Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Tony Baldry Excerpts
Thursday 8th November 2012

(12 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Vince Cable Portrait Vince Cable
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I share the hon. Gentleman’s frustration that supply chains in that sector are not as well developed as they should be, not just in respect of the components, but also of the steel that contributes to the masts. That is why the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and I are bringing together the renewables supply chain to develop the capacity that the hon. Gentleman wishes to see.

Tony Baldry Portrait Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend agree that there is considerable potential for new, green manufacturing jobs in new housing systems? In Bicester, which has an eco-town project and aspires to become a new garden city, we are keen to have a green-collar cluster of companies manufacturing new housing systems.

Vince Cable Portrait Vince Cable
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That is a very constructive suggestion. To put it in a wider context, there are already something in the order of 1 million green economy jobs, which is about 8% of our economy. The construction sector is potentially an important and big component of that, and I would be happy to talk to and work with the hon. Gentleman to encourage it.