Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing for the (a) reskilling and (b) retraining of employees in the coal sector as result of its policy to phase out unabated coal by 2025.

The Government is clear that we need to build an economy that delivers good, skilled, well-paid jobs and creates the conditions for competitive, world leading businesses to prosper and grow right across the UK. To foster this, last year we published the Clean Growth Strategy and the Industrial Strategy White Paper.

We recognise that the continued transition away from coal generation, which has been underway for some years, will have an impact on jobs and communities. Analysis suggests that the majority of coal plants are likely to close ahead of the intervention in 2025.

We expect that the losses in activity associated with the closure of unabated coal generators will be compensated by increased activity in new, clean generation. We want all regions of the UK to benefit from the creation of new jobs in the clean economy. Our new Local Energy Programme will support local areas to develop their capability and capacity to unlock local clean energy and low carbon opportunities.