Gwyndod Project

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 29th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

The noble Lord has raised a very important point. I would always support the performance of devolved Governments in the UK, and I note the point he makes. I understand there have been discussions on the Project ARTHUR proposal with the Department of Health and Social Care, though there has not been any formal commitment to a specific project. I assure the noble Lord that the Government are committed to ensuring resilient medical radioisotope supplies and making use of diverse international supply chains, alongside greater UK manufacturing capability. Wider funding, including through the £520 million life sciences innovative manufacturing fund, has been made available to support UK manufacturing. However, I note the point he has made about Scotland and his other points, and I will ensure they are communicated to the relevant departments, because if it is raised in Parliament in this manner, it matters to departments and they should pay attention to it.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, in Scotland, as my noble friend knows, Hunterston and Torness are coming to the end of their lives shortly, yet new nuclear in Scotland is opposed by the Scottish Government. I know that the UK Government do not want to upset the Scottish Government. However, since energy is a reserved area, is this not exactly an area in which we should use our sovereign powers and overrule the Scottish Government?

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

That was interesting and challenging, as ever, from the noble Lord. I do not know how well people know this, but I am not really on record as being frightened to upset the Scottish Government—I do not think they would have that view, either.

The noble Lord raises a very serious point. There have been discussions about nuclear power in Scotland. The Green Party had a debate at their conference, and it has resisted it, unfortunately, and the SNP has stood against it. They have missed huge opportunities to contribute to the development of clean energy in Scotland and across the UK. They are also turning their back on huge opportunities for investment and infrastructure development, and the development of skills. Of course, we have high standards of safety and security, overseen by independent regulators, and we have made enormous progress on this. The SNP has been very backward in its attitude, so I will use every opportunity I can to pursue this issue with the SNP Government—and I am not frightened to do so.

Rosebank Oil Field

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 29th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes a number of points. In terms of what he says about the OBR, I have to re-emphasise the points that I have made, that it is a normal process for the Government’s future revenue forecast to include both current and potential oil and gas receipts, and it has been included since 2019. However, the noble Lord went on to make a number of other points.

The Chancellor indeed said that Jackdaw was common sense—I think I used that very phrase myself when I was at the Dispatch Box earlier this week. I have to emphasise that we have had a legal challenge through this process—the noble Lord’s former Government will understand that, because the Court of Session said that scope 3 emissions had to be taken into account, so we have had to revisit that. I want to be as clear as I can be that this is quasi-judicial and I do not wish to jeopardise that in any way whatever. I take the point the noble Lord made; I am under no illusions about the Conservative Party’s view on this is—it has been pointed out to me on countless occasions. I want to just leave it at that. I am sure as the questions develop, we may go into a bit of a party-political debate, but at the moment I just want to emphasise the quasi-judicial nature of the Rosebank decision.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, further to that point, will my noble friend confirm that, if this decision is made on a political basis and not on the facts for and against going ahead, there could be another legal challenge, which would delay it for a further two years and which would certainly not be of any benefit to the people of Scotland?

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

That was very well said, for once—

Data Centres: Energy Demand

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 16th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[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.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, will my noble friend confirm that new nuclear is important, in terms of both data centres and our clean energy programme? Will he confirm that the only way we can get new nuclear at places such as Hunterston in East Lothian, where we currently have a nuclear power station, which is much needed in Scotland, is if on 7 May we get rid of the incompetent SNP Administration?

[Lord Whitehead (Lab)]

I have lots of reasons to agree with my noble friend about particular Administrations and how they might be replaced. As far as the future of AI nuclear is concerned, it is certainly the case that new nuclear can sit very well alongside, for example, AI growth zones. One example of that is the Wylfa area, where the contract for a new SMR has just been signed, which will also be an AI growth zone where a number of data centres can establish themselves and directly use the power coming from that new SMR on that site.

Energy Markets

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 9th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Deputy Speaker (Lord Beith) (LD)]

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, is taking part remotely and I invite him to contribute now.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op) [V]]

My Lords, I am really sorry that I cannot be there in person this evening, but I am also really grateful that I am being allowed to participate virtually. Does my noble friend the Minister agree with me that, in the current crisis, it is even more important that we have nuclear-powered generation to ensure that the energy supply is guaranteed? Will he consider what can be done to extend the lives of the current generators and to bring new nuclear generation forward earlier than is currently intended? Perhaps most difficult of all is to work towards finding a Government in Scotland who also agree to have nuclear generation.

[Lord Whitehead (Lab)]

I very much welcome my noble friend Lord Foulkes back to his place, as it were. Although he was speaking from a place that is slightly remote, I nevertheless have a real feeling that he is, in essence, in the Chamber with us this evening.

I absolutely endorse what my noble friend had to say on this subject. After all, nuclear is low-carbon, essentially renewable, essentially homegrown and stays with us for a very long time—and, in case anyone had not noticed, this is firm power. Having nuclear in our low-carbon arsenal is very much part of the process of getting ourselves off high-carbon fossil fuels and into a situation where we can control our own energy destiny in this country.

