Extracts from Commons statement on UK Gas Market - Sep 20
Tuesday, 21 September 2021 07:02
Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) (Con): To what extent is the UK
collateral damage in a European-wide crisis caused by the Kremlin’s
weaponising of gas supply and its attempts to intimidate the EU
into accepting Nord Stream 2 potentially as a precursor to more
violence in Ukraine? Should we not see this hybrid war for what it
is and plan long term accordingly? The Secretary of State for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Kwasi Kwarteng): As my
hon. Friend knows and has expressed, there are...Request free trial
(Isle of Wight) (Con): To what extent is the UK
collateral damage in a European-wide crisis caused by the Kremlin’s
weaponising of gas supply and its attempts to intimidate the EU
into accepting Nord Stream 2 potentially as a
precursor to more violence in Ukraine? Should we not see this
hybrid war for what it is and plan long term accordingly?
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(): As my hon. Friend knows and has expressed, there are
geopolitical elements to this in terms of the reliance of a large
part of Europe on Russian gas. I am here to reassure people about a
common misconception. We are not dependent at all on Russian gas.
The gas sources are as I have described—50% are local, 30% are from
Norway and about 18% are from LNG, which comes from all around the
world—so I want to minimise the notion that we are somehow at the
mercy of Russian gas policy.
(New Forest East)
(Con): As Russia completes its sinister
Nord Stream 2 pipeline and
tightens its stranglehold on gas supplies to Europe, why are we not
fully exploiting Rolls-Royce modular nuclear reactors to decrease
our indirect dependence on Russian gas and our direct dependence on
French and Chinese nuclear technology?
: My right hon. Friend knows that coming
up with a fleet of small modular reactors cannot be done overnight.
It takes about 10 years to develop the technology. As I have said
repeatedly, it is a key part of our nuclear strategy and is the
third point of the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan. I frequently
speak about this to Warren East, the chief executive officer of
Rolls-Royce. As a consequence of the spending review period, it is
something that we hope to be able to commit to on the UK balance
sheet.
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