Oral Answers to Questions

Claire Young Excerpts

Tuesday 29th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

Through my work on the Select Committee, I have heard repeated concerns from industry leaders that existing workers in their 50s and 60s see no point in retraining because they believe they will see out their careers supporting old technologies. That has a knock-on impact on young entrants to the workforce, who have traditionally learnt their skills from more experienced workers. Will the Secretary of State outline what steps he is taking to incentivise retraining to support growth in the renewable energy sector?

[Ed Miliband]

The hon. Lady raises a really important point. That is why we are working with the Department for Education to make sure we do not just have a clean power plan that will help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country and invest in supply chains, which I talked about earlier, but crucially offer opportunities for younger workers and inspire them about the possibilities that are available, and create opportunities for older workers, too. All that work is ongoing in Government.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

Following the publication of the Severn estuary commission report on tidal power, will the Government produce a national policy statement to support tidal range energy, and will they publish a review of the available opportunities?

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

I have had a number of meetings on this issue since coming into post. Clearly, tidal could play an important part in an energy mix. We have been clear that we are supportive of it in principle, but questions about its cost benefit and value for money must be answered. We are happy to continue looking at it in future, as projects develop and more detail comes forward.