Fay Jones MP champions Wales' pivotal role in UK's energy security

Tindle News

Wales is playing a key role in providing the UK with a secure and diverse energy system, says Fay Jones.  The Brecon and Radnorshire MP and Wales Office Minister was responding to questions from MPs in the Commons.  (Video from Parliament.tv)

Transcript

00:00 Minister. Thank you Mr. Speaker that was lively. With your permission Mr. Speaker I

00:06 will answer questions 2 and 10 together. The UK has a secure and diverse energy

00:11 system and Wales continues to play a key role. The UK government is going further

00:14 to ensure our energy security by supporting our oil and gas industry and

00:19 investing to scale up our renewable energy production like floating offshore

00:22 wind in the Celtic Sea. Thank you Mr. Speaker many of my constituents make the

00:27 long journey round to work at Hinkley and yet we've had this government in

00:30 power for 14 years we've seen no new nuclear actually delivered in Wales

00:34 despite a proud history of generation. Significant opportunities to lower

00:37 energy bills and deliver high quality jobs and reduce carbon emissions. Where

00:40 on earth is their plan and why are they not getting on with delivering it?

00:45 I very much welcome that the Honourable gentleman is mentioning nuclear. I seem to recall

00:50 when his party were in power Labour did next to nothing to advance the cause of

00:54 nuclear energy in this country and it gives me ample opportunity to

00:58 pay tribute to the work of my Honourable friend the Member for Unis Morn who has

01:02 committed, she has committed the government to everything it has done on

01:06 Wilva so far and progress is being made in stark contrast to the record of his

01:10 party. 14 years of successive Tory governments have all had the chance to

01:17 invest in the transition to net zero instead they have chosen to backslide on

01:23 climate commitments and it's working people in my constituency and across

01:27 Cardiff North paying the price. With this government intent on issuing new

01:33 oil and gas licenses what does the Minister have to say to families in my

01:37 constituency now paying treble for their energy bills?

01:43 Well Mr. Speaker I would point out that it's this government that stepped in

01:47 with 96 billion pounds of support to mitigate the impact of those energy

01:51 bills but I completely disagree with the Honourable lady's assessment on our

01:55 record on net zero and I would point out that when her party were in power 7% of

02:00 our energy supply came from renewable sources it's now, if she'll let me

02:04 finish the point, it's now just under 15% that is the record of this

02:07 government's 14, this party's 14 years in power.

02:12 Thank you Mr. Speaker my Honourable friend mentions the new industry of floating

02:16 offshore wind which has huge potential to create large numbers of high quality

02:20 jobs in places like Milford Haven and Port Talbot given that those two ports

02:25 both currently got bids in with UK government to the Flomis port

02:29 infrastructure scheme which is going to be really keen to seeing this vision

02:33 realised when when can these ports expect to hear back from those bids?

02:38 Minister. I thank the Chair of the Select Committee and my Honourable friend for

02:42 that question I'm delighted today the Crown Estate are hosting a bidders day

02:45 to drive forward plans for innovative floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea

02:50 the UK government is supporting flow through our contracts for

02:53 different scheme securing a long-term pipeline of projects in the Celtic Sea

02:57 I'd be happy to write to him with a further update on when more progress can

03:01 be discussed.

03:02 Come to the Shed, Secretary of State, Jill Stephens.

03:04 On the issue of energy mix Mr. Speaker the Tata workers I met last week know the

03:12 Virgin Steel they make is vital to supporting our renewable energy

03:15 aspirations like offshore wind in the Celtic Sea so the loss of 3,000 jobs is

03:21 a kick in the teeth for our proud skilled Welsh steelworkers it will

03:26 devastate local economies and the sovereign steelmaking capacity that

03:30 would build the wind turbines we need yet the business secretary told us at

03:35 the weekend that and I'll quote it's not about the jobs lost does he agree with

03:41 her comments?

03:43 I'm sorry she's got me replying to that question not the

03:46 not the Secretary of State. I think what's important to recognize is that

03:50 the investment from this UK government has saved thousands of jobs across the

03:54 United Kingdom of course the transition board is now working with the

03:58 individuals affected in Port Talbot and that is a proper and right thing to do

04:03 I'm glad that both the UK and Welsh governments are working towards that

04:06 that is absolutely the right outcome I think we need to think of these things

04:10 in the context in the wider context which is our responsibility.

04:14 Jo Stevens

04:16 She boasts about the transition board but that only exists because of the

04:21 government's failure to project protect jobs and vital industries but let me ask

04:26 her this each year Port Talbot provides enough Virgin Steel to deliver the UK's

04:31 2030 wind targets by itself so when her government's intervention shuts the

04:37 blast furnaces early can she tell the house where that steel is going to come

04:41 from will it be coming from India and we will be surrendering our ability to

04:45 create jobs investment and cheaper bills here in Britain?

04:50 Minister

04:52 Mr. Speaker it won't surprise you to learn that I completely disagree with the

04:53 Honourable Lady's assessment and I would point out that the transition board

04:56 this government has provided 80 million pounds we haven't seen any of the 20

05:01 million pounds that the Welsh Labour government has promised but indications

05:04 so far are that moving away from iron making in the UK would not have a direct

05:09 impact on national security

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