Clause 94 - Consents for generating stations offshore
Energy Bill [Lords]
5:15 pm
Mrs Anne McIntosh (Shadow Minister, Environment & Transport; Vale of York, Conservative)
It might be more appropriate to save those remarks for that debate. I am happy to do so.
In speaking to the amendments and in seeking to retain clauses 100 and 101, the Minister has not covered himself and his Department in glory. They have an opportunity to save themselves and to help the shipping industry.
I pay tribute to the work of the shipping industry. The National Union of Marine, Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers gave compelling evidence to the Transport Committee. Its official who gave evidence was convinced that the alternative to clauses 100 and 101 would be practical if those clauses were overturned.
It is stretching the faith and good will of the Committee too far to ask us to reject perfectly acceptable measures that meet all the shipping, navigational and maritime criteria and interests without seeing any alternatives. The Minister said that the Government will respond to the Transport Committee's conclusions in due course, but I put it to the Committee that, as we are living in the present, it is not appropriate for the Minister to ask us to wait for the Government to produce a formal response when we are discussing clauses 100 and 101 this afternoon.
Debate adjourned.—[Charlotte Atkins.]
Adjourned accordingly at half-past Five o'clock till Tuesday 15 June at five minutes to Nine o'clock.