Lords
Proceedings
19 May 2026
King’s Speech
My Lords, it is an honour to speak in this debate on energy security. I look forward to the maiden speeches of all the new noble Lords and noble Baronesses, and I wish them well in their time here.
If a week is a long time in politics, the period since the last parliamentary Session feels like an e…
Lords
Oral Questions
28 April 2026
National Emergency Plan for Fuel
The noble Earl is absolutely right to point to the complexity of the situation at the moment, not just in terms of particular kinds of fuel supply but the knock-on effects of, for example, a lack of supply in the Middle East as a result of some refineries being bombed and long-term supply questions …
Lords
Proceedings
22 April 2026
British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her response. I pick up on a point that my noble friend made as part of her formal response to the Statement in relation to the retail energy market. The Minister may need to go away and think about it, and that may well be the answer. Does the Minister admit that …
Lords
Oral Questions
22 April 2026
Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: Rural Communities
My Lords, I declare my interests as chairman of Amey, Acteon and Buckthorn Partners, all of which are involved with the energy transition. I also congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Nagaraju, who spoke outstandingly well. We look forward to his contributions in future debates; he will be a very welcom…
Lords
Oral Questions
22 April 2026
Low-carbon Heat Networks
The noble Earl is quite right to emphasise how important it is to accelerate the rollout of heat networks, particularly in view of the present gas volatility crisis. As has already been mentioned, heat networks can source their heat from anywhere. For many years Southampton heat network, if I dare m…
Lords
Oral Questions
21 April 2026
Electricity: Domestic Pricing
The Government are looking actively at many different ways of going further and faster as far as the green energy revolution is concerned. Indeed, they are actively looking at the Greenpeace and Stonehaven report on not only delinking but strategic reserves for gas in future. My personal view is tha…
Lords
Debate
16 April 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
I am grateful for the contributions that have been made in response to this group of amendments, both those in lieu from the Government and the amendments tabled by Members here today. I stress that the Government agree with the sentiments behind the amendments in this group. On Amendments 2D and 2E…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
2 contributions
Data Centres: Energy Demand
My Lords, the Government recognise that Great British electricity demand is expected to grow significantly, driven in part by advances in AI. We are clear that this growth must not prevent delivery of clean power by 2030 and net zero by 2050. The Government are working to ensure data centre energy d…
I completely agree with the noble Earl that merely believing that it is all going to be okay and that we can easily absorb all these additional demands on the energy sector without doing anything else is, at least, a folly. That is why the Government are taking substantial steps, for example through…
Lords
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
Atlantic Undersea Cables: Russian Subsurface Operations
The noble Earl will have heard me mention in my Answer to my noble friend the Lunna House agreement between us and Norway, which is a significant step forward in the co-operation between us. Norway is a key ally in dealing with the threats we face. I think he was also asking about developments in At…
Lords
Committee Stage
13 April 2026
Energy Prices Act 2022 (Extension of Time Limit) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I thank the Minister for bringing forward this statutory instrument, which introduces a minor amendment to the Energy Prices Act 2022 by extending the Secretary of State’s power to grant renewables obligation certificate funding by six months.
His Majesty’s Opposition do not oppose this i…
Lords
Proceedings
26 March 2026
Middle East: Economic Update
My Lords, the Climate Change Committee was clear last week that the cost of another oil price crisis would be greater than the cost of reaching net zero by 2050, so these Benches fully support the need to roll out renewables at a faster rate. However, we continue to have high energy bills and there …
Lords
Oral Questions
26 March 2026
AI Growth Lab
There will indeed be safeguards built into the AI growth lab. Modification powers would operate with robust safeguards to protect fundamental rights and safety. The lab’s design must balance the need for rapid reform and, as both noble Lords have mentioned, the importance of retaining public trust a…
Lords
Oral Questions
25 March 2026
Fuel Supplies: War in Iran
The noble Earl is right; this is currently, in essence, a price crisis and not a supply crisis. That will remain the case for quite a long time, depending on how long the war continues. If the war continues for a very long time, there obviously will be issues not necessarily of supply to the UK but …
Lords
Committee Stage
23 March 2026
Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I thank the noble Earl, Lord Russell, for raising the important issue of data. As I see it—but I am happy to be corrected by the Minister—this SI focuses on matching customers, and the data analysis is exceptionally important. It brings our approach to data up to date, because it enables t…
Lords
Oral Questions
19 March 2026
UK Energy Sources and Cost of Energy
The noble Earl is absolutely right that one of the key issues in the recent escalation has been the targeting by both sides of oil and gas installations. Clearly, this brings into a further spotlight the need to seek an urgent de-escalation of hostilities and the resolution of this crisis by negotia…
Lords
Debate
18 March 2026
3 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I will speak very briefly. We listened carefully to what the Minister said in Committee and this is a genuine attempt to rewrite the amendment to make it less prescriptive and more flexible for the Government and Ministers. I welcome the letter that we received today. I know that the Gover…
My Lords, I shall speak to this group of amendments on pollution—and I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, for supporting them. I declare my interest as a board member and director of the Water Retail Company. I listened carefully to the constructive debate and I welcomed the Minist…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
17 March 2026
2 contributions
Electricity Supplier Payments (Amendment) Regulations 2026
I thank the noble Earl, but he will forgive me for having made an introduction, and now I come immediately to the substance, because what we have heard, and it came from the Minister’s mouth, is that this is all about investor confidence. This is about subsidy farming; this is about underwriting the…
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friends Lady Redfern and Lord Fuller for their contributions. They bring a great deal of expertise to this Committee from a lifetime outside London in places where industries’ success has depended on low energy prices. For them to give up their time and dedic…
Lords
Committee Stage
17 March 2026
Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2026
My Lords, I am delighted to stand before the Committee in agreement with the noble Earl, Lord Russell, on this occasion. If I may, I will build on some of the questions he asked. Before I do, I declare my interest as the chairman of Acteon, which is a global specialist subsea services company provid…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
12 March 2026
4 contributions
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026
I welcome the noble and learned Baroness’s intervention. The Scotland issue relates to devolved legislation and legislation that Scotland has passed. The issue in relation to the CBAM is in relation to—
There is a reduction in place in Northern Ireland. There is not specific legislation around that.
+2 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
12 March 2026
Peatland Restoration
I will have to write to the noble Earl to update him on the wildfire plan strategy, but I would say that, just at the end of last year, the House debated and passed updated regulations around the burning of peatland, heather land and moorland, which is obviously an important aspect. I can tell him t…
Lords
Proceedings
9 March 2026
Energy Markets
My Lords, I thank the Minister for the Statement on the very serious and fast-moving situation in the Middle East. The recent escalation in the Gulf following President Trump’s deeply destabilising actions risks widening the conflict. Fourteen countries are now directly affected, global shipping sup…
Lords
Debate
9 March 2026
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I speak for my Benches, as my noble friend Lady Walmsley is unable to be here today as she is presently chairing a committee. As we reach the final stage of this landmark public health legislation, I begin by expressing my sincere thanks to the Minister and her officials for their construc…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 March 2026
PFAS
As the noble Lord says, the EU is developing a broad ban on PFAS. We know that industry is concerned about any plans being workable, which is why this is the starting point in working with industry to get it right. We need to see what the EU’s proposals are; we do not know yet. We are expecting it t…