Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 21st March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

17. What fiscal steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the economy in reaching net-zero carbon emissions.

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

20. What fiscal steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the economy in reaching net-zero carbon emissions.

[Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South) (Lab)]

22. What fiscal steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the economy in reaching net-zero carbon emissions.

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[James Cartlidge]

I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman for his consistency—he raised this with me on Thursday in my winding-up speech on the Budget debate. As I said then, we will announce further details soon, but I can confirm that I will be meeting the Carbon Capture and Storage Association tomorrow. I look forward to the meeting. This is an incredibly important step forward, because we must remember that carbon capture does not just give us clean energy, but enables heavy industry to decarbonise.

[Jeff Smith]

Why does the Chancellor not rewire local economies by taking inspiration from President Biden and backing Labour’s policy for a national wealth fund to support half a million new jobs this decade?

[James Cartlidge]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising the Inflation Reduction Act; I hope we all welcome what the United States is doing, because the climate is a global phenomenon and, if we are to make progress, we need the United States and other countries to do their bit. Let me be clear: we should be proud of our record to date and confident in our future, because we have huge competitive advantages on green industry. We have a brilliant record to date, we have the shallow North sea, where we have developed the biggest coastal array of offshore wind in the whole of Europe, we have a brilliant scientific base and, with the City of London and our financial institutions, we should be confident about our green future.

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[John Glen]

Given that I answered this question five weeks ago, I admire my hon. Friend’s consistency. I very much regret that we have not been able to make that decision yet. As I think I said last time, it is a matter for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and conversations have developed. We have made a commitment on the quantum of money, and I will leave it for my colleague to make that announcement imminently.

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

T6. The head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said of the Chancellor:“Continuing to muddle through, massage the figures, and implement poorly designed policies will only make the problems worse.”That is a pretty damning verdict on his Budget, is it not?

[Jeremy Hunt]

It would be if his comment had not been quoted out of context, as the hon. Gentleman just did, because he also said that he could see in the Budget a growth plan and he strongly welcomed measures such as the childcare reform.