Contributions
1,014 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Fourth sitting)I agree with the broad arc of what the right hon. Gentleman has just said, but there is no mechanism for Great British Energy to impose anything on the Scottish Parliament. The…10 Oct 2024HANSARDLong-duration Electricity Storage Consultation: Government ResponseThis Government are committed to making Britain a clean energy superpower. I am announcing a further important step in enabling this mission: a decision to introduce a cap and…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)We are making great progress—this will be a good day. Clause 2 is straightforward. It ensures that Great British Energy will serve the public as an independent company and operate…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to be back in Committee. I will begin by addressing amendment 8, tabled by the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, before moving on to…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)On the hon. Lady’s point, I reiterate our absolute commitment to move faster—frankly, far faster than in six months—to deliver the statement of strategic priorities. We will talk…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)I am delighted to hear the right hon. Gentleman’s wholehearted support for Great British Energy. That is fantastic. I did not know that, so that is wonderful, and I thank him for…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)If the hon. Gentleman is proposing that the Bill will be through Parliament by Christmas, that would be great—we could move forward. Of course, we need the Bill to have Royal…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)Amendments 2 and 9 seek to add provisions on community energy to the Bill. As I have said in a number of answers in Parliament and in our session on Tuesday, support for community…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)That is a really helpful point. The community energy hubs that already exist are certainly something that we want to build on. The £10 million commitment is welcome. We have…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)I take my hon. Friend’s point in the spirit in which it was intended and not as an attempt to rush me through the rest of these proceedings so we can get the Bill up and running,…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)The hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire has rightly and passionately outlined the scandal of people living in cold homes and poorly insulated homes. She is right that it is an…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)Could have! It did not do anything.10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)The right hon. Gentleman is combining two different things there.10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)It is not within the scope of the Bill, but I am happy to answer the question. Whether or not there is a winter fuel payment, people are still living in homes that are poorly…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)They cut more than £100 million last year to plug gaps in their own budget. If we are looking at energy efficiency, the right hon. Gentleman could look closer to home at what his…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)We have not dropped any announcement on reducing bills, but GB Energy was not going to be the single thing that would deliver that; it was the Government’s whole energy strategy.…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)In summary, clause 3 is about restricting Great British Energy’s activities to those specifically listed in the Bill, around “facilitating, encouraging and participating” in clean…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)That is an important point. We will announce more about allocation round 7 in due course, and how our industrial work and British jobs will work together to create those supply…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)No, I did not say that. What I was saying was that the context of the objects in the Bill is given by the functions that we set out in the founding statement. It is clear that…10 Oct 2024HANSARDGreat British Energy Bill (Third sitting)Great British Energy will be operationally independent, with the Secretary of State as the sole shareholder. To operate, Great British Energy clearly needs funding, and clause 4…10 Oct 2024