Data Centres: Energy Demand

Debate between Lord Whitehead and Lord Alton of Liverpool

Thursday 16th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Whitehead (Lab)]

I agree with the noble Lord that pumped hydro schemes are one method of ensuring that electricity is used as efficiently as it can be in terms of taking it in at some stages of the cycle and releasing it at others. A number of other arrangements can do that, such as batteries and other forms of long-term storage—compressed air, for example—all of which will be a substantial part of the battery of systems to optimise the electricity production of the country as AI develops.

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, when the Minister last answered on this question, he was good enough to talk about the problem of using Uyghur slave labour in the manufacture of solar panels. He promised to write to me, and I am grateful to him for following up that promise. In that letter, he said that he would inform the Joint Committee on Human Rights by July of the measures that Great British Energy is taking to eliminate the use of slave labour. Will he comment on what he said about the need for a review of the 2015 modern slavery legislation that the noble Baroness, Lady May, who introduced that legislation, has called for, not least Section 56 of the 2015 Act, and how he intends the review of that legislation, which he mentions in the letter, to take place?

[Lord Whitehead (Lab)]

I have a feeling that the noble Lord will shortly be in receipt of a further letter from me on this subject. It is the case that the Modern Slavery Act, particularly in terms of a number of the concerns that have been raised about the more offset arrangements as far as modern slavery is concerned, needs some uprating. That is being considered, but as to some of his further points, I think I will need to write to him further.

UK Energy Sources and Cost of Energy

Debate between Lord Whitehead and Lord Alton of Liverpool

Thursday 19th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Whitehead (Lab)]

The noble Earl is absolutely right that one of the key issues in the recent escalation has been the targeting by both sides of oil and gas installations. Clearly, this brings into a further spotlight the need to seek an urgent de-escalation of hostilities and the resolution of this crisis by negotiation rather than continued bombing of everyone’s oil and gas facilities.

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, in the light of the Times report earlier this week on energy links between the United Kingdom and Xinjiang, has the Minister read the Joint Committee on Human Rights report on supply chain transparency and modern-day slavery? Will he say when he last discussed with Great British Energy its compliance with Section 3(2)(e) of the Great British Energy Act, which was added following an all-party amendment in your Lordships’ House and prohibits the use of products, such as solar panels, made by slave labour?

[Lord Whitehead (Lab)]

I will have to write to the noble Lord on the specifics he mentioned. He should know that the UK Government are pursuing very robust measures to ensure that the supply of products such as solar panels is not the product of modern slavery. Efforts are under way on the diversification of supply and on the certification of panels to ensure they are not subject to modern slavery. The noble Lord will of course appreciate the difficulty of getting exact information on the sourcing of particular products, but the British Government are doing everything they can to ensure that they are not from the sources that the noble Lord is so concerned about.