Oral Answers to Questions

Angela Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 1st May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gyimah]

The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point, and one that we will follow up with detailed statistics.

[Angela Smith (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

12. What assessment his Department has made of the value of the industrial opportunity presented by the Swansea bay tidal lagoon.

[The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry)]

Helping businesses create high-quality, well-paid jobs across the country is integral to this Government’s industrial strategy. On the Swansea tidal lagoon, taking into account that job creation capability, as well as the decarbonisation potential and the cost to UK taxpayers, is an integral part of that analysis.

[Angela Smith]

It is understood that major infrastructure projects give rise to opportunities for companies throughout the UK supply chain. The proposed Swansea lagoon project certainly falls into that category, and it could provide companies throughout my constituency and South Yorkshire with opportunities to supply products and processes to the project. Will the Minister therefore assure me that a holistic approach that places a value on jobs and investment throughout the country is being used to assess the viability of this project?

[Claire Perry]

The hon. Lady, as always, speaks up powerfully for her constituency. I assure her that exactly those assessments are being made, both by ourselves and by the Welsh Government, to whom there have been very specific requests from the developer. It is right that we are having a cordial, open-book conversation about what commitments are actually being asked for, because this all comes back to UK consumers and/or UK taxpayers.