Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Shanks and Amanda Hack

Tuesday 17th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Michael Shanks]

Communities are, and will always be, able to speak about the plans for their local area, and to contribute to consultations and planning applications—we will not change anything about that. However, it is important to say that nationally important infrastructure will need to be built somewhere if we are to have the clean power future and energy security that everybody in this country needs. I gently say to the hon. Lady that, even in the most extreme statistics, less than 1% of land in this country would be used to build for solar. Either the Conservatives are in favour of keeping us on the rollercoaster of volatile fossil fuels, or they are in favour of building clean power. Her party used to be in favour of net zero, but now it seems to be running away from it at speed.

[Amanda Hack (North West Leicestershire) (Lab)]

7. What steps he is taking to introduce a warm homes plan.

--- Later in debate ---

[Amanda Hack (North West Leicestershire) (Lab)]

T10. In my constituency, there has been strong growth in the purchase of electric vehicles, but we have only half as many public charging points per person as the national average. How can we secure more charging points in public spaces in rural communities?

[Michael Shanks]

My hon. Friend makes an important point about rolling out charging infrastructure to all parts of the country, and we are working on that with colleagues in the Department for Transport. Local distribution networks in rural areas are incredibly important, and introducing greater access to the grid—including through Ofgem’s approval of £22 billion to improve distribution networks—will enable us to roll out EV infrastructure in rural areas throughout the country.