Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Onshore Wind Industry

Tuesday 19 September 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • More than 15 GW of onshore wind are deployed in the UK.
  • On 5 September, the Government announced changes to national planning policy for onshore wind in England, giving greater flexibility.
  • The Minister expressed optimism for a positive future for onshore wind in England and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Climate Energy
Context

The question arises from the perceived need to lift the ban on onshore wind in England to support energy security and reduce costs.

Question

What steps she is taking to help develop the onshore wind industry in England. The Government have failed to properly lift the ban on onshore wind, while bending over backwards to support expensive new oilfields and even giving billions in tax breaks for those polluting projects. That ban has already added hundreds of pounds to people's bills, undermining the investment we need in the cheapest form of energy, and cost thousands of good green jobs.

Answer from Graham Stuart

More than 15 GW of onshore wind are deployed in the UK. In our allocation round 5 just the other day, we secured 1.7 GW of onshore wind capacity; allocation round 4 secured 1.5 GW. It is extraordinary: an industry—domestic UK oil and gas—has lower emissions than the alternative from abroad and employs 200,000 people, every one of whose jobs is at risk if the Labour party ever gets into power. Labour Members are suggesting that there is a negative fiscal impact, when that industry is expected to contribute £50 billion over the next five years.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about higher bills and energy security was not directly addressed

How: Redirecting Focus To Oil And Gas Industry

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Q2 Richard Burgon Lab Leeds East
Climate Energy
Context

The question arises from the recent announcement on onshore wind, which industry leaders described as a missed opportunity to end the ban.

Question

If the Minister will not accept the argument of my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds East (Richard Burgon), will he at least listen to industry, which described the recent announcement on onshore wind as a “missed opportunity” to end the ban? RenewableUK said: The proposed changes don't go far enough and would not make up for eight years of lost progress. When will the Minister listen to industry and lift the ban properly so that we can cut bills?

Answer from Graham Stuart

On 5 September, the Government announced changes to national planning policy for onshore wind in England, giving greater flexibility to allocate suitable areas and to address the planning impact of onshore wind. I agree with the hon. Lady; I am an enthusiast for more onshore wind where it goes with the grain of communities, and we will continue to pursue that to make sure that we can realise the benefits that come from it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about when the ban would be lifted properly was not directly addressed

How: Acknowledged Agreement But No Timeline

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Q3 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Climate Energy
Context

The question arises from the recent allocation round, which saw no new onshore wind projects in England. The Minister claims that recent changes to national planning policy will lift the ban on onshore wind.

Question

The Minister will know, although he unaccountably did not tell us, that there was precisely no new onshore wind in England in the recent AR5. The Minister claims that the latest compromised wording, which he alluded to, will lift the ban on onshore wind, but he knows really that that is not so and he knows what the industry has been saying about it and why it will not invest for the future. The result is no new onshore wind getting built in the medium-term, higher bills for families and less energy security for the country.

Answer from Graham Stuart

As I have just said, we announced changes as recently as 5 September. Like the hon. Gentleman, I look forward to a positive future for onshore wind in England, as well as in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about fair planning regulations and restarting the industry was not directly addressed

How: Acknowledged Anticipation But No Concrete Steps

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