Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Oral Answers to Questions

Pamela Nash Excerpts
Thursday 19th May 2011

(12 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Barker of Battle Portrait Gregory Barker
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I am afraid that it will be very difficult to shake a legacy of 13 years of Labour government, and the hon. Gentleman will know that we slipped massively down the table of world manufacturing during his party’s time in government. We are having to put this country on a different trajectory, and that means a slight hiatus while we change course, but when we have changed course and our new measures are in place we will be primed for success and will turn around the miserable failure of the Labour years.

Pamela Nash Portrait Pamela Nash (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
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7. What plans he has for the future of carbon capture and storage; and if he will make a statement.

Chi Onwurah Portrait Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
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13. What plans he has for the future of carbon capture and storage.

Charles Hendry Portrait The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry)
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CCS has the potential to play a very significant role in our future energy mix. The Government are committed to public sector investment in CCS technology for four power stations, including both coal and gas. We aim to reach agreement on the first project and to launch the competition for projects 2 to 4 later this year. We will also publish a CCS road map this autumn.

Pamela Nash Portrait Pamela Nash
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I thank the Minister for that answer, but is he completely confident that the introduction of a carbon floor price will not result in the collapse of future investment in carbon capture and storage?

Charles Hendry Portrait Charles Hendry
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The hon. Lady raises an extremely important issue. We are actively discussing that with the companies involved in project 1, and we believe that we can find a way through it to ensure that those plants have a long-term viable future, but I hope she agrees that we are right to be making the future price of carbon clear.