Oral Answers to Questions

Steve Baker Excerpts

Tuesday 7th June 2022 Commons Chamber

[Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton) (Con)]

9. What steps he is taking to support new low-carbon technologies.

[Mr Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con)]

10. What steps he is taking to support new low-carbon technologies.

--- Later in debate ---

[Greg Hands]

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for his constituency and for the hydrogen sector. I was at the global hydrogen summit about three weeks ago where exactly the possibility of hydrogen exports was very much the topic of the day. That is why we have doubled the ambition in our British energy security strategy to go to 10 GW of low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030, which will provide fantastic opportunities right the way across the country, notably in his constituency as well.

[Mr Baker]

I am very keen to help the Government find viable paths to net zero, which is why I took a meeting with a firm that has developed a route to continuous power from tidal basins. Can I bring those people to meet my right hon. Friend to discuss how that solution, remarkable as it is, produces continuous, not intermittent, net zero power, so that he can learn more about what could be done?

[Greg Hands]

I thank my hon. Friend for his continued interest in all matters relating to net zero. My door is always open to him, particularly in bringing innovative proposals on how we will get to net zero. He will know that the Government have invested more than £175 million in tidal energy projects in the past two decades and we have £20 million allocated in the current allocation round for the contracts for difference for tidal stream power.