"My Lords, following the 2017 general election, I was appointed Housing and Planning Minister on 13 June by the then Prime Minister, now the noble Baroness, Lady May. That, of course, was the day before the terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower where 72 people lost their lives—54 adults and 18 …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, the Minister mentioned gigafactories, and we need to speed up the process of getting more gigafactories operational in the UK if we are not to miss out on investment and jobs. She also mentioned electric vehicles. The Labour Party manifesto did not include any road pricing measures, yet …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, I also welcome this Statement from the Government, particularly the commitment to deliver it annually. However, we need to see more engagement with the public. The Climate Change Committee, in its report The Seventh Carbon Budget, stated very clearly that we need to see more public information …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Caithness on bringing this debate forward. I also congratulate my noble friends Lord Jack and Lord Gove on their excellent maiden speeches. It was a particular joy to serve alongside them in Cabinet—I actually mean that—and I am sure that they will …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, I welcome the fact that the Government hope to quadruple the amount of nuclear capacity by 2050—the same target that the Conservative Government had—and it is very welcome in terms of baseload. Can the Minister give us some indication of what percentage of that increase in capacity is …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, my noble friend Lord Offord noted that, under the UK’s leadership of COP 26, we went from less than 30% of the global economy covered by a net-zero target to nigh on 90%. That would not have been possible without the then Conservative Government showing domestic leadership and …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, decarbonising energy systems is a key way for countries to cut their emissions. The UK, alongside other developed nations, has supported developing countries, such as South Africa and Vietnam, to set up just energy transition partnerships to mobilise public and private finance to help those nations have cleaner …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"I of course welcome the increase in defence spending and the resolute support for Ukraine. However, I am disappointed that all this increase seems to have come from the overseas aid budget, which will, unfortunately, erode the UK’s soft power. The Minister has made it very clear that those cuts …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, when it comes to airport expansion and more flights, one of the key measures that can be used to reduce emissions is the increased use of sustainable aviation fuels. I welcome the SAF mandate but, when it comes to job creation and energy security, it is important that …..." Lord Sharma - View Speech
"My Lords, can the Minister tell the House when the Government intend to publish their much-anticipated solar road map and whether that road map will contain a detailed plan to support investment in domestic UK solar supply chains and manufacturing?..." Lord Sharma - View Speech