Renewable Energy Workers’ Rights 2025-02-04
2025-02-04
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Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about ensuring high-quality, well-paid jobs in the renewable energy sector and highlights a proposed data centre project called Silicon Sands that promises to be environmentally friendly while creating thousands of jobs.
Data centres at Blackpool’s proposed high-performance data centre campus Silicon Sands will be powered by renewable energy and cooled by liquid immersion techniques, with the excess heat repurposed into neighbourhood buildings and homes. Silicon Sands could lead the way in an environmentally friendly approach to data centres, while creating thousands of well-paid jobs for my home town. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how the Department can support my vision to build a better Blackpool?
I would of course be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to talk about this great project, Silicon Sands, which will bring jobs and be really innovative for his area. The wider point is really important—for too long, our coastal and industrial communities have not had the job opportunities they deserve. We are determined to change that.
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Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP raises concerns about the use of solar panels made with materials sourced from regions associated with human rights abuses, and questions whether the government's ambitions for renewable energy can be achieved without reliance on such products.
Can the Minister assure the House that her ambitions for renewable energy can be achieved without Chinese slave labour?
Yes—of course, we ensure that the highest standards are kept in all these things. The Government’s position is to make sure that we are very careful about them. The right hon. Gentleman may be referring to solar, which is a particular issue that people have raised. We have a solar taskforce, which has been set up exactly to look at those points.
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