Clause 29
Energy Bill
4:15 pm
Charles Hendry (Shadow Minister, Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Wealden, Conservative)
We are cantering through the Bill at such a pace that I wish I had the army of back-up support that the Minister has immediately available to him.
My questions on the clause relate particularly to the explanatory notes, which state that
“the operators of such installations may be required to decommission them in a timely manner after operations have permanently ceased.”
I am concerned that the explanatory notes say that operators
“may be required to decommission”,
rather than that they will be required to decommission. I cannot imagine in what circumstances they would not be required to get rid of the installation in the way described.
Will the Minister also give us some clarity on how such things will be paid for? Will it be from the fund that will be set up, or will there be other ways in which the Minister can ensure that funds are available for decommissioning work?