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Brick Industry

: It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mr. Benton, which is benign but strict, as ever. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Jeff Ennis) on securing this debate. I should refer to him as the hon. Member for Grimethorpe, as he has conjured up images of the industrial skill and hard graft for which that area is famous. I appreciate the difficulties faced by companies in the brick manufacturing industry. As my hon. Friend acknowledged, many parts of UK industry have experienced significant energy price increases. Domestic and industrial energy prices have an impact on both fuel poverty and international industrial competitiveness. We can take a certain amount of pride from the way the liberalisation and deregulation of the gas and electricity markets and the introduction of full retail competition have enabled market mechanisms to ensure competitive prices in the long term. However, there are some immediate problems, to which my hon. Friend has rightly referred. Clearly, energy prices are linked to the competitiveness of industry. The Government share concerns about the potential loss of jobs and investment, but we must view the spike in prices that was experienced in the latter half of 2005, and the current pressures on the energy market in the UK, in the wider context. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Minister for Energy, who is taking forward the energy review, take the situation seriously, as do I, especially in relation to the industrial sector and the building industry. We are seeking solutions that reduce the impact on industry, especially energy-intensive users such as brick manufacturers. My hon. Friend will acknowledge that as we become a net importer of energy—there has been an acceleration of that process in the past few years with gas in particular, which was faster than anticipated—we need to consider energy supplies in the long term. That is the underlying theme of the energy review policy, which the Minister for Energy is taking forward vigorously. That needs an intelligent debate. The slogans that come from some quarters—that nuclear is the total answer, that nuclear needs to be excluded, or that wind power is an answer and so on—are not helpful. We need an objective, well-informed debate. I know that my hon. Friend and many other Members, on this side of the House at least, want such a debate.