Oral Answers to Questions

Justin Madders Excerpts

Tuesday 21st May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Amanda Solloway]

My right hon. Friend makes the important point that energy efficiency is crucial to lowering bills. That is why we have the social housing decarbonisation fund, which supports local authorities and housing associations in upgrading social housing stock below energy performance certificate level C.

[Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)]

17. What recent discussions she has had with businesses and investors on the Government’s net zero targets.

[The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero (Justin Tomlinson)]

Our Department’s ministerial team meet regularly with industry, for example through the hydrogen investor forum, the Offshore Wind Industry Council, the solar taskforce, the green jobs delivery group, and the cross-cutting Net Zero Council.

[Justin Madders]

Last week, Stellantis, the owner of the Vauxhall car plant in Ellesmere Port, announced that it would import electric vehicles, despite the fact that we produce some great electric vans in Ellesmere Port and want to move on to producing cars there as well. Does the Minister think that, over the long term, reaching our net zero targets through the import of cheaper Chinese vehicles will be a good or bad thing for the UK car industry?

[Justin Tomlinson]

The hon. Member raises a very important point. One of the Opposition’s main pledges, which is to fully decarbonise the grid by 2030, could be met only by opening the floodgates to cheap Chinese imports—the exact thing he is opposed to.