Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Martin McCluskey]

I welcome the hon. Lady to her place, and I look forward to working closely with her on this brief, as I have done with other colleagues from her party. She will know that we have said we are looking at all contingencies in relation to the support that we may need to offer in the winter, but that has to be paid for. We need to ensure that we have proposals that do not make the same mistakes that the Conservatives made in the last crisis, when they wrote a blank cheque in order to provide support to people, so we will come forward with plans for support in the winter.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

Blackpool is home to something special and remarkable: a pioneering eco community hub at Palatine library that offers free, independent energy advice and is helping residents to make sense of new technologies to reduce their bills. Since July 2024, when it opened, it has visited 1,300 homes, offered 1,000 winter packs and saved over £111,000 in energy bills. I met a new trainee green doctor there, Luke Hollowell, who is going into homes to support residents. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this eco hub, to ensure that we can keep it going for the long term and maybe roll it out across the country?

[Martin McCluskey]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he is doing on this issue in his constituency, and I would be happy to meet him to discuss it further. I have seen for myself the benefits that green doctors—energy doctors—bring to constituencies across the country when I have visited those programmes. That kind of local support will be central to the work we are doing in setting up the warm homes agency, which will provide advice and guidance to people across the country.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Michael Shanks]

Of course, all projects that are consented and licensed have to follow the law, and the North Sea Transition Authority as a regulator makes that happen. I will not comment on projects that are currently going through the consenting process.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

In Blackpool, around 75% of privately rented homes have damp or mould. It is a huge problem in our town, so I was delighted when the Chancellor announced £30 million in the warm homes plan. Can the Secretary of State outline for my residents when Blackpool will receive that money and when this plan will finally get under way?

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts

Tuesday 6th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Katie White)]

The Secretary of State regularly meets Cabinet colleagues about these issues. This Government are absolutely clear that any expansion of Heathrow must be compatible with our legally binding carbon budgets and net zero targets. We are committed to ensuring that the economic benefits of airport expansions are delivered in line with our environmental and climate objectives.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

Blackpool and The Fylde college has excellent courses that are training young people in the area in use of the vital renewable energy equipment that we need to go forward, but there are no jobs for those young people locally. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can create those jobs? He is welcome any time to come to a sunny and slightly chilly Blackpool to see those students and the excellent work that they are doing.

[Ed Miliband]

My hon. Friend is a brilliant advocate for his constituency, and indeed for Blackpool. I would be very happy to meet him to talk about how we can ensure that the jobs that those young people want come to Blackpool.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

The past few years have shown us why we must break our reliance on global fossil fuel markets. Under the hon. Gentleman’s Government’s watch, energy prices spiralled, and consumers across the country paid the price. That is a reality that Opposition Members were happy with, but it is not a reality that we think is tenable, so we will sprint to clean power, because that is the route by which we achieve energy security for the country, and financial security for families. We are on the right side of history, and on the side of consumers. Opposition Members are deluded.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

In Blackpool, we have more than 250 charities that are doing incredible work supporting people with their mental health, in getting back to work, and also with the cost of living, but too many people tell me, week in, week out, that they cannot afford to pay the bills. What conversations has the Minister had with energy companies about supporting these charities? Will she agree to meet me to discuss this important issue?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: charities and third-sector organisations play a vital role in getting support to households, which we know are struggling with bills. Part of the reason we thought it was so important to agree £500 million of industry support was to make sure that we got additional support to households. We are also consulting on extending our warm home discount to 2.7 million more households, so that more than 6 million people get help. We will work with the energy sector to make sure that we use the vital network of charities to get that support to the households that need it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts

Tuesday 4th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

My hon. Friend is completely right. There is no justification for raiding retrofitting budgets, because we know that is the route by which we upgrade people’s homes to deliver homes that are warmer and cheaper to run. We are doing our bit to drive down energy bills and deliver clean power, which is the route to energy security and financial security. The Scottish Government need to crack on and do their bit.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

2. What steps he is taking to support workers’ rights in the renewable energy sector.

[The Minister of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Sarah Jones)]

The Government came into office six months ago and are determined to ensure that clean energy jobs are high quality, well paid and secure, with strong trade unions. I want to take this opportunity to commend EDF Renewables for its recent recognition agreements with three trade unions. Through the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, we are working with industry and trades unions to support fair pay and workers’ rights, and ensuring that workers across the country can benefit from the economic opportunities of the net zero transition.

[Chris Webb]

Data centres at Blackpool’s proposed high-performance data centre campus Silicon Sands will be powered by renewable energy and cooled by liquid immersion techniques, with the excess heat repurposed into neighbourhood buildings and homes. Silicon Sands could lead the way in an environmentally friendly approach to data centres, while creating thousands of well-paid jobs for my home town. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how the Department can support my vision to build a better Blackpool?

[Sarah Jones]

I would of course be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to talk about this great project, Silicon Sands, which will bring jobs and be really innovative for his area. The wider point is really important—for too long, our coastal and industrial communities have not had the job opportunities they deserve. We are determined to change that.