Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Thursday 1st July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

Drax power station takes an enormous amount of natural material from constituencies such as Thirsk and Malton. It is also a renewable power supply and reduces CO₂ emissions. How do the Government think we can increase and encourage expenditure in this exciting form of renewable energy?

[Charles Hendry]

I am seeing the chief executive of Drax almost immediately after Question Time today, so I will have the opportunity to explore that further with her. The co-firing of biomass can make an important contribution, but we have to be certain that it is done sustainably. There are questions about the great deal of shipping involved in the transportation of biomass, but it can certainly make a contribution to reducing our carbon emissions.