I hesitated whether to enter into this debate but, on the basis of the last remark, I think that I would like to. I am certainly not rising to my feet to oppose carbon capture and storage, only to make the comment that it has proved an elusive goal, despite significant amounts of time and effort spent on research and development. I make no more comment than that.
4 pm
In this complex area of energy, I seek an assurance from the Minister on two points. On North Sea oil and gas, we have already lost something like 75,000 jobs in the past year, in the situation where the oil price has halved and the number of new wells—well, you could probably count them on the fingers of two hands. There are still something like 350,000 to 450,000 jobs across that sector, including the supply chains. I would welcome an assurance from the Minister that we will not lose an important focus on doing what we can to rescue a vitally important part of the industry.
We will still be reliant on fossil fuels for a significant period of time. I have a significant interest in gas; we know that we will require it for something like the next 30 or so years. We rely on most of it from overseas sources now, with a significant amount from a pipeline from Norway, and we are still reliant on Qatar for something like 20% of our supplies, which come in a liquid form—so it is not the ideal situation in terms of how it is produced.
That brings me back to the question of the importance of ensuring that we have secure energy supplies and make the most of developing those that occur naturally in this country—of course, I refer to fracking. I would welcome some comment from the Minister that we understand the importance of developing this part of our energy policy. If we take into account the recent situation at Redcar, we know that the cost of energy is an important factor in our ability to produce things such as steel, and for other vital industries. I welcome a ministerial response on that.
I join with my colleagues in wishing our Front Bench spokesperson my noble friend Lady Worthington all the best for the future.