Coal Tip Safety and New Extraction Licences Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Department for Business and Trade

Coal Tip Safety and New Extraction Licences

Derek Twigg Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd October 2025

(1 day, 21 hours ago)

Westminster Hall
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.

Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Greg Smith Portrait Greg Smith
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I understand that the point that the hon. Lady is trying to make, but I will never apologise for trying to protect the British countryside.

The Labour Government are closing industries at home, patting themselves on the back for imaginary environmental victories and then importing the same resources from halfway across the world, racking up shipping emissions, losing domestic expertise and devastating industrial communities. That is not a green policy; it is economic negligence. It is bad for the economy, disastrous for security and utterly self-defeating for the climate. Let us be honest: Britain cannot reach meaningful environmental goals by eroding its industrial base. Real sustainability comes from innovation, not prohibition.

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this matter, because it allows me to acknowledge what responsible governance should be about: balancing progress with protection. The Government’s policies will harm our communities, hollow out industry and do nothing measurable for the global climate. Let us have the courage to revisit them and stand up for common sense, working people and British industry. If we continue down the path of ideological self-harm, we will soon find that the only thing we have truly exported is our prosperity, and the only thing we have imported is decline.

Derek Twigg Portrait Derek Twigg (in the Chair)
- Hansard - -

Will the Minister please leave a minute or two for the hon. Member who secured the debate to wind up?