I am grateful to the noble Earl. He said that he thinks that green energy will lower costs. So far, green energy has actually raised costs. Why should it lower costs in the future?

I am grateful to the noble Earl. He said that he thinks that green energy will lower costs. So far, green energy has actually raised costs. Why should it lower costs in the future?

My Lords, I wish to pick up the concern voiced by the noble Lord, Lord Vaux, that GB Energy will pick up some of what I have described as the low-hanging fruit of projects in the energy sector, which can be serviced by the private sector. I do not think...

My Lords, I wish to pick up the concern voiced by the noble Lord, Lord Vaux, that GB Energy will pick up some of what I have described as the low-hanging fruit of projects in the energy sector, which can be serviced by the private sector. I do not think...

Can the Minister be absolutely clear on the role of the Treasury? He talks about £8.3 billion being allocated to GB Energy, but will the money not actually be held in a sort of escrow account in the Treasury and will GB Energy not have to apply to the Treasury...

Can the Minister be absolutely clear on the role of the Treasury? He talks about £8.3 billion being allocated to GB Energy, but will the money not actually be held in a sort of escrow account in the Treasury and will GB Energy not have to apply to the Treasury...

My Lords, I support Amendment 10 as well, because the future of nuclear is very important if we are going to lead to a much cleaner environment in which to live. It is an important source of power generation that does not emit filth, like so many of the others...

My Lords, I support Amendment 10 as well, because the future of nuclear is very important if we are going to lead to a much cleaner environment in which to live. It is an important source of power generation that does not emit filth, like so many of the others...

What the noble Lord told us about being on the advisory board of Drax is very interesting. But how about the shipment of all this timber across the Atlantic and the burning of it in the United Kingdom? That seems to me to pollute the atmosphere, as well as contributing...

What the noble Lord told us about being on the advisory board of Drax is very interesting. But how about the shipment of all this timber across the Atlantic and the burning of it in the United Kingdom? That seems to me to pollute the atmosphere, as well as contributing...

I will speak to government Amendment 8 about community energy supplies. The noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, said that, when she was at Eton, there was nobody there who wanted to have a small modular nuclear reactor near to their home. This is something that I think may...

I will speak to government Amendment 8 about community energy supplies. The noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, said that, when she was at Eton, there was nobody there who wanted to have a small modular nuclear reactor near to their home. This is something that I think may...

I totally accept that fact, and people have certainly got used to having much bigger reactors on those sites and so will not worry about it. I have ambitions, though, for SMRs that go way beyond existing sites. There are not that many of them in this country, and I...

I totally accept that fact, and people have certainly got used to having much bigger reactors on those sites and so will not worry about it. I have ambitions, though, for SMRs that go way beyond existing sites. There are not that many of them in this country, and I...

My Lords, it is always a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Alton. We have to admire his doggedness in bringing up the question of slave labour in China. As

we are totally dependent on so many different exports from China to this country, it is something that...

My Lords, it is always a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Alton. We have to admire his doggedness in bringing up the question of slave labour in China. As

we are totally dependent on so many different exports from China to this country, it is something that...

Does the Minister accept, however, that converting oilseed rape into aviation fuel does not produce clean energy?

5 pm

Does the Minister accept, however, that converting oilseed rape into aviation fuel does not produce clean energy?

5 pm

My Lords, I was speaking to the noble Lord, Lord Mandelson, the other day. This was when he was chasing around after

the chancellorship of Oxford University. I said to him that I thought he would serve his country much better in Washington than in Oxford. I congratulate him on...

My Lords, I was speaking to the noble Lord, Lord Mandelson, the other day. This was when he was chasing around after

the chancellorship of Oxford University. I said to him that I thought he would serve his country much better in Washington than in Oxford. I congratulate him on...

My Lords, first, I assure the noble Baroness, Lady Young, that I will not speak for 12 and a half minutes.

As I have established, I know a little about agriculture but not an awful lot. Something that occurred to me was that if you want to put up a massive...

My Lords, first, I assure the noble Baroness, Lady Young, that I will not speak for 12 and a half minutes.

As I have established, I know a little about agriculture but not an awful lot. Something that occurred to me was that if you want to put up a massive...

My Lords, I support these amendments. I have certain reservations about my noble friend Lady Bloomfield’s Amendment 78, because it assumes these investments will make money. I have a bit of a problem with that. The real difficulty, as we have discussed, is that all the low-hanging fruit when it...

My Lords, I support these amendments. I have certain reservations about my noble friend Lady Bloomfield’s Amendment 78, because it assumes these investments will make money. I have a bit of a problem with that. The real difficulty, as we have discussed, is that all the low-hanging fruit when it...

My Lords, it seems quite extraordinary that no reference is made in this Bill to nuclear because, let us face it, if you want to have clean energy generation, nuclear is the only thing that is available at the moment. My noble friend Lord Trenchard must be right when he...

My Lords, it seems quite extraordinary that no reference is made in this Bill to nuclear because, let us face it, if you want to have clean energy generation, nuclear is the only thing that is available at the moment. My noble friend Lord Trenchard must be right when he...

My Lords, I am very keen that my noble friend Lord Ashcombe should reintroduce the whole prospect of hydrogen, because I thought that it was rather rubbished by my noble friend Lord Roborough, who said that it was all going to be much too expensive. I think that the future...

My Lords, I am very keen that my noble friend Lord Ashcombe should reintroduce the whole prospect of hydrogen, because I thought that it was rather rubbished by my noble friend Lord Roborough, who said that it was all going to be much too expensive. I think that the future...

If he will comment on progress towards the disposal of his Department's fuel depot and pier facilities at Invergordon, with particular reference to the likely timescale involved.

If he will comment on progress towards the disposal of his Department's fuel depot and pier facilities at Invergordon, with particular reference to the likely timescale involved.

What specific information has come to light since assurances about the future of RNSPD Eaglescliffe were given to the honourable Member for Stockton South in early 1991 that jobs on the site were safe; to comment on its future & what studies have been commissioned about its future & what...

What specific information has come to light since assurances about the future of RNSPD Eaglescliffe were given to the honourable Member for Stockton South in early 1991 that jobs on the site were safe; to comment on its future & what studies have been commissioned about its future & what...

Whether arrangements have been made for environmental clean-up at (a) the RN Stores Depot at Lathalmond before its closure and (b) the Ministry of Defence fuel storage depot at Portishead; & what arrangements have been made for the sale of fuel storage depot at Portishead. - Will write.

Whether arrangements have been made for environmental clean-up at (a) the RN Stores Depot at Lathalmond before its closure and (b) the Ministry of Defence fuel storage depot at Portishead; & what arrangements have been made for the sale of fuel storage depot at Portishead. - Will write.