development of large-scale storage, | :54:36. | :54:39. | |
to push on with the digital citation of our energy system partictlarly | :54:40. | :54:45. | |
the world out of smart metrds, the D of the transmitter, and we have been | :54:46. | :54:51. | |
struck by how the Secretary of State has been deleted with her colleagues | :54:52. | :54:55. | |
in the Department for transport when they have not been running `t the | :54:56. | :54:58. | |
same page as she would have wished them to. Mr Deputy Speaker, the | :54:59. | :55:04. | |
other technology that I think comes into these green technologids is one | :55:05. | :55:08. | |
of which I have a reservation. That is carbon capture and storage. The | :55:09. | :55:13. | |
technology is exciting, the government has invested a into | :55:14. | :55:17. | |
research for it, but the re`lity is that it is expensive to push on and | :55:18. | :55:24. | |
the idea that our struggling oil and gas industry should be requhred to | :55:25. | :55:28. | |
maintain spent wealth of thd North Sea for the porpoises of carbon | :55:29. | :55:33. | |
capture and storage seems to me to be a unnecessary complication and a | :55:34. | :55:38. | |
burden on them, at a time whth the industry is struggling. I hope the | :55:39. | :55:43. | |
clause eight of the bill, as it comes down from the Lords c`n be | :55:44. | :55:49. | |
removed. Clause 80 Mr Deputx Speaker, what I think that the House | :55:50. | :55:52. | |
of Lords have been most unhdlpful and their adjustments to thd carbon | :55:53. | :55:58. | |
trading, legislation, it makes no sense to me, that we should be | :55:59. | :56:04. | |
accounting for the totality of our carbon emissions, when anything that | :56:05. | :56:09. | |
therefore we do not use, under our EU trading scheme will simply be | :56:10. | :56:14. | |
used by another country. We make no saving whatsoever for carbon | :56:15. | :56:19. | |
emissions, as the clause has come down from the other place. H would | :56:20. | :56:24. | |
like to conclude by speaking briefly about security of supply and | :56:25. | :56:29. | |
therefore the reinvigoration, of the world and gas industry in the North | :56:30. | :56:34. | |
Sea which I have applauded. By my reservations about the onshore or | :56:35. | :56:38. | |
link -- industry, for which I have some concerns. The minister has been | :56:39. | :56:48. | |
very kind, to deal with the concerns of my constituents and to hdlp me to | :56:49. | :56:52. | |
fully understand what the legislation that have gone through | :56:53. | :56:55. | |
Parliament recently will me`n for them. I think however, therd is an | :56:56. | :57:01. | |
inconsistency, whereby the localism that we advocate so stronglx for | :57:02. | :57:09. | |
wind turbines has not been subjected to for acting and I hope th`t there | :57:10. | :57:13. | |
will be something to incorporate it. I equally think that our push for a | :57:14. | :57:19. | |
Phrack ink industry, may be premature work there may be as | :57:20. | :57:24. | |
liquefied natural gas on thd European and Asian markets. A | :57:25. | :57:27. | |
significant amount being stored in the United States awaiting the | :57:28. | :57:33. | |
opportunity to export which will serve the European market ftrther, | :57:34. | :57:38. | |
and the Iranian give opporttnity for even more oil and gas... I will give | :57:39. | :57:45. | |
way. I wonder how he scored his argument if he is in favour of | :57:46. | :57:49. | |
maximizing target from the North Sea, and he has the exacted the same | :57:50. | :57:53. | |
argument for maximizing -- on land and this country for the sale | :57:54. | :57:58. | |
purpose of making sure that we do not have the money to a fordign | :57:59. | :58:04. | |
regime. I square that simplx by having a profound concern for the | :58:05. | :58:08. | |
way that the industry may affect the areas in which it is to be sad. Some | :58:09. | :58:13. | |
areas will have geology and a community around it that support the | :58:14. | :58:18. | |
industry, and that is for them to determine, by my plea to thd front | :58:19. | :58:25. | |
bench is perhaps the extenshon to the tracking for the same localism | :58:26. | :58:35. | |
that we advertise. To concltde, the Lords amendments from what H can see | :58:36. | :58:38. | |
is unhelpful, I would be gr`teful for the front bench to bring back | :58:39. | :58:43. | |
the bill as it originally w`s having struck off the Lords amendmdnts It | :58:44. | :58:46. | |
is however important more than anything, that this bill makes quick | :58:47. | :58:51. | |
progress through the house from here onwards, because the delay hs | :58:52. | :58:56. | |
causing great uncertainty, which is having an impact on our or `nd - | :58:57. | :58:59. | |
industry who can afford that at this time. -- ill afford that. I hope | :59:00. | :59:06. | |
that they could remove clauses eight and 80 and they have my full | :59:07. | :59:14. | |
support. It is an honour to follow the Honorable member from W`les I | :59:15. | :59:20. | |
would begin by saying, therd is a unique and remote chance th`t | :59:21. | :59:24. | |
perhaps you or my Honorable friend have not yet booked their holiday to | :59:25. | :59:32. | |
the resort. I know that that booking is imminent, it is a experidnce as | :59:33. | :59:40. | |
everybody knows. When Mr Deputy Speaker as you were arrived you will | :59:41. | :59:44. | |
be able to look out while enjoying the finest physicians in thd | :59:45. | :59:48. | |
country, onto one of the finest skylines in the country which is | :59:49. | :59:55. | |
dotted by a small number of offshore wind turbines, and a couple of | :59:56. | :00:01. | |
years' time, you may be abld to look out on a much larger number of wind | :00:02. | :00:08. | |
turbines, if the project gods ahead. It would when it was origin`lly | :00:09. | :00:13. | |
proposed for being the largdst offshore wind development in the | :00:14. | :00:18. | |
world. For my part and the part of many tourists say that that view | :00:19. | :00:24. | |
demonstrates that you can h`ve economic successful and is not | :00:25. | :00:31. | |
entirely unpleasant to look at offshore power generation, that | :00:32. | :00:35. | |
works well for all of us. Mr Deputy Speaker, on that journey to scab as, | :00:36. | :00:43. | |
it is a sad thing as to what happens when energy policies go wrong. You | :00:44. | :00:50. | |
may find yourself driving p`st the grade one agricultural land. It is | :00:51. | :00:57. | |
studded with solar panels. Ht is the finest land in the country through a | :00:58. | :01:01. | |
broken subsidy market is better used for solar panels and that it is for | :01:02. | :01:07. | |
growing the finest crops th`t link is shared provides. We see hn | :01:08. | :01:15. | |
Lincolnshire, what happens when these policies go wrong... H will | :01:16. | :01:22. | |
give way. I'm grateful to hhm, if one chose to come from the north | :01:23. | :01:28. | |
rather than from the directhon that my Honorable friend is suggdsting, | :01:29. | :01:33. | |
he or anyone would be unfortunate enough to see a great number of wind | :01:34. | :01:40. | |
farms onshore wind farms, I account at a very very quick swift count, | :01:41. | :01:47. | |
six wind farms, with a well in excess of 40 wind turbines that scar | :01:48. | :01:52. | |
the local landscaping was to be paid for by the subsidies. I'm stre my | :01:53. | :01:56. | |
Honorable friend will join le in asking if that is the best tse of | :01:57. | :02:01. | |
land in my constituency. Indeed bearing in mind these cars on the | :02:02. | :02:06. | |
landscape, I would advise to take a different route on his way to his | :02:07. | :02:15. | |
holiday. She needs a convincing not myself. LAUGHTER. I trust that is | :02:16. | :02:21. | |
about the route and not the destination. I know that th`t is a | :02:22. | :02:26. | |
fixture. My Honorable friend makes a very good point, of course hs that | :02:27. | :02:31. | |
as size is why it is only rhght that we should give local communhties a | :02:32. | :02:36. | |
greater say and those onshore wind farms, but I would speak evdn more | :02:37. | :02:49. | |
seriously to make in fact one major point on this bill. That is the | :02:50. | :02:54. | |
establishment of a regulator that will provide a genuine cert`inty | :02:55. | :03:00. | |
over the coming years will be the single greatest things that we as a | :03:01. | :03:05. | |
government can provide, to try I would hope to put the oil and gas | :03:06. | :03:09. | |
industry onto a more sustainable footing. We know within the last ten | :03:10. | :03:16. | |
days alone, the oil crisis has been one of many issues ?413 billion of | :03:17. | :03:27. | |
the market, that's a the nulber of people employed has fallen from | :03:28. | :03:40. | |
440,000 to 370 5000. -- 370 500 . Last year has the lowest level in | :03:41. | :03:47. | |
taxation. We know the more now than ever that a stable void provide a | :03:48. | :03:53. | |
stable footing that this industry desperately needs. As the Honorable | :03:54. | :04:00. | |
right member said certainty is the friend of business. As the shadow | :04:01. | :04:05. | |
Secretary of State said, we need to provide a stable environment if we | :04:06. | :04:09. | |
are to encourage growth in that industry that employs many people | :04:10. | :04:14. | |
now and will I hope to employ many more in the future. As has been | :04:15. | :04:19. | |
said, there is a cross partx support for much of this bill, I hope that | :04:20. | :04:25. | |
that will continue and that I hope we will see some of the | :04:26. | :04:28. | |
uncertainties that have been produced in the role of the | :04:29. | :04:32. | |
regulation by amendments and the other place removed. So that, the | :04:33. | :04:38. | |
regulator has a clear and vdry stable set of objectives th`t will | :04:39. | :04:45. | |
allow it to improve the poshtion of this industry which this cotntry as | :04:46. | :04:50. | |
I have said needs to make stre that we have a stable position bdcause, | :04:51. | :04:58. | |
as the rely more and more on interconnector we do need to make | :04:59. | :05:02. | |
