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UK Government's Energy Policy

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Caton. It is good to be in my first Welsh Grand Committee and listen to the right hon. Member for Delyn as that is where I started my political career. He spoke very knowledgably. Hon. Members from all parties, and wherever we come from in the UK, agree that we must increase our use of and investment in alternative energies, both to reduce our dependence on oil and our carbon emissions. The coalition Government are committed to creating a low-carbon economy. I believe that is the right way forward, and I would like to highlight the advantages both for Wales and the UK as a whole. When planning to build new wind farms we must, where possible, encourage the use of British companies to build the turbines and run the farms. Wind farms must have the ability to stimulate the local economy, and that is where the benefits begin. It must be a competitive process, and we must ensure that our low-carbon economy will respond to a healthy and competitive market. Wind energy is a growing industry and must be supported and encouraged. Finding suitable sites to build new wind farms is a challenge and, as I have seen in my constituency, local opposition can often be ferocious. There has to be better consultation with local communities about onshore wind farms, and some locations are more appropriate than others. That is not to say that I do not support them—far from it. I do, however, believe that offshore wind farms have enormous potential in the UK, and I hope that they will play an increasing role in our energy supply in the future. Driving up and down the A55 one sees lots of wind farms, and when I lived in Wrexham we used to see lots of oil rigs. Building wind farms is one strand in the Government’s energy plan, but we must also invest in nuclear energy. The Government have made clear their support for private firms that wish to build nuclear power plants. I give my full support to the Wylfa power station and the plans to build there. We need to get moving on providing alternative energy sources, and that is a fabulous place to start. We have all seen how growing green industries stimulate our economy. This morning, the hon. Member for Wrexham—where I grew up and where my children were born—mentioned Sharp, the manufacturer of solar panels that has 300 new employees. That means that 300 families in that area now have an extra income, and more homes and businesses have been fitted with solar panels. That is great news for north Wales, and great news for Wrexham. We can no longer dither over our energy policies. If we continue to be active and determined, the future looks bright and green in Wales.