North Sea Energy

Baroness Scott of Needham Market Excerpts

Wednesday 12th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Scott of Needham Market (LD)]

My Lords, while this Statement is about energy, all these various forms of energy in the North Sea will have to co-exist with other uses such as shipping and fisheries, with the towns and cities which abut the North Sea, and with the environment, which in general is pretty fragile and, in cases such as Dogger, pretty much in crisis. Can the Minister say how the Government intend to co-ordinate to make sure that moving forward on energy in this regard will not compromise some of these other activities? Almost a decade ago, I chaired a Select Committee of this House that called for a strategic North Sea plan that would seek to balance these things. As far as I know, it has never been developed, so I wonder whether the Minister can say how this co-ordination will take place.

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I sincerely thank the noble Baroness for raising these important points. Let me acknowledge the awful tragedy that has just happened in the North Sea. I come from Yorkshire, and I know how congested the waters are there. Our thoughts are with the families of those involved. There will clearly be an inquiry into what happened there, but it serves as a very useful backdrop to the issues that the noble Baroness raises.

However, with another hat on, I was very pleased to be involved in the debates on the Crown Estate and ownership of the coastal areas and the various responsibilities in those areas—not only people looking after their own employment, but the environment. Those considerations are important, and I am confident that, by putting together these packages with key interested partners, we will be able to come up with a very positive plan that highlights the issues that the noble Baroness raises.