sure that when Europe does not have the energy reserves that we are | :05:03. | :05:07. | |
lucky to enjoy in this country, we are not putting ourselves in a | :05:08. | :05:09. | |
position where we are unfortunately exporting some of that energy rather | :05:10. | :05:12. | |
than providing our own stable supply. Mr Deputy Speaker, H would | :05:13. | :05:19. | |
conclude simply by saying, with the exception of your own newly sorted | :05:20. | :05:26. | |
holiday, I hope that this bhll will provide the surgeon see that the | :05:27. | :05:33. | |
industry me in order that it grows for the future rather than suffer | :05:34. | :05:38. | |
from the terrible situation as we have seen in the oil industry that | :05:39. | :05:42. | |
does threaten it and does I would say, indicate that even with some of | :05:43. | :05:49. | |
the restrictions placed in the review may yet need further revision | :05:50. | :05:53. | |
in order to better safeguard that industry for the future. I should | :05:54. | :06:05. | |
state that I am chairman of the parliament for offshore oil and gas | :06:06. | :06:10. | |
and that industry is a signhficant employer. I am also a partndr or | :06:11. | :06:18. | |
family farmer there is a solar farm and I should not be common settings | :06:19. | :06:21. | |
is busily on that technologx. Most of the bill focuses on the creation | :06:22. | :06:26. | |
of the oil and gas Authoritx and I should be constant in my colments on | :06:27. | :06:32. | |
the onshore -- offshore oil oil and gas. I will say a few words about | :06:33. | :06:43. | |
wind farms. It is right, th`t all such planning applications should be | :06:44. | :06:47. | |
determined locally but regardless of their size. It is a local community | :06:48. | :06:53. | |
and local planning authoritx that who know the area is the best and | :06:54. | :06:57. | |
play this should rest with them With regard to the removal of | :06:58. | :07:02. | |
support, for onshore wind, `nd indeed other renewable technology, | :07:03. | :07:06. | |
my request of government growing Florida, is that it should be done | :07:07. | :07:10. | |
in an open and transparent way. Investors need to see a cle`r | :07:11. | :07:17. | |
pathway and a point in time where there will be no subsidy. They will | :07:18. | :07:21. | |
best attract investment, crdate secure long-term jobs, and reduce | :07:22. | :07:27. | |
cost to the consumer on a long-term basis. The walling gas registry is | :07:28. | :07:34. | |
facing very serious challenges, and is fighting for their very | :07:35. | :07:38. | |
existence, tens of thousands of peoples livelihoods are on the line, | :07:39. | :07:43. | |
70,000 jobs have been gone hn the past 15 months. This is prilarily | :07:44. | :07:46. | |
due to the dramatic collapsd of oil prices. An example of the problems | :07:47. | :07:51. | |
facing the industry, at the beginning of this year, the combined | :07:52. | :07:57. | |
market value of 112 publiclx traded oil companies entirety of Bdrtens | :07:58. | :08:04. | |
listed oil and gas industry excluding shell, BG -- BP ?7 | :08:05. | :08:16. | |
billion. Two years ago, one of these companies on its own was worth more. | :08:17. | :08:25. | |
Mr Deputy Speaker, the UK offshore oil and gas industry still has a | :08:26. | :08:30. | |
vitally important role to play over the next 30 years. Firstly, it is a | :08:31. | :08:35. | |
Secretary of State herself has stated, energy security is the | :08:36. | :08:40. | |
number one priority. Maximizing production of oil and gas at home, | :08:41. | :08:46. | |
will reduce our dependency on imports. Secondly. 42 billion | :08:47. | :08:50. | |
barrels of oil have been produced for the UK there are no resdrves of | :08:51. | :08:55. | |
20 billion barrels of oil and gas to be in recovery from our own offshore | :08:56. | :09:01. | |
waters. As she said in her speech, gas is a key role to play for our | :09:02. | :09:09. | |
future economy. Thirdly, also.. I will give way. The oil reserves | :09:10. | :09:23. | |
does he mean that the loss of carbon will enhance the recovery for the | :09:24. | :09:34. | |
oral reserves. I think -- ohl I think they were right to concentrate | :09:35. | :09:40. | |
on recovery of oil and gas hn the Northeast. What I would say with | :09:41. | :09:43. | |
regard to carbon capturing `nd storage, I would view it is an | :09:44. | :09:48. | |
entity that has a future, ilportant technology that has a futurd in the | :09:49. | :09:54. | |
UK, but it is not yet maturd and we need to address the challenges | :09:55. | :09:59. | |
facing the oil and gas industry and a concentrate and hold and on that. | :10:00. | :10:04. | |
Thirdly, the Secretary of State State speech. This is an industry | :10:05. | :10:14. | |
which in my own era will brhng exciting opportunities. The onshore | :10:15. | :10:18. | |
oil and gas industry has important role to play in the trends to a low | :10:19. | :10:21. | |
carbon economy. It supply chain is probably the same as that of the | :10:22. | :10:26. | |
offshore wind industry. We have heard Mr Deputy Speaker, thd | :10:27. | :10:31. | |
importance of setting up thd oil and gas authority and endorsing the | :10:32. | :10:34. | |
proposal so that we can movd forward, I won't go over th`t, what | :10:35. | :10:40. | |
I will just move on to now, and the time or many to me, to commdnt on | :10:41. | :10:47. | |
what else the government nedds to be doing, setting the framework laid | :10:48. | :10:51. | |
down by Sir Ian as to help the industry and support the industry at | :10:52. | :10:54. | |
this crucial time. Mr Deputx Speaker, in the March budget last | :10:55. | :10:59. | |
year, the government brought forth a package of physical measures to | :11:00. | :11:03. | |
support industry and to encourage investment in exploration. @s my | :11:04. | :11:07. | |
Honorable friend the Member for Aberdeen South had suggested and it | :11:08. | :11:11. | |
brooded, we need to look closely at these again, with regard to the | :11:12. | :11:15. | |
supplementary charge, in a petroleum revenue tax, we should be looking to | :11:16. | :11:20. | |
reduce those forward or askdd to just get rid of them all together. | :11:21. | :11:25. | |
We should also be considering giving more funding for surveys whhch are | :11:26. | :11:31. | |
the very last line of the industry going forward. Secondly, in line | :11:32. | :11:36. | |
with the recommendations, there is an urgent need to commence work on | :11:37. | :11:41. | |
original plans, I want the original planned commencement started as soon | :11:42. | :11:46. | |
as possible on the door see where it is a significant -- deserve to get | :11:47. | :11:57. | |
out. -- reserve. It is a mature base and many respects, we are elbarking | :11:58. | :12:00. | |
on the final chapter of walling gas, where we are dealing with what is a | :12:01. | :12:05. | |
new venture, built on a cornerstone of cooperation, collaboration and | :12:06. | :12:10. | |
consolidation. In the past, innovation, investing in technology, | :12:11. | :12:17. | |
reducing cost, it has been done by the big oil companies, I wotld | :12:18. | :12:21. | |
suggest an future we need to look at what has happened with offshore | :12:22. | :12:24. | |
wind, with the catapult indtstry with the government leading the way. | :12:25. | :12:29. | |
In conclusion, Mr Duffy Spe`ker we need to be getting on with ht. Time | :12:30. | :12:35. | |
is of the essence, the advocated by Ian is the will give the jobs the | :12:36. | :12:45. | |
answer depends on will give them the best chance of losing securhty but | :12:46. | :12:52. | |
moreover it will give the UK or leg gas industry offshore the rdal | :12:53. | :12:57. | |
prospect Mr Deputy Speaker, of an Indian summer. Thank you Mr Deputy | :12:58. | :13:03. | |
Speaker, I am delighted to be caught and these most important debate not | :13:04. | :13:07. | |
just because I've followed by many at the beaches on both sides of the | :13:08. | :13:19. | |
house, but also because I h`ve now managed to make my holiday plans | :13:20. | :13:23. | |
while I'm driving up the 852 has been freshly resurfaced, with some | :13:24. | :13:27. | |
of the molds beautiful fish and chips of the country, I hopd he will | :13:28. | :13:34. | |
join me on my holiday. I attended these conference in Paris in | :13:35. | :13:39. | |
December, and I want to extdnd my congratulations to the Secrdtary of | :13:40. | :13:42. | |
State for her leadership in that role during the conference, it was | :13:43. | :13:49. | |
an excellent job she did. I want to make a few quick remarks, the clause | :13:50. | :13:58. | |
six alongside changes made by the Department I did last year, have | :13:59. | :14:03. | |
decision-making powers from the Secretary of State to local | :14:04. | :14:07. | |
authorities allow him and to become the primary decision-makers for | :14:08. | :14:10. | |
planning applications for onshore wind farms in England and W`les | :14:11. | :14:19. | |
that was an eye manifesto. ,- our manifesto. It is something that was | :14:20. | :14:26. | |
welcomed and supported by the vast majority of our constituents, it is | :14:27. | :14:31. | |
an issue that those close to the heart of many people in our | :14:32. | :14:37. | |
constituency we have spent significant amounts of and dxpansion | :14:38. | :14:40. | |
and development in recent ydars including applications for onshore | :14:41. | :14:46. | |
wind farms across the country. It seems to be one of the burnhng | :14:47. | :14:51. | |
issues for people in my constituency. He gets raised time | :14:52. | :14:54. | |
and time again that local pdople feel that their concerns ard not | :14:55. | :14:57. | |
being heard is during the planning process. With a number people saying | :14:58. | :15:01. | |
that no matter what they did, they felt that they're basically my | :15:02. | :15:05. | |
forces were being ignored. There are many examples of local commtnity | :15:06. | :15:09. | |
groups and Mike is a truancx upholding wind farm developlents | :15:10. | :15:10. | |
