Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Laurence Robertson and Kwasi Kwarteng

Tuesday 11th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

As I have stated, the energy price guarantee does help businesses in a large measure. Also, I am not going to take lectures from the SNP about growth. In Scotland, for every year from 2010 to 2019, growth was lower than in the rest of the United Kingdom. I will not take any lessons about supporting business from the hon. Lady.

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

3. What recent discussions he has had with the Governor of the Bank of England on rising mortgage rates.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Laurence Robertson and Kwasi Kwarteng

Tuesday 7th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

20. What steps he is taking to increase investment in renewable energy projects.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Kwasi Kwarteng)]

In April, the Government published plans for accelerating renewable energy deployment in our British energy security strategy. Of course, that is very much at the centre of our strategy to ensure sustainability, affordability and security in the long term in our energy.

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[Kwasi Kwarteng]

The hon. Member will know that issues relating to taxation are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. As far as the hon. Member’s windfall tax is concerned, I have always been opposed to such taxes on principle, and I continue to be opposed. I hope that this energy profits levy does not discourage investment; actually, it has features that do attract greater investment.

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

T2. I am sure that Ministers will join me in congratulating a Royal Mail depot in my constituency that has moved its fleet to electric vehicles. However, that does place a lot of demand on the system, so will Ministers ensure that, when formulating policy, industrial estates, for example, have sufficient electricity to enable even more of them to change to electric vehicles?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Laurence Robertson and Kwasi Kwarteng

Tuesday 25th May 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to increase the opportunities for generating electricity locally.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Kwasi Kwarteng)]

We are providing support for the delivery of renewable energy projects within rural communities in England through the £10 million rural community energy fund programme.

[Mr Robertson]

I thank the Minister for that response. Does he agree that the production of electricity locally could help a great deal towards our net zero target? Will he also look at the situation in my constituency of Tewkesbury, where two rivers, the Avon and the Severn, join? The Severn would, I think, be particularly useful in producing electricity if we could get the schemes in place. Will he look at that and perhaps explore the possibilities?

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

My hon. Friend correctly observes that there are two major rivers in Tewkesbury, the Avon and the Severn—very beautiful rivers, I might add. As far as hydroelectric power on rivers is concerned, we would have to look at the hydraulics and the power that can be generated, but we clearly appreciate that there is potential there, and we want to explore any ideas that can bring those projects to fruition. Having said that, there is a limit to the capacity that such rivers can generate, unfortunately.

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[Kwasi Kwarteng]

The hon. Gentleman is right to mention the ONS data, but he will appreciate that that is comparing quarter 1 this year with quarter 1 last year. [Interruption.] Of course it does. January was exceptionally bad—I fully admit that—because there was uncertainty about how the new deal would operate. Subsequent data from Q2 and from March was much better, The next quarter will have better results, and I am sure that quarters after that will show proportionate improvement. The Australian trade deal is a fundamental issue for us. If we cannot make a trade deal with a country that has shared legislation, shared history, and shared traditions, we will not get anywhere with any of these trade deals. I think this is an excellent opportunity for the UK.

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

The Government are to be congratulated on their plans to phase out diesel and petrol cars, but that raises the question of how we will charge electric cars, especially for those who do not have driveways and have to park on the roads. What can we do to speed up the development of the infrastructure?