Oral Answers to Questions

Huw Irranca-Davies Excerpts

Thursday 16th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Chris Huhne]

As the hon. Lady knows, the Warm Front scheme has played a very important part in ensuring that there has been an improvement in energy efficiency for many of the people who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty. We will ensure that there continues to be a commitment that the scheme will continue but, as she will know from previous questions, our key focus—the key instrument—in dealing with fuel poverty and energy efficiency will be the green deal. A very important part of the green deal will be tackling fuel poverty and, over time, it will gradually take on a more important role and the Warm Front scheme will take on a lesser one.

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

5. What recent discussions he has had on the Government’s strategy for promoting low-carbon technologies.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)]

On 27 July, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State delivered the first annual energy statement to Parliament, which set out the Government’s strategic energy policy. Catalysing private sector investment in new low-carbon technologies is a crucial part of our strategy. My most recent discussions in the sector, specifically in the area of new technology, took place last Wednesday and were with the chief executive of the Energy Technologies Institute.

[Huw Irranca-Davies]

I thank the Minister for that response. We all want to catalyse the private sector, and he will know of the potential for tens of thousands of jobs in the wind turbine manufacturing sector. However, he will also know that European ports are wooing British and other manufacturers to settle in them, particularly as a result of the uncertainty over the offshore wind infrastructure competition. Can he guarantee us that that competition will be opened, in order to provide manufacturers with the certainty that there is a future for locating their base here in Britain, not in European ports?

[Gregory Barker]

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the new coalition is absolutely committed to making sure that we capture far more of the manufacturing supply chain associated with the expansion of offshore wind power than was the miserable case under the previous Government, when 90% or more of this was manufactured overseas. I cannot comment on any specific spending programmes ahead of the comprehensive spending review, but I can assure him that offshore wind power and capturing the opportunity right the way down the supply chain is at the heart of our policies.