Oral Answers to Questions

Frank Doran Excerpts

Wednesday 9th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I appeal to the House to come to order and listen to Mr Frank Doran.

[Mr Frank Doran (Aberdeen North) (Lab)]

8. What recent discussions he has had on the deployment of carbon capture and storage technology in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Michael Moore)]

My most recent meeting with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to discuss this issue was on 10 October. Although it was not possible to reach a deal on Longannet, the Government remain firmly committed to carbon capture and storage and I welcome the confirmation given by the Treasury that the £1 billion of funding will be made available for future CCS projects.

[Mr Doran]

The Government in the 1980s refused to invest in wind power and threw away our world lead in renewables. Are this Government making the same mistake by refusing to invest in the most advanced industrial-scale carbon capture and storage project in the world at Longannet?

[Michael Moore]

I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman on that, but I do agree that we are determined to see Britain take a leading role in this important technology. That is why the £1 billion of investment is still available and why Peterhead and other parts of the UK will be able to bid for it.