John Bercow
Main Page: John Bercow (Speaker - Buckingham)(9 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Amber Rudd
I am afraid I do not have a full answer to give the hon. Gentleman, but I am happy to write to him further when I have an answer.
Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)
10. What steps she is taking to encourage the building of further new nuclear reactors.
Andrea Leadsom
I would like to apologise publicly to the local MP. I shall look into the matter today. Restrictions on school borrowing are necessary, however, to protect public sector accounts. School borrowing contributes to public sector net debt and borrowing—two important fiscal measurements that we must control in order to bring down the national deficit and retain economic confidence—which is why we have no plans to lift restrictions on borrowing.
Mr Speaker
I feel sure that the Minister will have looked into the matter by lunch time.
Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) (Lab)
13. What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of statutory regulation of the district heating sector.
Amber Rudd
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He is right that regulation is another way to approach the issue; basically, we can do so through either some form of subsidy or some form of regulation. I apologise to him, because I am going to wait and see how the cards fall before fully answering that question.
Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)
I am grateful, Mr Speaker.
The Minister said in earlier answers that she wants the renewable energy industry to be sustainable financially and commercially successful, but at the same time the Government have taken the subsidies away at a rate that has damaged the industry, and they have not applied that policy to nuclear. Surely she can see the damage being done and the inconsistency in the Government’s approach.