The
Chairman: Order. I should warn the hon. Gentleman and one
or two other hon. Members that interventions are meant to be short. I
call Mr. Weir.
Mr.
Weir: I respect what the hon. Gentleman is saying, but I
think that he has got it wrong. The whole point is that it is a levy;
it is money from consumers to set up CCS and get it going. All I am
saying is that we should leave our options open as to what is the best
value for the consumer to get CCS going. It may or may not be coal, but
we will have two demonstrators in the first competition anyway. It will
be either Longannet or Kingsnorth. Coal will start this process off,
but we must have the option open to look at
gas. The
hon. Member for Glasgow, North-West talked about importing gas. There
is a lot of dispute about whether we will also end up importing coal.
However, I ask him to look at what his own Government’s
overarching national policy statement on energy says about gas
production and imports. By 2020, gas imports will probably represent
the same percentage as they do now because it is projected that there
will be a reduction, although we will still be using a lot of gas from
the North sea.
Gas is and
will remain important. We need to decarbonise it just as we need to
decarbonise coal. It is short-sighted not to leave the option open at
least. I am not saying that we should concentrate on gas; I am saying
that we should leave the option open. It will be up to the authority to
decide in the end which projects get help from this levy.
I am not
satisfied with what the Minister has said and I would like to push this
matter to a vote. It is an important principle in the
Bill. Question
put, That the amendment be
made. The
Committee divided: Ayes 5, Noes
9.
Division
No.
1] Question
accordingly negatived.
Clause 6
ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 7
ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Ordered,
That further consideration be now adjourned.—(Steve
McCabe.) 6.11
pm Adjourned
till Thursday 14 January at Nine
o’clock.
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