North Sea Oil and Gas
Debate between Uma Kumaran and Alistair Carmichael(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Uma Kumaran
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend.
We are talking about communities that are dependent on this industry. As a proud member of the GMB, I absolutely understand why workers must be at the heart of this. North sea oil and gas reserves are in terminal decline. They cannot provide a secure future for workers, and there is no long-term future in them. We have heard that just 10% is left to be extracted.
Mr Carmichael
Much of what the hon. Lady says is correct, but she is setting oil and gas up in opposition to the development of renewables, when they absolutely are not. I do not believe there is a long-term future for the oil and gas industry, but we will need oil and gas in the future. We are talking not just about the long term, but about the short to medium term. That is the whole point of a transition: it is about how we get from here to where we want to be. There is no way of getting to the renewables future without going through oil and gas first.
Uma Kumaran
The right hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point. I cannot say that I agree with all of it, but we need all voices around the table.
Mr Carmichael
Each time, the hon. Lady says, “Instead of that, it’s this.” It is not an either/or; it is an “as well”.
Uma Kumaran
The oil industry and fossil fuel lobbyists want us to believe that we need to take them on the journey with us. The case for renewables is there. At the moment, however, the voices for the renewables industry and more sustainable energy sources are being drowned out by those who want us to preserve the system that we already have.
Hospitality Sector
Debate between Uma Kumaran and Alistair Carmichael(10 months, 4 weeks ago)
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Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)
Will the Minister give way?