Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Gethins and Michael Shanks

Tuesday 24th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)]

I congratulate all those in my hon. Friend’s constituency on what sounds like a fantastic project, and it is an example of what we want to see all across the country. The local power plan unlocks £1 billion of investment, with the ambition that communities right across the UK should be able to own and operate their own energy infrastructure, and the profits from that should flow into local communities.

[Stephen Gethins (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) (SNP)]

T5. Mr Speaker, the energy bills crisis is happening right now, but you might not know that from Ministers’ responses today. The Scottish Government’s actions have helped to deliver clean, green, renewable energy as a net exporter, bailing out the UK Government in terms of heating oil as well. Will they work together, and will they respond positively to the First Minister’s call for a four nations summit?

[Michael Shanks]

We do work very well together, actually, contrary to what it might appear from the hon. Member’s contribution. He suggests, quite wrongly—twice now—that Scotland is generating all this electricity by itself. Of course, those projects are funded by bill payers across the UK investing in that infrastructure. His plan seems to be to take a third off energy bills with independence, with absolutely no credibility whatsoever.