including several examples of although because that lay on the | :15:11. | :15:22. | |
green but it was thankfully protected, however in 2013. | :15:23. | :15:30. | |
48 37 metre turbine, it was refused because it set with the gredn belt | :15:31. | :15:36. | |
and a large number of local objections, but the decision was | :15:37. | :15:41. | |
appealed and overturned. Ag`inst the verses express wishes of local | :15:42. | :15:45. | |
people, to the further devolution of powers and overturned. Against the | :15:46. | :15:47. | |
verses express wishes of local people, to the further devolution of | :15:48. | :15:50. | |
powers in this bill, the action of the welcome addition to havd more | :15:51. | :15:54. | |
say over our local area. I `m passionate about local people being | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
given the right and having supported... I will give wax. Icon | :16:00. | :16:05. | |
area where many people want wind farms and they support it, `nd the | :16:06. | :16:10. | |
government should not take ht away and they are trying to not have it | :16:11. | :16:17. | |
happen. I'm delighted that he will be supporting any further mdasures | :16:18. | :16:20. | |
like this Beth will allow pdople to have more to say. People can do to | :16:21. | :16:26. | |
come to me and said they ard frustrated by things like this. So, | :16:27. | :16:34. | |
I have campaigned time and time again for doing the right and they | :16:35. | :16:41. | |
can have the potential to bd taken in contrary to an existing or | :16:42. | :16:44. | |
pending neighbourhood plan which could conflict with local | :16:45. | :16:47. | |
development objectives of a community. It is why I'm gl`d to see | :16:48. | :16:52. | |
clause 79 of this spill address that which will help to ensure that | :16:53. | :16:56. | |
people of the government colmitment to devolving power and people and | :16:57. | :17:00. | |
the planning process. I'm also reassured to hinder the progress of | :17:01. | :17:07. | |
the bill onshore wind will be granted in areas that have suitable | :17:08. | :17:12. | |
development in the neighbourhood plan and following a consultation of | :17:13. | :17:15. | |
which the concerns of local committee have been addressdd. I | :17:16. | :17:20. | |
think the Honorable member for allowing me to draw attention to my | :17:21. | :17:28. | |
constituency, I would say those who don't want to go. And my | :17:29. | :17:38. | |
constituency, there are prospects of about 500 turbines, the scale of | :17:39. | :17:39. | |
what is happening is outragdous It sounds like the second h`lf of my | :17:40. | :17:52. | |
plans have been made so thank you. I want to see the formal establishing | :17:53. | :17:54. | |
of the oil and gas authoritx as independent regulators as a welcome | :17:55. | :17:59. | |
step forward. But in the context of the government combating clhmate | :18:00. | :18:03. | |
change and a cost-effective manner. As I approach, that is something | :18:04. | :18:07. | |
that when taken alongside action in the local community. -- encouraging | :18:08. | :18:16. | |
local... Helping to reduce carbon emissions. A scheme I have just | :18:17. | :18:23. | |
today called on councils to support. Mr Speaker, this government supports | :18:24. | :18:25. | |
renewable technology setting on its own two feet rather than encouraging | :18:26. | :18:33. | |
subsidies. I wholly endorse committee powers. I will be | :18:34. | :18:38. | |
supporting this bill soon. Thank you Mr Speaker, providing affordable and | :18:39. | :18:45. | |
reliable and sustainable endrgy of his key commitment of this | :18:46. | :18:47. | |
government because climate change poses a threat, not just to the | :18:48. | :18:54. | |
environment, but also to poverty, eradication of that abroad `nd | :18:55. | :18:59. | |
prosperity at home. The global deals secured at Paris last year goes far | :19:00. | :19:03. | |
in tackling that threat head on I commend the Secretary of St`te for | :19:04. | :19:08. | |
her references in securing this agreement. Energy use is in the UK | :19:09. | :19:17. | |
fell in 2014 and yet domesthc energy bills almost doubled during that | :19:18. | :19:20. | |
time. Driven largely by a g`s prices. Since 1990, the portion of | :19:21. | :19:27. | |
the UK's electricity generated by renewables has increased by about | :19:28. | :19:35. | |
19%. That is good news and encouraging for the renewable energy | :19:36. | :19:41. | |
sector. At this point I must mention my constituency, and the role it is | :19:42. | :19:46. | |
playing in keeping the lights on. I asked 82, and electricity | :19:47. | :19:52. | |
interconnect or between France and UK is due be connected at chilling | :19:53. | :19:58. | |
on the south coast. With a converter station at another site. I `sked 82 | :19:59. | :20:07. | |
will provide the capability to export or import over 1000 legawatts | :20:08. | :20:12. | |
of power and provides three important benefits. Firstly, in | :20:13. | :20:17. | |
relation to affordability, by giving Great Britain access to European | :20:18. | :20:23. | |
electricity market. IF82 will help put downward pressure on wholesale | :20:24. | :20:29. | |
energy prices. Since our wholesale energy prices are forecast to be | :20:30. | :20:32. | |
higher than in France in many years to come, it is estimated th`t each | :20:33. | :20:40. | |
thousand megawatt through the capacity is the potential to reduce | :20:41. | :20:43. | |
wholesale prices here and is about 2%. Set the mic secondly, | :20:44. | :20:48. | |
interconnection will give us access to a wide range of electrichty | :20:49. | :20:53. | |
iteration sources, increasing our supply from elsewhere. This will | :20:54. | :20:59. | |
only assist our energy security And lastly, in terms of sustain`bility, | :21:00. | :21:03. | |
IF82 will help manage the f`ct that not all electricity sources can | :21:04. | :21:06. | |
generate consistently and predictably. Electricity cannot be | :21:07. | :21:13. | |
stored efficiently on a large scale. IF82 will help forge a lower carbon | :21:14. | :21:19. | |
economy in Great Britain and Europe. But I am proud of what this | :21:20. | :21:26. | |
government is committing to meet the objectives on carbon emissions. And | :21:27. | :21:30. | |
continues to make progress toward UK's 2020 renewable energy targets. | :21:31. | :21:35. | |
Renewable energy programme, the electricity programme, it ahms to | :21:36. | :21:39. | |
deliver a certain percent of UK energy demand in renewables by 020. | :21:40. | :21:44. | |
We are on course to achieve this objective. We have already cut 0% | :21:45. | :21:50. | |
from our electricity generation and there is a strong pipeline to | :21:51. | :21:55. | |
deliver the rest. As we de-carbonize, it is imperathve that | :21:56. | :21:59. | |
we manage the costs to constmers. Although renewable energy costs have | :22:00. | :22:04. | |
been coming down, subsidies still form part of people's energx bills | :22:05. | :22:09. | |
and as a share of renewables grow, so do the impact of... Mr Speaker, | :22:10. | :22:19. | |
that is one of this governmdnt's priorities to bring about transition | :22:20. | :22:23. | |
to carbon generation as cost effectively and securely as possible | :22:24. | :22:28. | |
reflects its approach to fahrness and sustainability. The levde | :22:29. | :22:32. | |
control framework covering ` period of up to 2020 or 2021 is ond of the | :22:33. | :22:39. | |
tools which will help achieve this. It limits the impact of support for | :22:40. | :22:44. | |
low carbon electricity on consumer bills. We have a responsibility to | :22:45. | :22:52. | |
efficiently manage support schemes within the levee control fr`mework | :22:53. | :22:56. | |
to ensure we maintain public support for the action we are taking to | :22:57. | :22:59. | |
bring down carbon emissions and combat climate change. Government | :23:00. | :23:05. | |
support is designed to help technology stand on its own two | :23:06. | :23:09. | |
feet, not to encourage dependency on subsidy. We therefore need to take | :23:10. | :23:15. | |
tough decisions on which projects to subsidize. Onshore wind has been | :23:16. | :23:21. | |
deployed successfully to date and is an important part of the endrgy mix. | :23:22. | :23:29. | |
In 2014, onshore wind made tp 5 of electricity generation, supported by | :23:30. | :23:36. | |
?8 million worth of subsidy. And in April 2015, there were 490 | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
operational onshore wind farms in the UK, comprising 4751 turbines in | :23:42. | :23:49. | |
total. These wind farms havd a stored capacity of a .3 gig`watts, | :23:50. | :23:57. | |
enough to power 4.5 million homes. It's projected that we will require | :23:58. | :24:02. | |
between 11-13 gigawatts of electricity to be provided by | :24:03. | :24:06. | |
onshore wind by 2020 to meet our objectives. We have enough wind in | :24:07. | :24:12. | |
the pipeline, including projects that have other things to mdet this | :24:13. | :24:18. | |
requirement comfortably. Thhs is the right approach. We could end up with | :24:19. | :24:25. | |
more onshore wind than we c`n afford, leading ultimately to a | :24:26. | :24:30. | |
higher bills for consumers, or other renewable technologies such as | :24:31. | :24:33. | |
offshore wind losing out on support. The government needs to now refocus | :24:34. | :24:41. | |
its investment on less short technologies and it is for that | :24:42. | :24:46. | |
reason that I am proud that we are acting on our manifesto comlitment | :24:47. | :24:55. | |
and it has my full support. We have had a wide range of debate this | :24:56. | :25:02. | |
evening. On this bill, and on why debate and in some senses as I | :25:03. | :25:06. | |
forget that there was a build in front of us, but I was pleased to | :25:07. | :25:16. | |
hear from honourable members and they kept us on track with the bill | :25:17. | :25:19. | |
which I plan to talk about hn my closing remarks. And indeed, talk | :25:20. | :25:26. | |
about what those members who did adjust the bill had to say on the | :25:27. | :25:31. | |
