Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mary Glindon and John Hayes

Thursday 4th December 2014 Commons Chamber

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

10. What the outcome was of the recent European negotiations on port regulation.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Mr John Hayes)]

The Government recognised the detrimental effect that the proposed port services regulation in its original form would have had on the UK ports industry. At the Transport Council in October, we succeeded in our main negotiating aim of ensuring that the Council text was amended to protect our ports industry by limiting its application and by taking better account of the interests of already competitive ports such as ours.

[Mrs Glindon]

What work has the Minister carried out with European partners through the process to ensure that trade union recognition and collective bargaining are explicitly protected, while still respecting the autonomy of social partners?

[Mr Hayes]

The hon. Lady may know that I am a trade unionist. My father was a shop steward, and my grandfather was chairman of his union branch.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mary Glindon and John Hayes

Thursday 13th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

18. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the implications of the autumn statement for investment in new energy infrastructure.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Mr John Hayes)]

My Department and the Treasury regularly discuss how to incentivise investment in new energy infrastructure. That is why we were able to reach agreement, paving the way for the introduction of the Energy Bill and the Chancellor’s autumn statement. These enable us to meet our legally binding carbon reduction and renewable energy obligations and ensure the investment required to bring affordable power to our nation.

[Mrs Glindon]

Given the recent announcement on consumer price rises, how will the Minister ensure that decisions over the next six months on investments in new nuclear generation capacity, before the Energy Bill is even on the statute book, will be made at the lowest possible cost to consumers?

[Mr Hayes]

The arrangements in the Energy Bill allow for precisely the eventuality that the hon. Lady describes: they allow final investment decisions to be made in concert with contracts for difference. She will know that we are in ongoing discussions about the Hinkley Point development. I cannot say too much about its commerciality, but she should know that we intend to proceed with that with alacrity and diligence. I am confident that new nuclear can play its part in an energy mix that is fit for the future.