UK Parliament / Open data

Energy Bill

Proceeding contribution from Robert Syms (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 4 December 2013. It occurred during Debate on bills on Energy Bill.

Clearly, policy has to have a proper balance. There is a role for renewables and trying to provide the cleanest possible energy, and the Government have policies to ensure that. However, I return to my essential point,

which is that we now have policies that are driving out older capacity—it might be less efficient or dirtier capacity—but we are yet to put in place the new, clean, gleaming capacity to produce for the future. If we are not careful, whoever forms the next Government—I hope that we will—will find themselves with a very real problem. I do not want the Chancellor of the Exchequer standing at the Dispatch Box talking not about tax or how the economy will grow, but about the constraints caused by our not investing in providing power for a growing and successful future economy.

I listened carefully to the Opposition spokesman; I just think that Lords amendment 105 is not appropriate. I return to my central point: we need to sweat our assets and keep them going until we are sure that we have the capacity to keep the lights on.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

571 cc951-2 

Session

2013-14

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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