Contributions
1,320 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingMy hon. Friend is a continuous and doughty champion on behalf of her rural constituents, and she has raised with me previously issues relating to properties that are off the gas…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingMy hon. Friend is correct. He is always a strong voice for all the industries in his constituency, whether they be traditional oil and gas or those making the transition to carbon…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingAs I said, we are considering our options in the aftermath of the Court ruling, but let me deal with some of the substance of what the hon. Gentleman is saying. He is saying that…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingI return to what I said earlier. The situation we inherited from the last Labour Government is that renewables provided only 7% of our electricity mix; it is now 43%. When it…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingI am afraid to say that is an extraordinary attack, even by the hon. Gentleman’s standards. Actually, this Government were the first to introduce a net zero target. At COP26, we…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingI was referring to the adoption of net zero, of course, which was by this Government in 2019. I answered a question earlier about the jobs being provided through our action on…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingThat is a slightly curious question. The hon. Lady said the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was insufficiently senior to take the decisions, but…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingWe have to understand the context, which is setting out where 95% of emissions will come from in carbon budget 6. CB6 covers the years 2033—not 2023—to 2037. If we were to have…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingThat is a familiar refrain from the hon. Gentleman, and he ignores a lot of evidence that those same companies are big contributors to our world-leading renewable energy…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingI always welcome questions from Northern Ireland. In my previous job at the Department for International Trade, I enjoyed greatly my interactions with the Ulster Farmers Union,…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingWell, I do not know quite where to start. I am not sure whether there was really a question embedded there. [Interruption.] Now that I have the hon. Gentleman’s attention, let me…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingTo put this in context, what the hon. Lady describes as a 5% shortfall is not, if I read the judgment correctly, a doubt that the Government can reach the target; it is simply a…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingThe court did not say that the net zero strategy was unlawful; I refer the hon. Lady to my earlier remarks. The Climate Change Committee praised this Government for the moves we…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingWhen it comes to wind, I just do not know what would satisfy the Opposition. We are No. 1 in Europe when it comes to our offshore wind capacity—[Hon. Members: “Onshore wind!”] I…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingThe Opposition cannot have it both ways. The hon. Gentleman is saying that he is going back to decisions made by the last Labour Government 25 years ago, but somebody else in the…21 Jul 2022HANSARD Net Zero Strategy: High Court RulingOver the past three decades, the UK has driven down emissions by more than 45%— the fastest reduction of any G7 country. We have one of the most ambitious carbon-reduction plans…21 Jul 2022HANSARDOffice for Nuclear Regulation Post-Implementation Review: PublicationTogether with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Baroness Stedman-Scott), I am today laying in Parliament the post-implementation review of Part 3…20 Jul 2022HANSARDNew Pylons: East AngliaI am sure that National Grid Electricity Transmission will have noted that point from the debate. If my hon. Friend did not make that point yesterday, I am sure he could make that…19 Jul 2022HANSARDNew Pylons: East AngliaI thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I have spoken about yesterday, and I repeat my pledge to hold as soon as I can a further meeting with colleagues to consider what was…19 Jul 2022HANSARDNew Pylons: East AngliaI thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Unfortunately I was not able to be at the meeting yesterday, but I will carefully look at a read-out of what was said at that meeting…19 Jul 2022