---

UK Government's Energy Policy

If a private investor comes forward, it will be interesting to see what the Secretary of State does. There are private investors who are willing to come forward, and I will return to that, and to the cost issue. The way the Government made their announcement last year completely traduced reality. Leaving the decision to 2015 effectively loses another four to five years of progress. Cardiff-Weston would deliver an enormous 9 TWh a year, more than three times the proposed Shoots barrage, which would deliver just 2.75 TWh a year. Lagoons and reefs are not a credible alternative. There would also be significant economic benefits. The construction and maintenance of the barrage would provide employment for thousands of skilled workers who would use materials and resources from local producers and suppliers. At the peak of construction, the barrage would create 35,000 jobs throughout the UK, with about half in south Wales, and the deep-water facilities at Port Talbot docks are ideal for constructing the barrage. Well over 10,000 permanent jobs would be created around the estuary. The Welsh economy could be further boosted through the opportunity provided by Cardiff-Weston to establish new road and rail links across the barrage, bringing reduced travel times and costs between the south-west and south Wales, and opening up much needed investment opportunities. For instance, Cardiff airport, which has some of the best landing conditions in the UK, could attract extra passengers and flights. The Welsh tourism industry would also be boosted. The impressive architecture of La Rance barrage in France and of the Thames barrier has made them tourist attractions in their own right. There would be huge opportunities for new leisure activities such as water sports, fishing and bird watching on both sides of the Severn estuary. The Cardiff-Weston barrage would also act as a storm surge barrier, protecting people’s homes and assets that are under threat from rising sea levels and increasingly volatile weather—that point was made by my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea West. That would enable inhabitants to remain living in low-lying coastal settlements on the Gwent and Somerset levels. Some 4 million people live in those low-lying communities. They and their properties would be significantly safer with that reduced flood risk. There would also be incalculable, yet invaluable, benefits to local wildlife with the Cardiff-Weston option offering protection for the Severn’s fragile ecosystems. One of the greatest threats to this delicate environment is the climate change that the barrage would help to fight. Every year that passes without a commitment to construct the barrage is a year lost in the battle against climate change. Research suggests that the barrage would also reinvigorate the environment and protect declining species such as the dunlin, an iconic bird in the Severn that has experienced a catastrophic fall in numbers over recent years. Not only would existing ecosystems be protected, but a study of La Rance barrage suggests that there would be a significant increase in faunal abundance and biodiversity. The barrage would slow down the fearsome Severn tide, introducing more light and oxygen, and therefore improving the water quality and attracting more fish, which would support greater and more diverse birdlife. Investment in the barrage would be investment in the long-term future of the Welsh economy and environment, producing electricity for generations to come, with a life expectancy of 150 years as a tried and tested technology.