Financial Assistance to Industry

Alan Brown Excerpts

Monday 18th December 2017 General Committees

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Buck. I will be brief.

In terms of where energy policy is just now, I fully agree with the motion. I agree with the Minister that exemption rather than compensation is beneficial to the companies in terms of cash flow and managing the process. I share the shadow Minister’s concerns about levies being added in future to consumers’ bills and, in particular, bills for medium-sized businesses. The Minister mentioned the industrial strategy and creating jobs, including higher-paid jobs, which clearly I agree with. She also highlighted the fact that energy intensive industries account for two thirds of greenhouse gas emissions.

We need a coherent energy policy. As the industrial strategy develops further and has more meat on its bones, we need to see a clear pathway, with research and development money that aligns with energy intensive industries, so that they can cut down their energy usage, and the wider development of schemes such as carbon capture and storage, which I have long argued for. In the bigger picture, in terms of managing bills for businesses and consumers, we need to have onshore wind companies being able to bid for CfDs again. The Government need to end their nuclear obsession. There is no doubt that Hinkley is adding costs for consumers and businesses. We need a more rounded policy.