Hydrocarbons Sector
(Redcar) (Con)
9. What steps his Department is taking to support the
hydrocarbons sector in Scotland. (906018)
The Secretary of State for Scotland ( )
The UK Government remain committed to our domestic offshore oil
and gas sector, which continues to keep us warm, fuel our
vehicles and strengthen our security of supply. At present, 75%
of the UK’s primary energy demand comes from oil and gas and it
is therefore an essential part of our energy mix.
The oil and gas industry in Scotland, in Teesside and around the
country provides thousands of people with good quality, well-paid
jobs, while keeping the lights on and keeping Britain moving.
Does the Secretary of State agree with me that it is vital that
we encourage North sea oil and gas exploration to ensure we have
energy security and independence in this time of uncertainty, and
that these sectors will help us to decarbonise in the long run
and achieve our net zero goals through projects such as Net Zero
Teesside?
Mr Jack
I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of our domestic
oil and gas sector. The North sea transition deal is a global
exemplar of how a Government can work with the offshore oil and
gas industry to achieve a managed energy transition that leaves
no one behind. This Government support oil and gas, and the
100,000 jobs linked to that industry in Scotland, but we also
support the transition, rather than the extinction, of that
industry.
Renewable Energy Generation
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
10. What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of
State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on promoting
renewable energy generation in Scotland. (906019)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland ()
I regularly discuss issues of importance to Scotland with
Ministers, including support for Scotland’s renewable energy
sector. The Government recently announced that their flagship
renewable electricity support scheme, contracts for difference,
will run more frequently. Scotland has benefited significantly
from this scheme with 34% of all projects awarded to date located
in Scotland.
Promoting renewable energy generation in Scotland is critical to
supporting jobs in Scotland, but without action from the
Government, it is not inevitable that Scotland’s renewable
potential will lead to job creation at home. In fact, we have
seen ScotWind sold off to foreign owners. Can the Minister tell
me what discussions he is having with Scottish Ministers about
the creation of jobs in Scotland in renewable energy?
I am happy to tell the hon. Gentleman that we are negotiating
with and discussing with the Scottish Government, and I can point
to a number of schemes in the city and regional growth deals that
are promoting renewable energy, such as the CoRE—community
renewable energy—project in East Ayrshire, Orion in Shetland and
European Marine Energy Centre research in Orkney.
