Green Investment Bank Debate

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Green Investment Bank

Caroline Lucas Excerpts
Tuesday 24th May 2011

(13 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Vince Cable Portrait Vince Cable
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That may well be one of the ways in which the green investment bank will be involved in the longer run—once it is securely established. Large numbers of people will no doubt want to invest, through individual savings accounts for example, and that could well be a product that the bank eventually produces. We certainly do not rule that out, and we want to encourage creativity.

Caroline Lucas Portrait Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green)
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Given that the green investment bank is being set up to promote new green technology, can the Secretary of State confirm that it will not be used to support nuclear, because nuclear is not new, because many of us do not believe it is green, and above all, because such support would clearly constitute a public subsidy?

Vince Cable Portrait Vince Cable
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The initial analysis suggests that nuclear power would not be an appropriate sector for the bank’s investment, but in the very long run we are not ruling out particular possibilities, including nuclear. It is not part of the bank’s immediate planning, however.