VoteClimate: Autumn Budget as it Relates to Wales - 7th February 2018

Autumn Budget as it Relates to Wales - 7th February 2018

Here are the climate-related sections of speeches by MPs during the Commons debate Autumn Budget as it Relates to Wales.

Full text: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-02-07/debates/c877f0b9-ee1c-4f11-899b-77fc64d00778/AutumnBudgetAsItRelatesToWales

14:43 Chris Davies (Brecon and Radnorshire) (Con)

The Government seem to lack commitment to invest in renewable energies and look after the air quality of Gower, Swansea and south Wales. As has been said, we still have no electrification to Swansea, and in my constituency there is a proposal to put in a gas power station, with potentially £100 million coming from central Government. That will not help provide clean air to my constituents, yet the Government are shirking on the tidal lagoon. Something must be wrong there.

[Source]

14:54 Anna McMorrin (Labour)

Moving on, the effects of climate change and resource depletion mean that the old, tired ways of doing business are an insufficient response to the challenges we face today. Governments and businesses must come together to create new models of sustainable growth. That is happening in Wales, and it comes at a time when Welsh industries and businesses face the danger of a hard Tory Brexit. The best way to protect our nation is to retain full access to the European single market and a customs union.

In the same way that the availability of natural resources put Wales at the forefront of the first industrial revolution, driving the growth in what was then iron, coal, steel and manufacturing, our abundant natural resources can now drive the growth of a new and different economy, which will be rooted in the sustainable and intelligent use of those resources. That is in stark contrast to the shambolic direction of the Tories in England, who seem unable to give a steer on climate targets or long-term sustainable growth. The tidal lagoon has been discussed. It is shameful that the UK Government cannot come to a decision—Tory Ministers consistently undermine it, despite, as we have heard, investment from the Welsh Government.

At the moment the UK Government and the Secretary of State for Wales are an embarrassment. They cannot take a decision on the tidal lagoon; there are U-turns on rail electrification investment; and they have failed to invest in energy efficiency or renewable energy, which would provide the vital economic and environmental infrastructure needed to boost growth and support the environment. Diolch yn fawr.

[Source]

15:04 Paul Flynn

I agree with everything that has been said on the Swansea bay tidal lagoon. It is a nonsense for the Government not to see the possibilities that exist there, with that renewable source of energy that is freely available to us. It washes over our shores in Wales twice a day, and we know with certainty when it will come, which is not the case with some other renewable sources. It is clean energy, green energy, and it will provide us with power for generations .

[Source]

See all Parliamentary Speeches Mentioning Climate

Live feeds of all MPs' climate speeches: Twitter @@VoteClimateBot, Instagram @VoteClimate_UK

Maximise your vote to save the planet.

Join Now