Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Thursday 6th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (Lab)]

1. What recent progress has been made on the EU 2030 framework for energy and climate policies; and if he will make a statement.

[Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)]

9. What recent progress has been made on the EU 2030 framework for energy and climate policies; and if he will make a statement.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

15. What recent progress has been made on the EU 2030 framework for energy and climate policies; and if he will make a statement.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Davey]

I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman asks that question because, having been an assiduous member of the Committee that considered the Energy Bill, which became the Energy Act 2013, he will know that we cannot lay down that order until the fifth carbon budget, which is due in 2015-16. He will also know that this Government have met the first carbon budget and are on track to meet the second and third carbon budgets, and that in the summer I confirmed the fourth carbon budget at the ambitious levels we have set. We are meeting our Climate Change Act 2008 obligations.

[Mrs Glindon]

The Labour party has already set out its position on carbon capture and storage as a vital part of our future energy mix. Is the Secretary of State concerned that Europe appears to be falling behind on CCS, and does he agree that his Government need to do more to stop that happening?

[Mr Davey]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for asking me about CCS. This Government are actually leading Europe on CCS; we have the only two commercial-scale CCS projects, one of which was the only such project to get funding from Europe. It was because of the UK Government’s actions that the conclusions of the recent energy and climate change deal included CCS. Like the hon. Lady, we are a strong supporter of CCS.