My noble friend will know that work is under way to procure a small modular reactor with Rolls-Royce, which is going very well, and there is the possibility of life extensions to one or more of the existing nuclear power stations, which, again, would be a very good contribution to the energy security of this country for the future.

Grangemouth Oil Refinery

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, I take the point, although I think it is right that we have some specific measures in relation to Grangemouth. I also think it is right to refer to a 2023 report by the CBI, which showed that there was a 9% increase in the green economy that year compared with 1% overall, and 950,000 people are now working in what could be described as a net-zero green economy. These are often very good, very well-paid jobs. We have a number of regional skills hubs. In the nuclear sector, we have a separate nuclear task force taking work forward in relation to this. The challenge we face is that, over the next few years, we need thousands more people to come into the low-carbon energy sector. We are doing everything we can, working with industry and with further education, to ensure that that happens.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, there are reports that, because of a loophole in the key energy scheme, Petroineos will get a windfall payment of £6 million. Rather than going to the multimillionaire Jim Ratcliffe, surely this money should be used for the retraining of the workers who are going to lose their jobs.

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, obviously we should look very carefully at any loophole that may have been identified. I should make it clear that Petroineos has said that it has invested $1.2 billion since 2011 to maintain Grangemouth’s operation, recording losses in excess of $775 million during that period. Unfortunately, that is clear evidence that Grangemouth is not a viable commercial proposition.

Scotland: New Nuclear Power Generation

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they plan to have with the Scottish Government regarding the extension of new nuclear power generation to Scotland.

[The Minister of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath) (Lab)]

My Lords, Scotland’s policy on new nuclear energy projects is a matter for the Scottish Government. We remain open to discussions with the Scottish Government on nuclear energy’s future in Scotland. In the meantime, we welcome EDF’s recent decision to extend Torness’s operation to March 2030.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I agree that we should respect the role of the Scottish Government, but surely now is the time to stop pussyfooting around, when the Scottish Government say that they are quite willing to accept in the future electricity generated by nuclear in England. Given that energy is a reserved area, surely we should look at ways of stopping the blockers in Scotland, as well as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Will the Minister have a look at it?

Licensed Oil and Gas Fields: Emissions

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 11th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, when the carbon capture and storage schemes were given the go-ahead recently, the one in Scotland was not among those that were given the go-ahead. When does the Minister expect further consideration of this?

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, we are of course in discussions with His Majesty’s Treasury over the next spending review and it would be premature for me to comment on any of the detail. Clearly, carbon capture, usage and storage have a very important role to play in the future, and I have noted my noble friend’s elegant bid for investment in Scotland in that regard.

Prepayment Meters

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 14th May 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

No, we believe that some customers prefer to have prepayment meters, which enable them to manage their credits and debts responsibly. Some customers choose that; some prefer direct debit; some prefer to operate on a normal credit basis. All choices will remain available. As I said, if they are not in debt, it is the customers’ choice as to what payment method they use.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I have been away for a couple of weeks, and the answers on my return are no better than when I left. Can I give the Minister the opportunity to answer my noble friend’s question? Which organisation is doing best: Ofsted, keeping our education at a high level; Ofgem, causing problems for the consumers, not the suppliers, as we have heard; or Ofwat, for getting the rivers so polluted? Which is number one on his list?

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

Of course, the absence of the noble Lord has been a great loss to the House. While he may complain about the quality of some of the answers, some of us might take issue with the quality of some of the questions. The noble Lord is asking a very broad question about a whole range of regulators. I suppose I would say that perceptions of the quality of regulators may vary.

Surplus Carbon Emissions

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 27th March 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

We always take that advice into consideration. Covid was obviously a factor in that budget, but we overperformed on all the previous budgets before that as well. It is one factor; we will take it into consideration.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

What discussions does the Minister have with his counterparts in Scotland? When he or his colleagues meet them, could he try to convince them to change their view on nuclear power? Nuclear power is one way of achieving our aim.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I have regular meetings with the Scottish Government, including my counterpart, who is from the Green Party—which makes for interesting discussions, as the House can imagine. The noble Lord is, of course, absolutely right: nuclear power is an essential component of power, both in Scotland and across the rest of the United Kingdom. We will certainly advise the Scottish Government of that. However, if they are crazy enough to dispense of their nuclear power, then their friends in the rest of the UK will be very happy to help out the people of Scotland.

Climate Change: Phasing Out Fossil Fuels

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 6th December 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I have certainly heard what the noble Baroness has to say on this. I cannot go any further than what I said last week. As soon as I have some further news, I will be sure to update her.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, as the Minister knows from last week, I was inclined to agree with the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, that it is good for Ministers to go out to Dubai. But then I heard that there are 90,000 delegates there—nearly twice as many as there were in Glasgow, all flying in. It will be the same next year, the year after that and the year after that. Why can this COP not be held virtually?

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I think there is considerable sympathy for the noble Lord’s point of view. I went to the COP in Glasgow. Unlike the Greens, I went by rail.