matter. My honourable friend spoke of the original bill in another | :25:32. | :25:39. | |
place being improved by comlitments in another place, I think hd is | :25:40. | :25:43. | |
exactly right. And indeed, ly honourable friend not only dispelled | :25:44. | :25:50. | |
some of the inaccuracies of some of the renewal contributors but also | :25:51. | :25:57. | |
write about missing parts of this bill. As is my honourable friend the | :25:58. | :26:02. | |
Member for Wakefield reminddd us in the light of our move in thd | :26:03. | :26:11. | |
ambition that we need to have as far as our concerns and fuel poverty | :26:12. | :26:19. | |
efficiency... The honourabld member from Pavilion appeared to stggest | :26:20. | :26:28. | |
that the best idea we could take out of this house this evening was to | :26:29. | :26:32. | |
close down the North Sea. This is not something I have to say that I | :26:33. | :26:40. | |
buy into. Since we know that and oil will be with us some time, reducing | :26:41. | :26:48. | |
it into more concentrated areas it is better that it is sourced from a | :26:49. | :26:52. | |
secure source in the North Sea rather than across the world. The | :26:53. | :26:57. | |
North Sea is a great sustainer of jobs for the UK, as we have heard | :26:58. | :27:01. | |
from many honourable members and it is right that we look to get the | :27:02. | :27:06. | |
best out of it for that job industry and security of the UK. It hs not an | :27:07. | :27:14. | |
either or that we pay attention to the climate change commitments we | :27:15. | :27:16. | |
have made and will be strengthening those commitments as part of the | :27:17. | :27:21. | |
school. The creation of the OGA to get the best outcomes for the next | :27:22. | :27:25. | |
bases in the North Sea development is something we support and we fully | :27:26. | :27:30. | |
support its creation as a freestanding body with powers to | :27:31. | :27:33. | |
develop and co-ordinate in the industry. The North Sea, as others | :27:34. | :27:39. | |
state, immature source. We inevitably strained to... | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
Authorities estimate that the North Sea is up to 80% already exploited. | :27:46. | :27:53. | |
Future fields will be small, deep and difficult to exploit amber | :27:54. | :27:56. | |
require support from existing at the structure to ensure the redtction is | :27:57. | :28:03. | |
fiscally responsible. It will be underpinned by cooperation `nd | :28:04. | :28:08. | |
sharing of the resources and one of the OGA's Ziggler tasks is to ensure | :28:09. | :28:14. | |
that this works effectively. -- underlined by the honourabld member | :28:15. | :28:19. | |
for Richmond Yorkshire who puoted in his contribution, the offichal about | :28:20. | :28:25. | |
the importance of job securhty in his region. There must be concerns | :28:26. | :28:32. | |
about current responses to the low price of oil and their effect on | :28:33. | :28:36. | |
longer-term considerations `bout future development in the North Sea. | :28:37. | :28:41. | |
BP has announced further job losses in the North Sea and MA imp`ct on | :28:42. | :28:44. | |
maintenance work, safety opdration, readiness and exploration, that | :28:45. | :28:53. | |
reminds us of the short-terl nature that the OGA can tackle. We need to | :28:54. | :28:58. | |
see through in these consultations that the OGA has suitable powers to | :28:59. | :29:07. | |
sustain offshore things and cost reduction are about efficiency and | :29:08. | :29:09. | |
not just code words for strhpping back safety and cuts to paylent | :29:10. | :29:16. | |
conditions. It is right also in thinking about the future of the | :29:17. | :29:19. | |
North Sea that we take care to ensure that what is there in the | :29:20. | :29:22. | |
form of infrastructure, both instructors and skills is used to | :29:23. | :29:26. | |
its advantage. That is not ` theoretical point about futtre | :29:27. | :29:29. | |
expiration, it is a practic`l point about realities. There are, | :29:30. | :29:38. | |
according to studies, 300 fhelds not explored further. Some dating back | :29:39. | :29:43. | |
ten years or so. Not only is the low oil price currently, but also the | :29:44. | :29:46. | |
difficulty in infrastructurd of these fields below 50 million or | :29:47. | :29:51. | |
equivalents, they are likelx to sustain by themselves. The OGA has | :29:52. | :29:57. | |
some powers in this bill to ensure decommissioning a thought about and | :29:58. | :30:00. | |
the platforms and pipelines are not just taken away and disposed of in a | :30:01. | :30:05. | |
rest development that some light say is a new industry in the North Sea | :30:06. | :30:09. | |
as important as that is. Th`t thought carries over to what could | :30:10. | :30:12. | |
be an important feature for the North Sea, as another member | :30:13. | :30:17. | |
sequester as part of the Carbon capture and storage process. Not | :30:18. | :30:23. | |
just for the UK, the capacity and extent of potentially avail`ble | :30:24. | :30:25. | |
deposits means that the North Sea could be your's deposit thrde of | :30:26. | :30:34. | |
choice in the future. An eldgant underpinning of the need for carbon | :30:35. | :30:37. | |
capture strategy particularly with that point and mine came from my | :30:38. | :30:45. | |
honourable friend. The government very unwisely scrappy UK's plans to | :30:46. | :30:51. | |
get ahead of the world and CCS does not mean that CCS will not, or as | :30:52. | :30:56. | |
needed any less in the future of energy production. It just leans | :30:57. | :31:00. | |
that we will be buying someone else's technology at a greater cost, | :31:01. | :31:04. | |
but the least we can do now is to ensure the storage into the process | :31:05. | :31:07. | |
is secured in one of the best places in the world to undertake that | :31:08. | :31:12. | |
activity. It will develop jobs, supply chains, and can conthnue that | :31:13. | :31:17. | |
field. And possibly even at some stages securing crossover bdtween | :31:18. | :31:22. | |
what is happening with oil recovery and would storage of CO2. I do not | :31:23. | :31:29. | |
agree with the honourable mdmber from Aberdeen South who said that | :31:30. | :31:33. | |
the two issues, though conndcted, should be pursued with separately. | :31:34. | :31:36. | |
They are completely connectdd in terms of how the North Sea will work | :31:37. | :31:40. | |
now and the future and it is important that we take careful note | :31:41. | :31:44. | |
of what CCS has to offer for the North Sea in longer-term for sock we | :31:45. | :31:53. | |
will be --. We will ensure the government has a full stratdgy for | :31:54. | :31:57. | |
the future of CCS both in the North Sea and across the country. We will | :31:58. | :32:02. | |
in deed not be dividing the House tonight because some of the work | :32:03. | :32:07. | |
tonight to proceed this bill has Artie been done. We will be seeking | :32:08. | :32:12. | |
committee to retain those improvements, particularly hn that | :32:13. | :32:15. | |
section of the bill that de`ls with renewables and local energy, with | :32:16. | :32:21. | |
the government's intention not with us as the bill goes to commhttee and | :32:22. | :32:26. | |
closing the bill early for offshore wind. I am reminded of a strong | :32:27. | :32:32. | |
contribution from my honour`ble friend of just how wrong-he`ded the | :32:33. | :32:39. | |
decision that seems to be. H am afraid that the agenda we h`ve seen | :32:40. | :32:45. | |
over the past few months of downgrading options for rendwables | :32:46. | :32:50. | |
in order to pursue renewablds overall is at the heart of this | :32:51. | :32:56. | |
issue. It should not be a contradiction between supporting the | :32:57. | :32:59. | |
continuing secure supply of gas and oil that we need for the re`sonable | :33:00. | :33:04. | |
future and the development of her noble energy as a key component of | :33:05. | :33:12. | |
the UK's energy mix. I am also reminded that the honourabld members | :33:13. | :33:21. | |
for hard snare -- have talkdd about subsidies for new bulls and should | :33:22. | :33:25. | |
be reminded that effectivelx all that energy is subsidized in one way | :33:26. | :33:29. | |
or another. We have just colpleted an exercise that subsidizes gas | :33:30. | :33:36. | |
coal, and nuclear, to the ttne of ?940 million in one year just to be | :33:37. | :33:43. | |
there, not to produce anythhng. That will be against the figures that we | :33:44. | :33:46. | |
have heard today for subsidx renewables and that puts it into | :33:47. | :33:50. | |
context. We will seek to defend the present status of the bill without | :33:51. | :33:54. | |
early closure of the bill as a goes through committee and we should | :33:55. | :33:58. | |
remind ourselves that this hs an existing subsidy that we ard talking | :33:59. | :34:02. | |
about and not a new subsidy. We will see later by greater claritx through | :34:03. | :34:09. | |
you bring's future term of dnergy and my out has said very cldarly... | :34:10. | :34:17. | |
I am afraid I do not have thme to take interventions this evening In | :34:18. | :34:23. | |
terms of the long-term targdts that the government has, it has `lready | :34:24. | :34:30. | |
indicated that he wants to go further and will indeed attdmpt to | :34:31. | :34:36. | |
pursue amendments to the bill and to underpinned that long-term target in | :34:37. | :34:42. | |
the future. I did detect sole considerable support from that | :34:43. | :34:49. | |
position for the honourable member. There is an opportunity to forge | :34:50. | :34:58. | |
throughout the House a key piece of legislation which will provhde | :34:59. | :35:05. | |
security in a clear way ahe`d for energy investors, operators, and | :35:06. | :35:08. | |
bring's energy workforce and my honourable friend from various | :35:09. | :35:15. | |
constituencies both remind ts of the need for coherence and long,term | :35:16. | :35:18. | |
planning and stability in energy policy. We all know that thd clear | :35:19. | :35:27. | |
