Energy Security 2024-12-17
2024-12-17
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the impact of fossil fuel energy insecurity on households. There are concerns over critical minerals supply dominated by economically bad actors.
We have seen terrible consequences for households due to fossil fuel energy insecurity. To achieve net zero goals, there will be a massive increase in demand for critical minerals such as tin and lithium. How will the Government mitigate this clear and present danger?
I very much enjoyed my trip to my hon. Friend's constituency before the general election. He is an incredibly powerful advocate for the way his area can source some of the critical minerals we need, including lithium, and he is right about this. The concentration of supply chains, including critical minerals, has taken a generation to arrive, but we must unwind it, and it is one of the many things we are working on as a Government.
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Assessment & feedback
Meeting request not addressed
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Wales has a history of fuelling the UK's energy needs. There are plans to put Wales at the heart of energy security and net zero agenda.
Given Wales's tradition and history of fuelling the UK's energy needs, can you tell us what your plans are to put Wales at the heart of our energy security and net zero agenda?
My hon. Friend asks a really important question. The whole clean power plan is about benefiting all four nations of the United Kingdom, including Wales, and we work closely with the Welsh Government on these issues. Before this Labour Government came to office, they were actually trailblazers on how we could have publicly owned generation, and that is one of the things that we and GB Energy are working with them on.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific plans not detailed
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
There is a need for critical minerals to achieve net zero goals, but supply chains are dominated by economically bad actors.
To achieve our net zero goals, we will have to see a massive increase in demand for critical minerals such as tin and lithium. Much of the supply and processing of these materials will be dominated by economically bad actors. How will the Government mitigate this clear and present danger?
I very much enjoyed my trip to my hon. Friend's constituency before the general election. He is an incredibly powerful advocate for the way his area can source some of the critical minerals we need, including lithium, and he is right about this. The concentration of supply chains, including critical minerals, has taken a generation to arrive, but we must unwind it, and it is one of the many things we are working on as a Government.
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Assessment & feedback
Meeting request not addressed
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
There is a need to support small modular reactors for clean energy.
Small modular reactors are less land intensive, very efficient and would get us to clean energy very quickly. As land is in scarce supply, when will the Government get on board with nuclear instead of shackling themselves to inefficient solar?
I can tell the hon. Gentleman that we support the SMR programme, and we are driving it forward through Great British Nuclear. I am afraid he is making a terrible mistake, which is that we need all of these clean technologies at our disposal—we need nuclear, we need renewables, we need carbon capture and storage—and the difference is that this Government are getting on with it.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific timeline not given
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Despite lifting the onshore wind ban, there are concerns about how Wales will benefit from a ramp up of onshore wind.
By 2030, 8,600 MW of onshore wind is needed in England and Wales. Can you outline exactly how Wales will be benefiting from this huge ramp up in onshore wind?
I have to say to the hon. Lady that I do not see it that way. The reality is that the country is totally vulnerable to the rollercoaster of the fossil fuel markets. We do not need to look into a crystal ball; we just need to look at the record: we saw the worst cost of living crisis in generations. So long as we are exposed in this way, people in Wales and across the country are vulnerable.
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Assessment & feedback
Wales' benefits not addressed
Looking Into A Crystal Ball
Cost Of Living Crisis
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
The clean power document published states final decisions on Sizewell C and the Great British Nuclear-led Small Modular Reactor programme, but no dates are specified.
In the clean power 2030 document, no date is specified for the final investment decision on Sizewell, no date is specified for completion of the down-selection SMR process. Is it any wonder that the nuclear industry suspects this Government are not serious about nuclear?
I find the hon. Gentleman quite extraordinary, and not in a good way. The last Government left not only a generalised absolute mess in the public finances, but lots of the programmes that he is talking about were not even funded.
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Assessment & feedback
No dates or specifics given
Last Government'S Mess
Programmes Unfunded
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
The Government bought the Wylfa and Oldbury sites from Hitachi last year, giving certainty to workforce and communities. Is it still the intention to reach 24 GW of nuclear power by 2050?
It was us in government who bought the Wylfa and Oldbury sites from Hitachi, giving much-needed certainty to the workforce and local communities on both sites. Is it still the Government's intention to reach 24 GW of nuclear power by 2050? Does the Secretary of State acknowledge that this is impossible without another gigawatt-scale reactor?
The hon. Gentleman's story about Wylfa says it all. He says his Government had this great plan for Wylfa, but they had no money behind it.
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Assessment & feedback
No specifics or acknowledgment given
Last Government'S Lack Of Funding
Response accuracy