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UK Government's Energy Policy

Mr Havard, I welcome you to the Chair. I am delighted that the Secretary of State has recognised your excellent work on the University of the Valleys by awarding you the new title of ““Mr Harvard””. I remind the Committee that, historically, the red flag first flew over Merthyr and that it is now flying, personified by you in the Chair, over this Welsh Grand Committee, and very welcome that is. I congratulate the Secretary of State on one energy efficient policy: the Government’s announcement last week that they will endorse the Labour Government’s decision to proceed with electrifying the south-western line to Wales. However, could she tutor the Prime Minister that Wales is not on the west coast line, as he told Parliament last Wednesday? The electrification of rail is crucial to energy efficiency. Electric trains can carry more passengers, they are up to 20% cheaper to purchase and 35% cheaper to operate than diesel trains, and they travel 40% further before failure. Electric trains also emit more than 25% less carbon per passenger and can use regenerative braking. Bi-modal trains—electric trains with a diesel engine option—will be greener than pure diesel, but obviously not as green as pure electric. The diesel engine takes up space, so there is no passenger capacity gain. Such engines are also heavy, so acceleration or deceleration are not as optimal. Will the Government therefore look again—I ask the Secretary of State to do so—at having pure electric all the way to Swansea? Regardless of that issue, the Secretary of State has an absolute duty to ensure that electrification goes all the way to Swansea, as I ensured would be the case when I was Secretary of State.