way ahead will be necessary for health and prosperity of future | :35:28. | :35:31. | |
energy activities for Britahn. And for clarity on feature direction of | :35:32. | :35:36. | |
our country toward a low carbon economy. Let us hope that the | :35:37. | :35:42. | |
government, in taking this bill through committee, looks at the way | :35:43. | :35:48. | |
this can be a joint opportunity with compromise and discussion on both | :35:49. | :35:52. | |
sides to forge that vision `nd make it a reality. If you will come out | :35:53. | :35:59. | |
of committee stage with a bhll that truly represents the interests | :36:00. | :36:04. | |
across all of the House and takes us forward to a low carbon economy | :36:05. | :36:11. | |
which takes account of our oil and gas in a proper way in the context | :36:12. | :36:16. | |
of that wider ambition. With the Minister of state... Thank xou Mr | :36:17. | :36:23. | |
Speaker, it is a great pleasure to conclude today's debate which has | :36:24. | :36:27. | |
had a wide range of contribttions to which I will try to do justhce on | :36:28. | :36:31. | |
subjects ranging from oil and gas and wind to carbon budgets `nd | :36:32. | :36:36. | |
climate change. It has been fascinating. First of all I would | :36:37. | :36:41. | |
like to reflect that the right honourable lady opposite and her | :36:42. | :36:46. | |
honourable friend have welcomed this work to create the oil and gas | :36:47. | :36:50. | |
Authority and I am glad that they do. I have a great deal of respect | :36:51. | :36:55. | |
in particular for the right honourable lady who does take a | :36:56. | :36:58. | |
commercial approach to this and I am glad to see that the opposition | :36:59. | :37:04. | |
bench are keen to see progrdss in supporting the oil and gas | :37:05. | :37:08. | |
authority. I just want to point out to all honourable members opposite | :37:09. | :37:11. | |
that carbon capture and storage is part of the OGA's mandate. Ht covers | :37:12. | :37:19. | |
of site licenses, approves carbon dioxide storage applications and | :37:20. | :37:26. | |
approves the term edge -- in addition, whether percentagds | :37:27. | :37:29. | |
between oil and gas and CCS industries, we expect these to be | :37:30. | :37:34. | |
exploited. For example, the OGA is considering the CCS and the | :37:35. | :37:38. | |
technology decommissioning strategies that they are developing. | :37:39. | :37:41. | |
I hope that gives all honourable members opposite some comfort. With | :37:42. | :37:48. | |
the continuing job losses and increasing gloomy feeling in | :37:49. | :37:52. | |
Aberdeen, freedom be welcomhng the shift in rhetoric from the | :37:53. | :37:54. | |
government benches as a whole, with the Minister reassure me th`t the | :37:55. | :37:59. | |
government will do as much `s possible to support Aberdeen and be | :38:00. | :38:04. | |
as productive as possible for as long as possible? I can asstre her | :38:05. | :38:10. | |
that is exactly what this energy bill is all about. I will come onto | :38:11. | :38:14. | |
the comments made by her honourable friend but I would just likd to | :38:15. | :38:18. | |
finish off saying to the opposition bench that this closure on the | :38:19. | :38:27. | |
onshore wind subsidy is a vdry clear conservative manifesto commhtment. | :38:28. | :38:40. | |
No ifs and buts about it. I can tell her the Minister of State for energy | :38:41. | :38:45. | |
told the House of Commons on the 6th of March in 2015, and I quote, we | :38:46. | :38:50. | |
have made it absolutely cle`r that we will remove onshore wind | :38:51. | :38:54. | |
subsidies in the future and that the current 10% that is in the pipeline | :38:55. | :39:00. | |
for onshore wind is plenty will stop this is a clear manifesto | :39:01. | :39:08. | |
commitment. Turning now to the Scottish Nationalist party, the | :39:09. | :39:11. | |
member from Aberdeen South `nd his honourable friend, I am glad that | :39:12. | :39:16. | |
they are also supporters of establishing the oil and gas | :39:17. | :39:19. | |
authority and I know that they want to see as I do and indeed the | :39:20. | :39:23. | |
honourable lady who just intervened a thriving industry for homd-grown | :39:24. | :39:29. | |
oil and gas that supports the 375,000 jobs that we are looking to | :39:30. | :39:36. | |
sustain and that we will continue to do everything we can to support | :39:37. | :39:41. | |
that. With their help we hope to be able to count on that, they have | :39:42. | :39:46. | |
raised the issue of subsidids and I can assure them that my dep`rtment | :39:47. | :39:51. | |
is looking very closely at that The government is totally focusdd on | :39:52. | :39:56. | |
seeing through a long-term plan or secure, clean, and affordable energy | :39:57. | :40:00. | |
supplies for generations to come. As we set out in our manifesto, we will | :40:01. | :40:05. | |
cut omissions as cost-effectively as possible while upgrading and | :40:06. | :40:09. | |
expanding both baseload and intermittent sources of energy | :40:10. | :40:14. | |
generation. That means ensuring weekend continue to support | :40:15. | :40:18. | |
investment in UK energy sources including supporting the North Sea. | :40:19. | :40:22. | |
It also means continuing to support the deployment of new renew`bles. We | :40:23. | :40:27. | |
have to achieve this in the most cost-effective way. We have to get | :40:28. | :40:31. | |
the right balance between stpporting new technologies, but then `s Kos | :40:32. | :40:38. | |
come down, beat-up on subsidies to keep bills as low as possible. As we | :40:39. | :40:45. | |
progressively de-carbonized our economy, as so many honourable | :40:46. | :40:49. | |
members have pointed out, wd will continue to need oil and gas for | :40:50. | :40:53. | |
many decades to come and it is far better that the jobs and revenue are | :40:54. | :40:58. | |
in the UK, reducing where possible Howard dependence on imports. The | :40:59. | :41:04. | |
energy bill is intended to `nd act our manifesto commitment in two key | :41:05. | :41:09. | |
ways. First by continuing to support the development of North Se` oil and | :41:10. | :41:13. | |
gas by establishing the OGA as an independent regulator and steward. A | :41:14. | :41:17. | |
number of members has spoken very clearly on this area, my right | :41:18. | :41:28. | |
honourable member for brand,... All of them spoke very knowledgdably | :41:29. | :41:35. | |
about the vital importance of doing everything we can to sustain the | :41:36. | :41:39. | |
North Sea. Not just for now but for the long-term future as well. And to | :41:40. | :41:41. | |
recognise that we must cut the cost They fail to recognise that actually | :41:42. | :44:45. | |
poverty and MS renewables stbsidies go hand-in-hand and I do thhnk that | :44:46. | :44:49. | |
members opposite need to recognise that. Will my Honorable fridnd give | :44:50. | :44:56. | |
way at? Briefly. The Honorable Lady opposite asked where to start, where | :44:57. | :45:00. | |
to start is by getting rid of the most obnoxious of current ftels | :45:01. | :45:05. | |
does she agree with me that if other governments follow the example of | :45:06. | :45:08. | |
this government and got rid of coal, replaced by gas and other | :45:09. | :45:11. | |
technologies developed, those afterward it would make a bhgger | :45:12. | :45:14. | |
contribution than almost anxthing else? Of course he is absolttely | :45:15. | :45:18. | |
right, we are in fact the fhrst of all of the country to talk `bout | :45:19. | :45:23. | |
getting rid of coal and movhng to gas, that'll be the best thhng we | :45:24. | :45:26. | |
can do for decomposition in the near term. My Honorable friend the member | :45:27. | :45:34. | |
spoke strongly for the drivdr can when Jesus died on the location for | :45:35. | :45:36. | |
wind farms, farms, I've lied to pay real personal tribute for the member | :45:37. | :45:44. | |
who has done so much and thts have a big impact for our manifesto | :45:45. | :45:50. | |
commitment on onshore winds. The members for heart smear and gate, I | :45:51. | :45:55. | |
was so glad to hear them pohnt out, the plight for the bill plaxer of | :45:56. | :46:00. | |
the Oroville city, and that this is in fact a very clear manifesto | :46:01. | :46:02. | |
commitment to get costs down. The right honourable gentlelan, the | :46:03. | :46:12. | |
Member for Doncaster North, as old a great deal of gratitude for his | :46:13. | :46:17. | |
personal work and commitment to the climate change agenda, his proposal | :46:18. | :46:22. | |
that we should now look at 40 carbon and mission strategy with a climate | :46:23. | :46:27. | |
chance to meet to decide on the date, as things stand we ard very | :46:28. | :46:32. | |
committed to meeting our legally binding commitments for 2014 and | :46:33. | :46:36. | |
that is where our focus lies. I m sorry to disappoint him for that. To | :46:37. | :46:41. | |
the Honorable members who criticise his government for not being green, | :46:42. | :46:46. | |
I can tell them since 2010, we have reduced the UK greenhouse elissions | :46:47. | :46:52. | |
by 15%, the biggest reduction in a single parliament, we are over | :46:53. | :46:57. | |
delivering against our first three carbon budgets, the UK's second best | :46:58. | :47:00. | |
country in the world for tackling climate change, according to climate | :47:01. | :47:05. | |
action network, second only to the market, this government has done so | :47:06. | :47:10. | |
much, and my Honorable friend the Member for North Dorset, and fast, | :47:11. | :47:14. | |
both point out that the opposition you quake don't equate subshdies | :47:15. | :47:22. | |
with fuel poverty, and they need to do that, they need to understand the | :47:23. | :47:26. | |
more we subsidize, the more technologies we add to fuel poverty. | :47:27. | :47:31. | |
In finishing, I like to pitch a view to my Honorable friend for Ferran, | :47:32. | :47:35. | |
who gave a knowledgeable and supportive speech on the importance | :47:36. | :47:41. | |
of supporting both the AGA `nd our manifesto commitments. Mr Speaker, | :47:42. | :47:45. | |
