Ruth Jones
Main Page: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)Department Debates - View all Ruth Jones's debates with the Wales Office
(1 day, 18 hours ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)
This Government are supporting clean energy projects in Wales. Seven tidal, solar and onshore wind projects were successful in the recent contracts for difference round, and we have given the Celtic and Anglesey freeports the green light, which will enable green industries to grow, creating new jobs. I am also delighted that 13 projects have been successful in the first round of the Crown Estate’s £50 million supply chain accelerator fund, which will support the delivery of floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea.
Ruth Jones
The Under-Secretary of State for Wales, my hon. Friend the Member for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith), was recently with me in Llandudno at a roundtable with the main stakeholders in floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea. This project is ready to go, and it will bring massive benefits through cheaper, more secure energy for everybody across the UK. What are the Secretary of State and the Wales Office doing to ensure that the contracts are signed, sealed and delivered as quickly as possible? We want these benefits to come via Wales, not via other regions or countries.
Jo Stevens
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. We know that floating offshore wind will be critical to delivering our clean energy mission, and Wales has a huge part to play in that. The UK Government, jointly with the Welsh Government, recognise these opportunities and what they present for Wales, and we are determined to take full advantage of them. My colleagues in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are working to move the process forward as quickly as possible, noting the need for certainty and a tight timetable so that we can get on with it.