Russian Oil Import Ban Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Kerry McCarthy
Main Page: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)Department Debates - View all Kerry McCarthy's debates with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(2 years, 2 months ago)
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Kwasi Kwarteng
My hon. Friend, like other Members across the House, is right to focus on energy efficiency, because that is clearly a big part of this conundrum. We have had some successes, but we have also done some things not as effectively as we could have done. There were elements of the green homes grant that worked, and elements that did not work as well. I am constantly trying to improve the offer on energy efficiency with the public sector.
Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)
The Minister has been asked twice now specifically about fracking and has completely avoided answering the question. Would he like to have another go?
Kwasi Kwarteng
I will have a go, and I will be very clear. Funnily enough, I was a Minister at the time when the written ministerial statement on hydraulic fracturing was made. The Government have always been clear that we will take a precautionary approach and support shale gas exploration if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way. That remains our position, and we will be evidence-led. That is what we wrote and said in 2019, and we are still committed to that.