Civil Nuclear Road Map

Debate between Greg Clark and Andrew Bowie

Thursday 11th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) (Con)]

The Committee that I have the privilege of chairing published a big report on the future of nuclear power last year, calling for a comprehensive strategy for new nuclear, so I warmly welcome the Minister’s statement and the publication today, which responds very comprehensively and substantially to many of the recommendations we made. In particular, I welcome the commitments to new gigawatt-scale nuclear as part of the 24 GW target; to streamline the regulation, which is extremely important; to small modular reactors; and to the security that comes from investing in our own domestic source of nuclear fuel. Those are very big steps forward. May I ask the Minister specifically to say whether the new site approval mechanism will allow these sites to be used for SMRs by the 2050 deadline or target?

[Andrew Bowie]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his question and for all the work he has done to champion nuclear, not only in his capacity as Chair of the Select Committee but in his time as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he was in charge of getting this ship moving. To answer his question directly, yes it will. The new siting strategy will cover the possibility of the deployment of all technologies —SMR, AMR and gigawatt-scale reactors. I welcome my right hon. Friend’s support.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Andrew Bowie

Tuesday 20th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

As I said in response to an earlier question, prompt payment is very important for businesses large and small, and supply chains rely on that. My colleagues across the Government and in the Cabinet Office have close relationships with all the suppliers to the Government so that we can be aware of the prospects, and we have nothing further to report.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

The Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Richard Harrington), has given us a welcome update on progress on the tourism sector deal, and I was wondering whether we could get a similar update on the oil and gas sector deal.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Andrew Bowie

Tuesday 16th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

Has my right hon. Friend made any assessment of the impact on business growth in Scotland if it left the UK’s internal market?

[Greg Clark]

It would be disastrous. The value of exports from Scotland to the rest of the UK is £45.8 billion, compared with around £12.5 billion to the rest of the EU, so anyone who, like me, is interested in being able to trade without frictions should apply their own analysis to their own policy of pulling out of the UK.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Andrew Bowie

Tuesday 13th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

I am delighted that there is such enthusiasm in Bristol. The hon. Lady will be aware that the funding for charging infrastructure is available especially for city-centre authorities that can put it into public car parks.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

5. What progress has been made on a sector deal for the oil and gas industry.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Greg Clark and Andrew Bowie

Tuesday 12th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The most important thing is that we have excellent products here, and I am proud to say that we do in the automotive sector. The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Government changed the procurement guidelines to allow the importance of local impact to be taken into account. I hope he welcomes that.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

Thanks to the actions of this Government, it is widely recognised that the UK now has the most fiscally attractive regime in the world for investment in oil and gas. Does my right hon. Friend agree that a good sector deal would build on that and would mean that the north-east of Scotland could look forward to a future in which it is not only Europe’s energy capital, but the world’s?

[Greg Clark]

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. I had the privilege of leading a trade delegation to India that included many companies from Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland that are selling their wares and expertise right around the world. That is one of the big opportunities in the deal that is being negotiated.

Retail Energy

Debate between Greg Clark and Andrew Bowie

Thursday 12th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point, and he will see when he looks at the Bill that there is precisely a requirement that these abusive standard variable tariffs cannot be replaced by something with just a different name.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

I know that the people of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine—possibly, dare I say it, even more than those of Taunton Deane—will welcome my right hon. Friend’s commitment today to a thriving and competitive energy market, so will he confirm that nationalising the energy companies has, unlike the Labour party’s position, never been a consideration for this Government?

[Greg Clark]

I very happily confirm that. Not only would that be a disastrous signal to business throughout the United Kingdom but, as has been evidenced during the election campaign, it would leave a gaping black hole in the public finances, and we have had no explanation whatever about how that would be paid for.