Great British Energy Bill (First sitting)

Debate between Olivia Blake and Josh MacAlister

Committee stage
Tuesday 8th October 2024 Public Bill Committees

[Olivia Blake]

I am also a member of the GMB.

[Josh MacAlister (Whitehaven and Workington) (Lab)]

I am also a member of the GMB.

Great British Energy Bill (Second sitting)

Debate between Olivia Blake and Josh MacAlister

Committee stage
Tuesday 8th October 2024 Public Bill Committees

[Olivia Blake]

Q If we are to learn the lessons of coal and the 1980s, South Yorkshire would be a perfect location for a satellite office—just to put that on your agenda, Minister.

[Josh MacAlister]

He has had this from every Scottish MP for the past six months.

[Olivia Blake]

Well, we have not heard enough about God’s own county here today.

There has been a lot of positivity from witnesses; some of them seemed quite excited about the Bill. I want to understand, from your perspective, why it has taken a change of Government to see this sort of Bill come forward, and what your ambition is for it.

Michael Shanks: That is really important. Last week, I visited Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, the last coal-powered station in the UK, and it was a good example of the just transition in practice. It was the right thing that we phased out coal; the TUC itself confirmed that that was exactly how to deal with workers in such a difficult situation where you are moving people from one industry and transitioning them into something else. It was a properly planned process, which is what we want to see in industry.

You are right: we absolutely want to avoid what happened with coalmining in the 1980s. It goes back to what I was saying earlier: this Government are not agnostic about the future of jobs and manufacturing in our industrial communities right across the country. It is important that we invest in them not only because, frankly, we are in a race against the world for all the parts we need to deliver the future of energy, and we will need to produce some of them in this country, but because good, well-paid, skilled jobs are how we will manage the transition in a fair and prosperous way. It is critical for us.

I think it matches other policies. Yes, GB Energy will be a key part, but the industrial strategy will also be important. The national wealth fund and a whole range of levers will be important. The office for clean energy jobs is all about saying that, as a Government, we are committed to the future of this workforce and to creating tens of thousands of new jobs that do not currently exist.