(Sheffield South East) (Lab): I
welcome the Government’s commitment to SMRs, which are the way
forward for the future of nuclear. Sheffield Forgemasters is
ideally placed to produce the essential parts for those reactors
and has a memorandum of understanding with both Rolls-Royce and
Hitachi. Will the Minister meet the Mayor of South Yorkshire,
Sheffield Forgemasters and others in the consortium? The
consortium now has access to significant development capital, so
we can build the SMRs in South Yorkshire and create the thousands
of well-paid jobs we want, as well as green energy.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero (): I would be delighted to
meet the Mayor of South Yorkshire. Through the nuclear road map,
we are committed not only to ensuring our energy security and
achieving a further drive towards our net zero objectives, but to
building up the supply chain and creating those high-wage,
high-skilled jobs at all levels across the United Kingdom. Of
course I would be delighted to meet the Mayor of South Yorkshire
and, indeed, anybody else who represents an area that wants to
invest in this future and this great exciting moment for nuclear
capacity.
(Bristol East) (Lab): Having
shared a constituency border with the former Member for Kingswood
for 14 years, I know that he was genuine in wanting what was best
for his constituents. He knew that a green transition would
protect their jobs at Rolls-Royce and
Airbus, help the science park to thrive, and bring opportunities
for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed. He
knew that home insulation and clean energy would bring warmer
homes to Warmley and Woodstock, and lower bills to Bitton. He
resigned because he had lost all hope that this Government would
deliver on those things. He was right, was he not?
The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero (): Just to spell it
out—because we do have to speak very slowly for the Opposition
Front-Bench team—we have cut our emissions more than any other
major economy, and our plans and the expectation of the UN are
that we will continue to lead the world. That is leading the
world: not talking about it, not promising to borrow £28 billion
and put everyone’s taxes up, and then fluctuating on a daily
basis. It is about delivery. We have delivered and will continue
to do so.
