Clean Growth Strategy

Alex Sobel Excerpts

Thursday 12th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Claire Perry]

To reassure my hon. Friend, I should say that, as I mentioned, Canada has agreed to end it, as has the Netherlands. China has agreed to reduce its carbon emissions by 60% to 2032 and India has said that it wants to lead the world in solar generation. All countries—with the exception, perhaps, of one big one—have woken up to the fact that the world is moving away from coal. In doing so, they are creating prosperity and jobs.

[Alex Sobel (Leeds North West) (Lab/Co-op)]

I have spent the morning reading the clean growth strategy. On first reading, it appears mainly to be a repackaging of old announcements, with only small packets of new funding and increased existing funding being spent over longer periods. I am glad that the Minister touched on electric vehicles. The gap with respect to the old plans that we already have is 12 megatonnes of CO₂. Today’s announcement does not bridge that gap, as can be seen in the chart on page 85 of the strategy. The gap remains. The funding for electric charge points is woefully inadequate, and I call on the Minister to look again at supporting large-scale electric vehicle charging funding, working closely with local authorities to ensure that EV charging points are in commercial and residential areas, not just on major roads. I ask her to commit to a minimum level of public EV charge points per head of population or per electric vehicle. I am glad she mentioned the Netherlands, because it has one public EV charge point—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. Members are meant to ask a succinct question.

[Alex Sobel]

I will just get the question—

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Just give it now or else you will be sitting down.

[Alex Sobel]

The Netherlands has a charge point for every two to seven vehicles, whereas the figure in the UK is much higher. Are we going to have the same—

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I think the Minister has got the gist.