I'm grateful to all Honorable members and I commend this bill to | :47:46. | :47:50. | |
the house. The question is that the bill not be read a second thme, as | :47:51. | :47:56. | |
many as of the opinion say @yes on the contrary is noes. I think the | :47:57. | :48:09. | |
Ayes has it, the Ayes have ht. Programme match motion to bd moved | :48:10. | :48:16. | |
formally, the question is that on the older paper. As many as of the | :48:17. | :48:20. | |
opinions they Ayes, of the contrary stated noes. I think the Ayds have | :48:21. | :48:25. | |
it. The Ayes have it. The rdsolution to be moved forward, the qudstion is | :48:26. | :48:29. | |
as on the order paper, as m`ny as of the opinions they Ayes. On the | :48:30. | :48:33. | |
contrary as a noes. The Ayes have it, the Ayes have it. The qtestion | :48:34. | :48:39. | |
is as on the order paper, as many as of the opinions they Ayes, that on | :48:40. | :48:52. | |
the contrary they noes. I think the Ayes have it, the Ayes have it. | :48:53. | :48:54. | |
Order! We come now to the motion number five. On betting aimhng and | :48:55. | :49:00. | |
lotteries. Beg to move? As lany as of the business they Ayes on the | :49:01. | :49:07. | |
Contras and noes, the Ayes have it. The whip to move. The questhon is as | :49:08. | :49:14. | |
on the order paper, as many as of the opinions they Ayes, on the | :49:15. | :49:19. | |
contrary noes. The Ayes havd it We come now to the adjournment, the | :49:20. | :49:25. | |
whip to move, the question hs now that these house do adjourn. Thank | :49:26. | :49:35. | |
you Mr Speaker for the housd to consider the edge ordinary collapse | :49:36. | :49:40. | |
after just eight months of one of the biggest exercises conducted in | :49:41. | :49:43. | |
the national health service. The ?800 million contract betwedn the | :49:44. | :49:49. | |
United care partnership and the clinical commission group. Two weeks | :49:50. | :49:54. | |
ago, I spent the morning out with an able screw, working from thd England | :49:55. | :50:00. | |
station on the station outshde Cambridge. I saw the image has at | :50:01. | :50:04. | |
its best. Top quality care providing quickly, people in pain and is | :50:05. | :50:09. | |
discomfort treated with respect and a swift seamless transfer into the | :50:10. | :50:13. | |
hospital. And fantastic comlitted staff. Our NHS at its best, we | :50:14. | :50:23. | |
should be proud of it. When health leaders said that they wantdd to | :50:24. | :50:25. | |
correct an integrated services for older people which will focts on | :50:26. | :50:30. | |
prevention, and with a worthy aim, be polluted, by the need for | :50:31. | :50:37. | |
competitive tender. When thd concert was finally signed, with NHS | :50:38. | :50:41. | |
providers, it should have bden the start of a new way to provide care. | :50:42. | :50:47. | |
So what went wrong, that is what I want to quiz the restaurant tonight. | :50:48. | :50:51. | |
The fire for this contract latters way beyond Cambridgeshire. Ht is | :50:52. | :50:56. | |
quite rightly attracting national attention, let me quote a rdcent | :50:57. | :51:00. | |
editorial for the health service Journal, they said, when a five year | :51:01. | :51:04. | |
contract decides it is important, to some of the most vulnerable people | :51:05. | :51:08. | |
in society fails, it is not enough to shrug and walk away. Esthmation | :51:09. | :51:17. | |
is developed it is important to understand, and explain what has | :51:18. | :51:20. | |
gone wrong and Cambridge ard. The lessons could benefit and the health | :51:21. | :51:27. | |
service as a whole. They ard right. This is a long and complicated story | :51:28. | :51:31. | |
I'm afraid. Some of us have followed this closely for many years, you | :51:32. | :51:35. | |
will be glad to know that I get you in a printed account, I must first | :51:36. | :51:38. | |
pay tribute to some of the campaign is that many many months with menus | :51:39. | :51:43. | |
across temperature questionhng and challenging. My friend and | :51:44. | :51:52. | |
colleague, and many others. We always knew something was not right. | :51:53. | :51:58. | |
Sadly it approved to be correct I believe the story actually begins | :51:59. | :52:02. | |
back in 2012, when the future of Cambridge community trust which had | :52:03. | :52:07. | |
itself only a few years be separated by the predecessor under government | :52:08. | :52:21. | |
guidance trust that work fotndation trust had been ground up. It was a | :52:22. | :52:25. | |
foolish policy and not so often they rescinded. Given it with thd same | :52:26. | :52:31. | |
time as the infamous 2012 act, that was under discussion, if pr`ised the | :52:32. | :52:37. | |
real possibility that many had been transferred for private providers. | :52:38. | :52:41. | |
That did not happen. The Cotnty Council, that many staff had | :52:42. | :52:45. | |
announced them for to many of them back. The consequence was a | :52:46. | :52:50. | |
disintegration of services, the very opposite of what was needed, | :52:51. | :52:54. | |
integrated teams and act of vandalism which set the card back. | :52:55. | :52:59. | |
The TDA, the body overseeing this early stage Department, werd maybe | :53:00. | :53:04. | |
blind of accountability for trust, this of course has now been merged | :53:05. | :53:12. | |
to monitor. Another executive departmental body of the Department | :53:13. | :53:19. | |
of Health. It is worth noticing since it was denied, causing the | :53:20. | :53:26. | |
disintegration of the care. It is the best community trust to work for | :53:27. | :53:35. | |
and it is now doing very well. So, against this backdrop, and because | :53:36. | :53:39. | |
of the 2012 health and soci`l care act, they can to Parliament by the | :53:40. | :53:42. | |
then local MP for South Cambridgeshire and Secretarx of | :53:43. | :53:47. | |
State for Health, in 2013 the Cambridgeshire MP wanted to move | :53:48. | :53:52. | |
from a new model was forced to put health services for older pdople out | :53:53. | :53:58. | |
to tender, the process attr`cted national attention was for ` | :53:59. | :54:05. | |
controversial locally. Shouted and commercial confidentiality, rumours | :54:06. | :54:08. | |
about this, many organizations express interest. Over many months, | :54:09. | :54:19. | |
the campaigners that the melbers board meetings where we werd sure | :54:20. | :54:27. | |
that all was well. And the lany concerns that | :54:28. | :54:38. | |
eventually, in October of 2014, he was further announced that this idea | :54:39. | :54:45. | |
outsourcing contract to one older people held there an adult community | :54:46. | :54:49. | |
care what was to be awarded to the partnership. Not a private bidder, | :54:50. | :54:54. | |
but rather an NHS consortiul of Cambridgeshire and others. The | :54:55. | :55:04. | |
five-year contract was worth ?1 0 million and covered urging care for | :55:05. | :55:09. | |
adults age 65 and older including patients and services. Ment`l health | :55:10. | :55:13. | |
services in the age 65 and over but no committee services for pdople | :55:14. | :55:18. | |
aged 18 and over including district nurses and rehabilitation sdrvices, | :55:19. | :55:21. | |
and health services to support the care of people aged 65 and over As | :55:22. | :55:26. | |
one of the biggest context the NHS has ever attended. The partnership | :55:27. | :55:32. | |
started delivering services in April of last updates outlining how the | :55:33. | :55:39. | |
services of work. We now know that behind the scenes cause for going on | :55:40. | :55:44. | |
but it was withheld from public gaze, after just eight months, and | :55:45. | :55:49. | |
one month of the new system operating fully, the joint statement | :55:50. | :55:52. | |
was issued by Cambridge and people from the CG, not musty telldrs given | :55:53. | :55:59. | |
of an assurance that servicds were to continue to have a patient should | :56:00. | :56:02. | |
be real sure, but also the provider and the commissioner had agreed that | :56:03. | :56:07. | |
the current arrangement was no longer financially sustainable. The | :56:08. | :56:11. | |
contract have been established and have been honoured by the CG and | :56:12. | :56:14. | |
patients and carers were promised the services would go on as usual | :56:15. | :56:23. | |
and would not be disrupted. Let s briefly review some of the damage. | :56:24. | :56:25. | |
The cost of all this, it was certainly millions, doubtless | :56:26. | :56:43. | |
to be recouped somewhere else. The impact on staff, back when | :56:44. | :56:46. | |
Cambridgeshire committee services felt in his bid for foundathon, a | :56:47. | :56:49. | |
transition steering group w`s established to oversee the future. | :56:50. | :56:58. | |
This mid-teens were apart and with a new contract over 2000 staff | :56:59. | :57:04. | |
transferred, the foundation trust and the County Council. That was a | :57:05. | :57:08. | |
massive task, for the committee services trust, distracting them | :57:09. | :57:11. | |
from other work, with use uncertainty and stress over the | :57:12. | :57:17. | |
future of the job, throughott the entire process across the NHS, then | :57:18. | :57:23. | |
your managers and local health service leaders, were spendhng large | :57:24. | :57:26. | |
amounts of time on all of this and preoccupied by it. Wasn't rdally | :57:27. | :57:30. | |
time well spent, but last ydar we saw a major hospitals repeating the | :57:31. | :57:39. | |
crisis. -- was it. What was their role? Many would ask who ard they. | :57:40. | :57:42. | |
To many who follow these thhngs I would say that they are effdctively | :57:43. | :57:47. | |
the privatsation of England. They played a key role throughout this | :57:48. | :57:52. | |
process. Go to their websitd and it tells you that they specialhse a | :57:53. | :57:56. | |
competitive procurement and redesigning patient pathways for | :57:57. | :57:58. | |
integrated care model and change management and reservist | :57:59. | :58:04. | |
reconfiguration, trust development and culture change. They ard a part | :58:05. | :58:13. | |
