Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 7th September 2021 Commons Chamber

[Virginia Crosbie (Ynys Môn) (Con)]

8. What fiscal steps his Department is taking to encourage investment in green (a) industries, (b) growth and (c) jobs.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

9. What fiscal steps he is taking to help achieve the Government’s net zero emissions target.

[Julie Marson (Hertford and Stortford) (Con)]

13. What fiscal steps his Department is taking to encourage investment in green (a) industries, (b) growth and (c) jobs.

--- Later in debate ---

[Kemi Badenoch]

I thank my hon. Friend for her letters and her continued campaigning for her constituency. We are working closely with the Welsh Government and remain committed to establishing at least one freeport in Wales as soon as possible. I encourage them to work closely with constituency MPs on that. As in England, specific locations will be chosen in a fair, open and transparent allocation process.

[Jeff Smith]

The Minister must recognise that climate inaction is not just a disaster for the planet but has a huge financial cost and economic consequences. We cannot dodge the critical decisions that we need to decarbonise the economy any more. How exactly will the Government hardwire our net zero targets into every decision in the upcoming spending review?

[Kemi Badenoch]

The Government have used the Green Book to mandate that policies must be developed and assessed against how well they deliver on our long-term policy aims, including net zero. We did that at spending review 2020, where guidance required Departments to include the greenhouse emissions of bids and their impact on meeting carbon budgets and net zero, and allocations to Departments were informed by that information. That is how we will continue to carry out consideration of climate impacts in fiscal policy.