Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Gwynne Excerpts

Tuesday 28th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Claire Coutinho]

What we saw yesterday was £7 billion from Iberdrola for UK electricity networks and renewables, and £300 million from Aira, the heat pump installer. In the last couple of weeks, we have had £500 million from Sea Wind, £2 billion from Nissan, and £186 million from Siemens Gamesa. What the hon. Lady should understand is that there is a difference between what the Government are offering, which is £29 billion of investment, and what Labour is offering, which is £28 billion of borrowing.

[Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)]

3. What recent discussions she has had with businesses on the Government's net zero targets.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

16. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the contribution of businesses to helping meet the UK's net zero targets.

[Andrew Gwynne]

As a fellow Lancastrian, I hope you had a good Lancashire Day yesterday, Mr Speaker.

[The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero (Graham Stuart)]

As a Yorkshire MP, I resent that remark. [Laughter.]

I meet regularly with business leaders and organisations. I chair or co-chair, among others: the Offshore Wind Industry Council, which I will be going straight to after questions; the solar taskforce; the green jobs delivery group, which met yesterday; the North sea transition forum, which I will attend tomorrow; and, from a strategic cross-cutting point of view, the Net Zero Council. Of course, the Secretary of State and I met global leaders yesterday.

[Andrew Gwynne]

Well, as the Minister seems to meet so many business leaders, he must have heard their shock and horror about the Government’s roll-backs on net zero. Earlier this month, the Aviva chief executive officer Amanda Blanc said that the Government were putting our climate goals as a country “under threat”, putting at risk

“jobs, growth and the additional investment the UK requires”.

She is not wrong, is she?

[Graham Stuart]

The hon. Gentleman has a well-founded and highly esteemed reputation for anger. Under this Government, this country has cut its emissions more than any other major economy on the planet, and we have the most ambitious plans for 2030. When I attend COP28 next week, we will be inviting and supporting others to join the UK, which under this Conservative Government has led the way on a pathway to net zero.