Unallotted backbench debate. Agreed to on question.

Unallotted backbench debate. Agreed to on question.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered energy intensive industries.

It is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Chope.

Energy-intensive industries are defined in the 2000 EU regulations on pollution prevention and control and further directives as companies whose energy intensity is more than 3%. This means that their...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered energy intensive industries.

It is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Chope.

Energy-intensive industries are defined in the 2000 EU regulations on pollution prevention and control and further directives as companies whose energy intensity is more than 3%. This means that their...

I welcome the announcement in the autumn statement last year that energy-intensive industries will be exempt from the policy costs of the renewables obligation and feed-in tariffs, which will ensure that they have long-term certainty and remain competitive. Energy-intensives whose electricity costs exceed 20% or more of their gross value...

I welcome the announcement in the autumn statement last year that energy-intensive industries will be exempt from the policy costs of the renewables obligation and feed-in tariffs, which will ensure that they have long-term certainty and remain competitive. Energy-intensives whose electricity costs exceed 20% or more of their gross value...

Is my hon. Friend aware that the shale gas industry has revolutionised the fortunes of the chemicals industry in the US? According to PricewaterhouseCoopers 1 million jobs will be created in manufacturing by 2025 as a direct result of shale gas energy and associated chemical feedstocks.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the shale gas industry has revolutionised the fortunes of the chemicals industry in the US? According to PricewaterhouseCoopers 1 million jobs will be created in manufacturing by 2025 as a direct result of shale gas energy and associated chemical feedstocks.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who has certainly made his mark on this place since he was elected. He is right; the east coast of America is an example of how countries can reinvent themselves as manufacturing nations.

The chemical industry is manufacturing’s No. 1 export earner, adding almost...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who has certainly made his mark on this place since he was elected. He is right; the east coast of America is an example of how countries can reinvent themselves as manufacturing nations.

The chemical industry is manufacturing’s No. 1 export earner, adding almost...

It is a pleasure to serve under you, Mr Chope. I congratulate my hon. Friend and neighbour the Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing the debate, which is the second this week on energy-intensive industries. We did ceramics earlier in the week, so we are giving it a...

It is a pleasure to serve under you, Mr Chope. I congratulate my hon. Friend and neighbour the Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing the debate, which is the second this week on energy-intensive industries. We did ceramics earlier in the week, so we are giving it a...

While the hon. Gentleman is on that point, can I tell him that my father worked for more than 20 years at Llanwern just a few miles down the road from Port Talbot? I was fortunate enough to be employed there for six months as a young man and came...

While the hon. Gentleman is on that point, can I tell him that my father worked for more than 20 years at Llanwern just a few miles down the road from Port Talbot? I was fortunate enough to be employed there for six months as a young man and came...

The shadow Minister has validated himself in the debate. They are a sight that will always be remembered—I will certainly always remember it. I did not spend six months there, but I did work there.

Many industries have Ministers in this place who are directly responsible for them. We have a...

The shadow Minister has validated himself in the debate. They are a sight that will always be remembered—I will certainly always remember it. I did not spend six months there, but I did work there.

Many industries have Ministers in this place who are directly responsible for them. We have a...

The hon. Gentleman makes, as ever, an expert speech. That kind of thinking is wrong because whatever the economic theory of comparative advantage says—having taught it, I know what it says—it is ultimately in our country’s strategic interest to maintain a steel-making capacity. Does he agree?

The hon. Gentleman makes, as ever, an expert speech. That kind of thinking is wrong because whatever the economic theory of comparative advantage says—having taught it, I know what it says—it is ultimately in our country’s strategic interest to maintain a steel-making capacity. Does he agree?

I completely agree. That is precisely why that sort of thinking must not gain currency. However, let me be quite clear: it is out there.

I want this to be a debate and to talk about the facts, but that thinking is out there in parts of the Labour party as...

I completely agree. That is precisely why that sort of thinking must not gain currency. However, let me be quite clear: it is out there.

