North Sea Energy
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to debate these issues, and I echo what the noble Baroness and others have said about the tragedy in the North Sea. I cross the North Sea every year to visit my family in Denmark. When I was an MEP, we crossed the North Sea in a ferry after the “Estonia” tragedy to show solidarity.
On the issue before us this evening, does the Minister share my concern that we should have a more balanced source of energy rather than what could appear to be a rapid dash for clean energy? We have seen, as the noble Earl said earlier, that BP as a single company is moving away from renewables back to its more traditional oil and other energy uses. There are also environmental issues related to clean energy, such as decommissioning wind turbines and siting substations to bring renewable energy onshore, and the fact that our competitors—the USA, Norway and other countries—are still relying on their oil and gas reserves. Should we not be looking for a more balanced view?
I also echo what the noble Baroness said earlier. We had many debates during the passage of the clean energy Bill about the environmental issues. I particularly share her concern about fishermen and spatial squeeze—10% of fisheries grounds could be lost through clean energy. If the Minister could address these issues, I would be most grateful.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I thank the noble Baroness for raising these issues. It is a complex picture, but this Government are absolutely determined to get to grips with it. On alternative sources of energy, I have mentioned hydrogen, and we have had some very robust debates about its potential future use. The Government have also taken swift action to unlock the potential of onshore wind.
The issue that we probably need to discuss more than we do is how we reduce the consumption of energy at all, whether in our businesses or a domestic setting, and where the highest use of energy is.
The noble Earl has raised the issue of BP before. It is difficult for us to stand here and talk about commercial decisions made by companies, of whatever scale; it would not be appropriate to do so. But I emphasise that although the foot is on the accelerator in progressing to clean energy, we recognise, as we have repeatedly said, the contribution that oilfields and gas will continue to make as we make that transition. We have to make sure that the country is not exposed to any shocks, and that we do this in a measured and sensible way to ensure that we get to where we want to be.
There are, of course, competing challenges—I have heard the noble Baroness discuss on many occasions the impact of climate change on communities in rural areas in Yorkshire, for example, where we live—but there are many opportunities. We need to look at examples around the world, while focusing on making sure that Britain is the best and that we do all we can to reinvigorate our energy markets, provide the jobs we need and create an environment where we invest both within the country and on the international stage.
Bus Fares: National Cap
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness McIntosh of Pickering(5 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I completely agree with my noble friend. There is no point in having a regular train service if passengers cannot reach it by bus. It is always about the consideration of the last mile of a journey. If people get into their cars, they tend to stay there. It is a very important aspect that has been picked up by looking at the bus open data service. Bus companies sharing their data has been an enormous problem—anyone in the north of England knows that that helped prevent us bringing in an Oyster-style ticketing service across the north. It is crucial that we get this right and that all companies are obliged to share the information.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
Could I press the noble Baroness further? She has given a very positive answer on concessionary fares for the elderly, but her response does not actually give a commitment to continue the £2 fare. Could she give a more positive answer about the timetable and an assurance that there will be no cliff edge from 31 December this year, particularly for young people and those living in rural areas who do not benefit from the concessionary fare, which has played such a positive role in rural transport?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I hope I made it clear that the success of the scheme is well recognised. We have to look at all aspects to make sure that it is sustainable going forward and that we do not have to return to this in the future. So many people depend on this and it is very popular. Of all the schemes that have come into place, this one is very well known; the public actually know about it and this has led to an increase in patronage. People have changed their habits from using other forms of transport to using the bus. In my view, it has been a real success.