of me NHS England. NHS Engl`nd will have an investigation into the class | :58:14. | :58:17. | |
of the contract and examine their role and will also consider how | :58:18. | :58:21. | |
similar contract will be managed and ensure the future. And Engl`nd, will | :58:22. | :58:26. | |
investigate its own special project team, a hopeless conflict of | :58:27. | :58:30. | |
interest, that is not good dnough. We need a genuinely independent and | :58:31. | :58:37. | |
transparent review. People `re right to ask questions about the special | :58:38. | :58:40. | |
budget team. Their list of interventions reflect a roll call of | :58:41. | :58:46. | |
recent NHS disaster. Not thhs but the private hospital saga and be | :58:47. | :58:50. | |
tendering process of the George Elliot Hospital. Their webshte leave | :58:51. | :58:57. | |
someone in no doubt about their leading role in the Cambridgeshire | :58:58. | :59:03. | |
process. They say that and H quote, SBT delivered an open procurement | :59:04. | :59:12. | |
process on behalf of the CVG. They delivered. On October the 8th 2 14, | :59:13. | :59:17. | |
when United care was announced and preferred bidder, SBT was again | :59:18. | :59:21. | |
trumpeting their key role. On November 12, when it was announced | :59:22. | :59:29. | |
that the company, SBT was there again. It is worth quoting from the | :59:30. | :59:31. | |
presently still on the webshte to get a sense of just how sinful they | :59:32. | :59:36. | |
were to all of this, I quotd, the managing director of the shd should | :59:37. | :59:40. | |
project team who manage the procurement on behalf of thd CVG | :59:41. | :59:44. | |
said the city to project te`m are once again proud to support its | :59:45. | :59:49. | |
courageous leadership and the NHS. They may call a courageous, others | :59:50. | :59:55. | |
make describe it differentlx. But be clear, it was the SBT, very much | :59:56. | :00:00. | |
part of the NHS England and has been calling the shots. On the ddcision | :00:01. | :00:04. | |
to set up the daycare, it's a limited liability company, ht was | :00:05. | :00:07. | |
approved by monitor and a special project team and NHS England at the | :00:08. | :00:15. | |
time. Yet all knew that thex would be no room for flexibility number | :00:16. | :00:19. | |
for losses in year one or two with the model explicity. It is hard to | :00:20. | :00:30. | |
see how it could have ever worked. I did monitor the special project | :00:31. | :00:34. | |
teams and NHS England give the go-ahead, did none of them spot the | :00:35. | :00:38. | |
potential problems introducdd by limited liability polishing. Having | :00:39. | :00:45. | |
given that a brief outline, we now come to the further questions that I | :00:46. | :00:48. | |
hope the Minister would be `ble to help us with. First on the flurry of | :00:49. | :00:51. | |
investigations being announced. While it is right that all of us | :00:52. | :00:58. | |
want to look at their role, there is not a duplication but also the | :00:59. | :01:03. | |
fragmentation that has causdd problems already. Given the conflict | :01:04. | :01:11. | |
of interest and NHS England that I subscribe, there should be ` review | :01:12. | :01:16. | |
carried out. The minister should surely be able to tell us about the | :01:17. | :01:21. | |
role played by his department and by ministers, two key moments hn | :01:22. | :01:25. | |
particular. When it was cle`r and October and November of 2014, there | :01:26. | :01:30. | |
was insufficient evidence on cost to agree to a final contract. Why was | :01:31. | :01:33. | |
the prize is not delayed until that have been sorted out? The mhnister | :01:34. | :01:41. | |
ministers know or was impressed to achieve implication? Weeks `head of | :01:42. | :01:47. | |
managers play in the composhtion to managers play in the composhtion to | :01:48. | :01:52. | |
in the contract in December 201 , there were clearly discussions going | :01:53. | :01:59. | |
on. About how much does he do to keep the country running. It seems | :02:00. | :02:03. | |
to be about ?2 million, a lot of money, given that killing the | :02:04. | :02:08. | |
contract may well have cost more, certainly worth considering. Well | :02:09. | :02:10. | |
with the Missouri involvement at that point. Where ministers | :02:11. | :02:14. | |
convulsed the? Who made the decision to let the contract collapsd? To | :02:15. | :02:21. | |
conclude, looking forward which is what matters most, patients have | :02:22. | :02:24. | |
been assured that services will be maintained. That may be trud, but | :02:25. | :02:32. | |
what next? Will the outcome be pursued, will the care be t`ken out | :02:33. | :02:38. | |
of the question of the equation or did the Mac doesn't CVG havd the | :02:39. | :02:42. | |
capacity and if it does why do because the tendering process? This | :02:43. | :02:47. | |
has been a sorry saga, it sdems that everybody agrees that our NHS and | :02:48. | :02:51. | |
care services need to be integrated, gears of fragmentation make it | :02:52. | :02:56. | |
extremely hard to achieve, this was a well-intentioned attempt to deal | :02:57. | :02:59. | |
with the perverse incentives that shackle our health and care | :03:00. | :03:03. | |
services, we need to find ott what went wrong. We have dedicatdd | :03:04. | :03:06. | |
hard-working staff who want to provide the best care possible to | :03:07. | :03:11. | |
our citizens, we need to find a way of making it possible for them to do | :03:12. | :03:16. | |
that. And my view it means him into contractual as market models, and a | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
interview public system and NHS solution based not on competition, | :03:22. | :03:26. | |
but on collaboration and NHS solution, which patients desperately | :03:27. | :03:30. | |
need, and which staff I'm stre which year. Thank you Mr Speaker. Could I | :03:31. | :03:41. | |
first of all congratulate the Honorable member for securing this | :03:42. | :03:49. | |
debate, and think of members of the house for attending, I know he has | :03:50. | :03:53. | |
an interest in this issue. @nd page it good to those working in the | :03:54. | :03:58. | |
front line of the NHS, parthcularly the time of year where the health | :03:59. | :04:01. | |
services under its greatest pressure. As the Honorable lember | :04:02. | :04:06. | |
has described, the contract between Cambridgeshire and the commhssion | :04:07. | :04:14. | |
group has been terminated. Right away, NHS England is investhgating | :04:15. | :04:23. | |
that, the terms of referencd are to establish from a commission | :04:24. | :04:30. | |
perspective the key facts and proud causes -- root causes. The CVG is | :04:31. | :04:38. | |
undertaking a review as it hs right and proper. We should let as a | :04:39. | :04:41. | |
complete that process and I hope that nothing as they can be taken as | :04:42. | :04:45. | |
an assumption that ministers have prejudge the outcome of that process | :04:46. | :04:50. | |
in any way. Believe there are different views about what has | :04:51. | :04:52. | |
happened and I will wait for the report of those of those reviews | :04:53. | :04:54. | |
before deciding what if anything needs to be done even by thd NHS or | :04:55. | :05:01. | |
by government. What the reports are published ministers will be briefed | :05:02. | :05:03. | |
on their conclusions and I'l happy to invite the Honorable member to | :05:04. | :05:08. | |
that meeting. I don't know what it will take place. I know the | :05:09. | :05:12. | |
Honorable member is in regular contact with his NHS but I would | :05:13. | :05:16. | |
encourage him to keep it up. The scope of services and the contract | :05:17. | :05:20. | |
with United care, was acute and unplanned hospital care for older | :05:21. | :05:26. | |
people over 65, the mental health services and adult communitx | :05:27. | :05:29. | |
services, and a range of supporting involuntary services, the underlying | :05:30. | :05:34. | |
principle was to create an integrated care pathway between all | :05:35. | :05:39. | |
of these services, and the Ledicare service model was designed by local | :05:40. | :05:44. | |
commissions, during the procurement process that had a high degree of | :05:45. | :05:52. | |
local health and support. It was ratified by two independent | :05:53. | :05:58. | |
audiences, it was designed for server segmentation to focus on | :05:59. | :06:01. | |
better outcomes for patients and care as well as activity levels In | :06:02. | :06:13. | |
order to address the needs of a rapidly ageing Corporation. By | :06:14. | :06:25. | |
reducing appropriate image to. United care began introducing those | :06:26. | :06:29. | |
new services with investment to ?5.4 million over the first six lonths of | :06:30. | :06:33. | |
the financial year, these h`ve included a number of import`nt local | :06:34. | :06:37. | |
improvements, care Bastareatd neighbourhood, 70 neighbourhood | :06:38. | :06:42. | |
teams working closely with GP's and neighbourhood teams with thd support | :06:43. | :06:47. | |
of four integrated care teals to offer more specialist care, and so | :06:48. | :06:52. | |
does 20 47 helpline, urging care and support the joint emergency teams to | :06:53. | :06:57. | |
assess people with risk to ` mission hospital, health and well-bding | :06:58. | :07:01. | |
voluntary organizations and patient record, one view away from the | :07:02. | :07:09. | |
health organisation, and he`lth analytics service to target | :07:10. | :07:11. | |
interventions for those most at risk. To achieve these, a contract | :07:12. | :07:16. | |
with the imp for the providdr and a few CG base around the key | :07:17. | :07:20. | |
components, new framework for improving outcomes and a new | :07:21. | :07:23. | |
contract approach to align incentives in a better arrax, a | :07:24. | :07:27. | |
five-year contract term, and a newly provider. For those reasons, this is | :07:28. | :07:31. | |
the crash of the Magne with a high-value contract, it was ?10 | :07:32. | :07:37. | |
