Gwyndod Project
Debate between Baroness Curran and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock(2 days, 16 hours ago)
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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
Debate between Baroness Curran and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock(2 days, 16 hours ago)
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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?
Lord Advocate
Debate between Baroness Curran and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
Baroness Curran (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord and recognise his position as a former Scotland Office Minister and his knowledge and experience on this matter. He is of course right to emphasise that this has become a very significant issue of public debate in Scotland at the moment, given very high-profile criminal cases. It is a matter that demands attention. The UK Government of course have a significant interest in this, and the Prime Minister has acknowledged that this is a serious issue.
The noble Lord will know that the Law Society of Scotland has recently suggested that there should be widespread consultation on this matter and has acknowledged that this is a complex matter. We recognise that the Scottish Government also have a strong interest in this and would welcome co-operation between the UK Government and the Scottish Government to pursue this matter.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, I too congratulate my noble friend on her well-deserved appointment to the Front Bench. On this occasion, however, I agree—for once—with the Opposition spokesperson.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
It had to happen some time. We should not wait for the Scottish Government to ask for the legislation to be changed. This is a responsibility of the UK Government and the UK Parliament. There are other areas, such as the Murrell controversy—that embezzlement. Now, there is £1.2 million of Yes Scotland money that has gone missing, and two legal actions against the Scottish Government—and they have had many in the past. We have a responsibility for ensuring good governance in every part of the United Kingdom, including in devolved Governments, and I hope that my noble friend will persuade the Secretary of State for Scotland to take some action on this.
Baroness Curran (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for that question—I think. Of course, he is right on so many things, and I will listen very closely to what he has to say. He makes reference to the Peter Murrell case. Here, I must emphasise to noble Lords that this is a matter of great scandal in Scotland, and there are very serious concerns about what this has meant for Scottish politics and governance. So, I take very seriously these points and recognise what has been said. I commit to having that discussion with the Scottish Secretary and will of course communicate his views, and those of the Opposition, as forcefully as he has put them.