Vauxhall at Ellesmere Port and Battery Manufacturing Strategy

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I outlined in previous answers the support that we are giving; we are looking closely at all these matters. I am sure that it is eminently possible to ensure that a circular economy applies to electric vehicles as much as it applies to many other parts of the economy.

[Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)]

Are the Government aware that electric vehicles can only ever be a tiny part of reducing our carbon emissions—and that it would be more effective to stop building new roads and not open new coal mines? If they are worried about jobs, the Government should be starting up thousands of schemes to train people to retrofit insulation in houses and install clean heating systems. Are the Government thinking about this?