Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the number of jobs created in the Swansea Bay region as a result of the construction of the proposed tidal lagoon.

The socio-economic effects of the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon will form part of my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s consideration of the application for development consent for that project. However, as that application is still under consideration, she cannot currently engage in any discussion of that project’s merits or otherwise.

The first phase of the Contract for Difference negotiation, which is currently taking place, is a due diligence exercise. This will, amongst other things, consider the value for money case for the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project and a wider programme of lagoons. The value for money case will give consideration to whether lagoons contribute to the delivery of a more socially cost effective electricity generation mix.