Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Tuesday 12th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Colin Clark]

The oil and gas industry plays an active role in protecting the environment and reducing emissions. Does the Minister share my shock that the shadow Chancellor advised Cambridge University to divest itself of oil and gas investments when that industry supports 300,000 jobs in the UK? Does she agree that the industry is playing its part, and that 300,000 UK jobs are worth protecting despite the Opposition’s—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I say very gently that the Minister will want to focus on the policy of the Government. Her view about the policy of the Opposition is neither here nor there. With experience, I know the hon. Gentleman will realise that those questions are disorderly.

[Claire Perry]

The Government’s policy is to support a sector that employs 300,000 people and contributes £21 billion to the UK economy. We recognise that the vital oil and gas industry has an integral role to play as we transition to a low-carbon economy, which is why we are investing in technologies such as carbon capture, usage and storage, and exploring how things such as our world-leading submersible technologies can work to support oil and gas.

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[Claire Perry]

The previous point still stands. We are incredibly proud of our industrial strategy, with its groundbreaking opportunities to link up government and businesses for the first time. I go back to the point on the hon. Lady’s questions about solar: the thing about offshore wind is that we lead—[Interruption.] Again, if they could all stop chuntering, Mr Speaker—God almighty. We lead the world in terms of the installed capacity, and we have created tens of thousands of jobs. I know the Opposition Front Benchers, as per the first question, do not give a stuff about jobs, let alone consumer bills, but the point is that—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Minister, please resume your seat. I am most grateful to you, but I am afraid dilation is not in order today. We have a lot to get through and not much time in which to do so. We have to make progress. We need short questions and short answers.

[The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry)]

The last time I talked about dilation, I was in labour. However, in Kettering—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. What is required is a brief answer and a brief question—no dilation.

[Claire Perry]

In 2016, at least 150 GWh were generated in Kettering, mostly from renewables; this is enough generation to power 38,000 homes. In 2016, 405 GWh of electricity were consumed in the Kettering local authority area.

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[Stephen Kerr (Stirling) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

No. This question was purely about Kettering—both the question and the answer—so we must move on.

[Scott Mann (North Cornwall) (Con)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of business investment in the food and drink sector in the south-west.

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[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

No mention of Galileo—not one word.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman does not need to keep banging on about Galileo from a sedentary position. We want to hear the views of the hon. Lady, but we have heard the hon. Gentleman chuntering and we may hear him on his feet in due course.

[Lucy Powell]

When looking at investment in science and innovation across the UK, will the Government do what has not been done in recent years, and make sure that the north gets its fair share?

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

We can take Question 19, if it is brief.

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[Claire Perry]

Partly because of the right hon. Gentleman’s great policy decisions, we have had a world-leading advance in offshore wind in terms of the cost at which we can deploy it. He is right to say that we have to consider the whole life cycle of technologies and that is exactly what we have been doing in considering tidal technology.

[Mr Speaker]

The right hon. Gentleman has been given the accolade of being the source of world leadership in a particular field. I trust, therefore, that he will be gratified with his efforts today.

[Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We have run out of time so we must have very brief questions. I think a sentence will suffice.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Factory output has decreased, according to the papers today. Will the Minister outline what he can do to assist factory manufacturing and initiate a clear industrial strategy?