Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from the need to increase clean power production due to recent geopolitical events.
What steps he is taking to help increase the production of clean power. The US-Israel war has pushed up prices for my constituents and is yet more evidence that we need to be energy self-sufficient with clean power, so I greatly welcome the £2.6 billion investment in Rolls-Royce for small modular reactors.
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I was pleased to sign that contract with Rolls-Royce in the past few weeks. We are world leaders in small modular reactors and this is a massive innovation, not just for Britain but for the world. It is not just the jobs constructing the SMRs that are really important, but the jobs in the supply chain too.
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Assessment & feedback
The Secretary did not specify how GB Energy will invest in such projects
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from the impact of the crisis in Iran on household budgets, highlighting previous failures to invest adequately.
For my Slough constituents, the crisis in Iran and the naval blockade have had a profound impact on household budgets. What measures are the Government taking to invest in cheap, clean, home-grown energy so that my Slough constituents can be protected from those spikes in the cost of living?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The central fact that we cannot get away from is that we are price takers not price makers when it comes to oil and gas, and that is the fundamental contradiction at the heart of where the Opposition are. We are going to drive further and faster on clean power, including electrification across the economy.
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Assessment & feedback
The Secretary did not specify any specific measures for protecting households from cost fluctuations
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from the need to increase clean power production, particularly with the recent investment in Rolls-Royce SMRs.
That is great news for my constituents, as well as those in Derby and the wider region. Will the Secretary of State say more about how GB Energy will invest in such projects?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I was pleased to sign that contract with Rolls-Royce in the past few weeks. We are world leaders in small modular reactors and this is a massive innovation, not just for Britain but for the world.
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Assessment & feedback
The Secretary did not provide further details on how GB Energy will invest
Response accuracy
Q4
Direct Answer
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Context
The question arises from the need to address new safety challenges in battery energy storage systems, following guidance issued by the National Fire Chiefs Council.
To get the best out of intermittent energy producers such as wind and solar, we need to invest in battery energy storage systems. However, these face new safety challenges. Will he agree to a further meeting to specifically address the unmet needs in national construction standards?
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. I know that the Energy Minister has met him and the National Fire Chiefs Council to discuss this issue. We take the safety of battery technology incredibly seriously, and I am sure that the Energy Minister will be happy to meet him again for further discussions.
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Assessment & feedback
null
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from concerns about the large-scale approval of solar farm projects in rural areas, affecting local communities and agricultural land.
If the 7,000-acre Great North Road scheme, the 2,000-acre Steeple scheme, and the 4,000-acre One Earth scheme are all approved, almost 10% of the land mass of my constituency will be covered in solar farms. How on earth is that fair to local communities?
For reasons that the right hon. Gentleman will understand, I am not going to comment on individual planning decisions, because they have to go through the proper process, but I say to him that solar is the cheapest, cleanest form of power that we have.
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Assessment & feedback
The Secretary avoided addressing the fairness issue directly
Not Commenting On Individual Planning Decisions
Response accuracy