Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Ownership of the Energy System

Tuesday 16 April 2024 · 2 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions addressed the potential merits of public ownership of the energy system on 2024-04-16
  • Public ownership of energy systems exists through offshore wind assets owned by state-owned companies in countries like Denmark and Norway
  • The Minister cited the Nottingham City Council's Robin Hood Energy case, costing taxpayers 38 million, as an example of public ownership challenges

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
Economy Energy
Context

The question arises from a debate on whether public ownership of the energy sector could offer benefits.

Question

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of public ownership of the energy system. Despite disagreement, public ownership exists through offshore wind assets that are 45% owned by state-owned companies of countries like Denmark and Norway. Publicly owned energy companies can accelerate clean energy transition while creating jobs, reducing bills, and ensuring direct benefits to the public.

Answer from Justin Tomlinson

Properly regulated markets incentivise private capital investment in the energy sector for consumer benefit through market competition, driving efficiency and innovation. In Nottingham City Council's Robin Hood Energy case, chaired by a politician, it cost taxpayers £38 million.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The merits of public ownership were not assessed; instead, emphasis was on private markets and an example was given that did not directly address the question.

How: Changed Subject To Robin Hood Energy Case

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Q2 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
Economy Energy
Context

Following initial disagreement, the question focuses on examples of public ownership abroad and its potential benefits.

Question

Despite the Minister's disagreement, public ownership exists in our energy system. For example, 45% of our offshore wind assets are publicly owned, just not by the UK—they belong to the state-owned companies of countries such as Denmark and Norway. Publicly owned energy companies can accelerate the transition to clean energy while creating jobs, reducing bills and ensuring that the public benefit directly from our common resources.

Answer from Justin Tomlinson

I thank the hon. Member. It is flattering: I am 48 hours into my role, and she would like to upgrade it so that I can personally be in charge of delivering energy companies. In Nottingham City Council's Robin Hood Energy case, chaired by a politician, it cost taxpayers £38 million.

Not addressed: The benefits of public ownership were not addressed; the response changed to personal and local example without relevance to the question.

How: Personal Flattery, Changed Subject

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