Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Justin Tomlinson

Tuesday 21st May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

3. Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of public ownership of the energy system.

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

No.

[Liz Twist]

Every family in Britain is paying the price for the Government’s failure on energy, with bills through the roof while oil and gas profits have soared. A publicly owned clean energy company would allow us to take back control of our energy, cutting bills and creating jobs across the UK. Why are the Government letting their ideological stubbornness get in the way of supporting families, when they could follow other, successful countries and set up a publicly owned clean energy company like Great British Energy?

[Justin Tomlinson]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question, but I do not think that consumers will. The TUC itself has highlighted the potential £61 billion to £82 billion cost that will be landed either at the taxpayer’s doorstep or directly on to consumers’ bills, which is nothing to be thankful for.

--- Later in debate ---

[Justin Tomlinson]

My hon. Friend and constituency neighbour raises an important point about speculative development. As part of speeding up the grid queue, in which we have somewhere in the region of 700 GW of power capacity coming forward, we wish to prioritise shovel-ready schemes, not speculative schemes.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.