million having taken legal `dvice, the CTG when to open procurdment, | :07:38. | :07:44. | |
using a standard three stagd process to submit outline solutions, and an | :07:45. | :07:51. | |
invitation to submit final solutions. This included submitting | :07:52. | :08:01. | |
bids within the CVG budget `nd is easy to budget Incorporated | :08:02. | :08:04. | |
population growth, and security factor and quick savings for each | :08:05. | :08:08. | |
year. I know that there was some concern in some quarters, and to the | :08:09. | :08:13. | |
other four teams in the process was as the Honorable member opposite is | :08:14. | :08:19. | |
referred to as a stealth prhvatizes, clearly I don't think anybody on any | :08:20. | :08:23. | |
objective criteria are greater that was the case, it was a servhce | :08:24. | :08:29. | |
reconfiguration plays as he said, not-for-profit, it was that I'll buy | :08:30. | :08:33. | |
that purpose by local health providers. The boys of the hospitals | :08:34. | :08:38. | |
and the foundation trust held the firm belief that only by introducing | :08:39. | :08:43. | |
radical change, led by the NHS would the local health economy under the | :08:44. | :08:49. | |
CVG become viable, for patidnt staff, and prospective trust across | :08:50. | :08:52. | |
the region, I'm told it was for this reason that they submitted ` joint | :08:53. | :08:56. | |
bid following a commercial `nd legal advice opted to go to the | :08:57. | :09:01. | |
partnership to fulfil the role of prime vendor as required by the CVG. | :09:02. | :09:08. | |
The PFT and the Consortium was appointed at the end of September | :09:09. | :09:13. | |
2014, and in October they formed the United care Limited liability | :09:14. | :09:18. | |
partnership to hold the contract. The strategic projects he w`s | :09:19. | :09:22. | |
appointed as programming advisors to the CVG, to a competitive process, | :09:23. | :09:25. | |
their role was to manage thd procurement process, the te`m is a | :09:26. | :09:32. | |
specialist unit hosted by the greater East Midlands commissioning | :09:33. | :09:38. | |
support unit in one of sacr`ments. -- acronyms. It hasn't substantial | :09:39. | :09:51. | |
experience, procurement. I understand much information about | :09:52. | :09:55. | |
the cost of the current services, the time scales cannot be provided | :09:56. | :10:00. | |
by the CVG to unite a care, until they were prepared to my prdferred | :10:01. | :10:07. | |
at this stage. As a result, the bid was based on assumptions. I'm told | :10:08. | :10:14. | |
there were 71 outstanding clarification questions frol the | :10:15. | :10:20. | |
procurement process. The contracts signed also included several | :10:21. | :10:24. | |
protection clauses to be usdd in the event of financial distress of | :10:25. | :10:26. | |
either party and subsequent . With these protections in place, | :10:27. | :10:42. | |
choice boards, the CVG and lonitor, allow the contract to be signed in | :10:43. | :10:48. | |
November 2014, the necessarx mobile activities to facilitate service | :10:49. | :10:55. | |
commitment on the 1st of April. There were clear improvement in | :10:56. | :11:00. | |
patient care, for example in November 2015, emergency for people | :11:01. | :11:04. | |
over 65 had been reduced by just one of a percent compared to thd | :11:05. | :11:07. | |
previous year and by 9% when taking into account population growth. It | :11:08. | :11:17. | |
was reduced by 14%. A attdndance reduced by 3.2% when taking it in to | :11:18. | :11:22. | |
account population growth. However, in December the contract was | :11:23. | :11:26. | |
terminated by mutual agreemdnts I'll be happy to give away. I'm very | :11:27. | :11:32. | |
grateful for him giving way, as my right honourable friend has | :11:33. | :11:37. | |
mentioned, there were advantages to this project, it produce good | :11:38. | :11:44. | |
outcomes, if it is a good concept, will the Department of Health | :11:45. | :11:50. | |
support the services that nded to be provided. My fellow Honorable friend | :11:51. | :11:57. | |
makes an excellent point, that service is currently being | :11:58. | :12:02. | |
continued, by the CTG rather than by the company that was created for the | :12:03. | :12:05. | |
purpose, she makes a good point that there were forms that were put in | :12:06. | :12:10. | |
place, they were led by loc`l commissions and designed with that | :12:11. | :12:16. | |
in mind. Very grateful for xou giving way. We have a project, it | :12:17. | :12:28. | |
will include beds and other services. But he agreed with me | :12:29. | :12:30. | |
there's no reason people to become anxious this stage at this | :12:31. | :12:35. | |
difficulty with the contract, will be to any change in the quality of | :12:36. | :12:39. | |
services that have plans for the future. That is right, as both | :12:40. | :12:46. | |
questions have highlighted, the change in the care pathway hs being | :12:47. | :12:53. | |
pursued by the CVG, there is no reason for patients or users of the | :12:54. | :13:00. | |
system to fear any dramatic change to the service, the issue that is | :13:01. | :13:06. | |
left is how this contract c`n't be put in place, the parties dhspute | :13:07. | :13:12. | |
how they had different concdptions of what the situation was. H don't | :13:13. | :13:18. | |
want to prejudge that. The service performs that were put in place will | :13:19. | :13:27. | |
and continue. The founders hs determined was taken after dxtensive | :13:28. | :13:30. | |
discussions between the CVG, United care, Cambridge University hospitals | :13:31. | :13:42. | |
and foundation trust, prior to escalation this ECG worked hard to | :13:43. | :13:47. | |
try to reach resolution loc`lly I will give way. I wonder if he could | :13:48. | :13:56. | |
actually show me or tell me or enlighten me as to the role that | :13:57. | :14:00. | |
ministers played in that composition, the ministers know it | :14:01. | :14:03. | |
was happening, who did actu`lly terminate the contract? As H will | :14:04. | :14:10. | |
come on to describe due process was followed, as I am listing is so that | :14:11. | :14:20. | |
you will be reassured that the right bodies work carried out by due | :14:21. | :14:25. | |
diligence. I don't believe `t any point until the dispute between the | :14:26. | :14:29. | |
parties became clear there was a reason for ministers to be | :14:30. | :14:33. | |
concerned. These are forms had been generated by clinicians, and a | :14:34. | :14:39. | |
constable CVG led by clinichans as I have highlighted that there were | :14:40. | :14:43. | |
forms themselves as questions were indeed under Main. This is ` better | :14:44. | :14:47. | |
care pathway with improved outcomes. The issue is they contractu`l issue | :14:48. | :14:56. | |
to do with a dispute between the parties and as I said I don't want | :14:57. | :14:59. | |
to prejudge the investigation that is going on into that, the point | :15:00. | :15:01. | |
that hasn't he been back having the that hasn't he been back having the | :15:02. | :15:05. | |
investigation is to work out what should have been done differently. I | :15:06. | :15:08. | |
can reassure the Honorable lember that we are hungry to learn any | :15:09. | :15:17. | |
lessons about that commissioning experience, we need commisshons | :15:18. | :15:21. | |
around the country to look `t different ways of commissioning | :15:22. | :15:29. | |
these are forms to our integration and pleasantly to be learned when | :15:30. | :15:33. | |
they go wrong. This was a contract between the parties, and as we say | :15:34. | :15:39. | |
we are looking for to the rdviews and what to do the lessons that | :15:40. | :15:45. | |
others can learn. I will close by saying these ECG has taken over all | :15:46. | :15:50. | |
those relevant contracts with providers that were held by another | :15:51. | :15:54. | |
care to ensure that there is no services option to care. Thd | :15:55. | :16:03. | |
majority of staff has worked closely together to ensure that there is | :16:04. | :16:08. | |
care in the model has changdd in the service model remains in pl`ce. Of | :16:09. | :16:12. | |
course I agree with Honorable members on this, it is a matter of | :16:13. | :16:16. | |
extreme concern, that the ndw arrangement lasted barely shx | :16:17. | :16:20. | |
months, this is not ideal, `nd we need to work out how these parties | :16:21. | :16:25. | |
got it from, and what mistakes there were. There are questions that the | :16:26. | :16:30. | |
reviews will have to to be addressed, for instance why. You're | :16:31. | :16:35. | |
meant an assurance of the process this result and fall. In pr`ctice, | :16:36. | :16:39. | |
and a number of other of qudstions, I would just say that to describe | :16:40. | :16:47. | |
modern commissioning as back door privatsation is to both willfully | :16:48. | :16:57. | |
presented what is going on H don't believe that most users of the | :16:58. | :17:04. | |
service would consider this to be privatsation, to public-sector | :17:05. | :17:06. | |
organizations coming togethdr to form a company for pathway hn the | :17:07. | :17:13. | |
basement has been put together by clinicians and the locals ECG, if | :17:14. | :17:16. | |
that is privatsation and I believe that the party opposite has a | :17:17. | :17:20. | |
serious problem, it is what most people would consider to be | :17:21. | :17:25. | |
enlightened commissioning for modern care pathway. The issue is ` | :17:26. | :17:29. | |
contract issue, the contract and the parties in it, do not get it right | :17:30. | :17:33. | |
and we are keen to make surd that we understand why and what can be done | :17:34. | :17:35. | |
to mention that it does not happen again. I once know these answers as | :17:36. | :17:39. | |
much as the Honorable member and I repeat my invitation to meet in due | :17:40. | :17:43. | |
course both to him and to any other honourable members. | :17:44. | :17:53. | |
Without the contraction in `ll areas that have beveled the project. | :17:54. | :18:10. | |
Order! The questions at the house adjourned, the Ayes habit. Order! | :18:11. | :18:14. |