I want this to be a debate and to talk about the facts, but that thinking is out there in parts of the Labour party as...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Chope. I congratulate the hon. Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing this important debate.

Support for energy-intensive industries is a matter that I care a great deal about. My hon. Friend the Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Marion Fellows)...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Chope. I congratulate the hon. Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing this important debate.

Support for energy-intensive industries is a matter that I care a great deal about. My hon. Friend the Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Marion Fellows)...

The hon. Lady and I both sit on a newly formed all-party parliamentary group on ceramics. Does she agree that not only the steel industry but industries such as the ceramics industry face huge challenges? There are a number of firms in those industries in my constituency.

The hon. Lady and I both sit on a newly formed all-party parliamentary group on ceramics. Does she agree that not only the steel industry but industries such as the ceramics industry face huge challenges? There are a number of firms in those industries in my constituency.

I thank the hon. Lady for that intervention, and I will come to ceramics later, if she will bear with me.

The Scottish Government’s steering group specifically helps them to deliver their emissions reductions under the EU emissions trading system and to meet legal obligations such as the UK climate change...

I thank the hon. Lady for that intervention, and I will come to ceramics later, if she will bear with me.

The Scottish Government’s steering group specifically helps them to deliver their emissions reductions under the EU emissions trading system and to meet legal obligations such as the UK climate change...

I was interested to hear the hon. Lady mention the figure of 15% being made by that family business. Does she have the figure for how much is imported from outside the United Kingdom?

I was interested to hear the hon. Lady mention the figure of 15% being made by that family business. Does she have the figure for how much is imported from outside the United Kingdom?

The figure I have is that 85% of bricks are imported from outside Scotland, but I am not sure how many are within the UK or the EU. I can certainly get back to the hon. Gentleman about that.

If we are serious about long-term and sustainable economic growth, companies such...

The figure I have is that 85% of bricks are imported from outside Scotland, but I am not sure how many are within the UK or the EU. I can certainly get back to the hon. Gentleman about that.

If we are serious about long-term and sustainable economic growth, companies such...

It is interesting that the hon. Lady has chosen the example of Sweden, because along with France it has, as she says, the lowest electricity prices in Europe, but both are characterised by a very high proportion of nuclear power. That is the reason.

It is interesting that the hon. Lady has chosen the example of Sweden, because along with France it has, as she says, the lowest electricity prices in Europe, but both are characterised by a very high proportion of nuclear power. That is the reason.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention.

The hon. Member for Weaver Vale stated that energy-intensive industries are foundation industries. In the UK they account for 4% of gross value added and employ 200,000 people, who are highly skilled, high-wage and very important to the UK economy and especially to...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention.

The hon. Member for Weaver Vale stated that energy-intensive industries are foundation industries. In the UK they account for 4% of gross value added and employ 200,000 people, who are highly skilled, high-wage and very important to the UK economy and especially to...

I completely accept that. The point I was trying to make was that whenever we discuss climate policy, those MPs press for us to go further unilaterally, which is a little odd in the context of the industries and communities they represent. I completely accept that they care passionately about...

I completely accept that. The point I was trying to make was that whenever we discuss climate policy, those MPs press for us to go further unilaterally, which is a little odd in the context of the industries and communities they represent. I completely accept that they care passionately about...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention.

Finally, the hon. Gentleman wanted to know which industries will benefit from China gaining market economy status. We have heard many times from the Minister why she feels it would be okay to give China market economy status, and I am sure she...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention.

Finally, the hon. Gentleman wanted to know which industries will benefit from China gaining market economy status. We have heard many times from the Minister why she feels it would be okay to give China market economy status, and I am sure she...

I congratulate the hon. Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing this debate. It was not so long ago that we debated similar issues in this Chamber, led by the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake), and we had similar discussions about some of the issues relating...

I congratulate the hon. Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on securing this debate. It was not so long ago that we debated similar issues in this Chamber, led by the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Kevin Hollinrake), and we had similar discussions about some of the issues relating...