Energy Bill

I cannot; I do not have time. The hon. Gentleman asked what we would do if this winter was as harsh as last winter. National Grid, which is most closely involved in protecting security of supply, tells us that although unforeseen events could occur, overall supply and demand in gas and electricity look relatively comfortable. We have the highest generation margin for many years and gas import infrastructure has increased by 500 per cent. over the past decade. My hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Dr. Turner) spoke about the carbon price and suggested that there should be a mechanism for underpinning it. That is not something that we are going to adopt, at least not at the present time, because we see significant risks in attempting to manage the carbon price. For example, introducing a price floor would set a precedent for intervening in the market and lead to increased calls for a price ceiling in times of higher economic growth. He also argued that market support is not sufficient for the development of marine technology. We always keep the way to incentivise such development under review. I also point out to him the investments that we are making in the south-west in marine renewables. The hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Goodwill) made a strong and constructive speech in favour of nuclear and is obviously a keen advocate of new technology—he made a reference to my old college, Imperial. He can be assured that we will be co-ordinating with others in the various CCS projects, as I have indicated. My hon. Friend the Member for Copeland (Mr. Reed) spoke on behalf of his constituents, as always, about their keen interest in all things nuclear. He welcomed the social price support, but asked us to do more. We are always looking to do more on fuel poverty and will consider everything he said. On CCS, he referred to the huge potential opportunities, including job opportunities, for areas with CO2-intensive industries. We agree with him and believe that CCS will be adaptable to many industries. The hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones) asked whether the Secretary of State would exclude rural communities from the CCS levy. That is not one of our plans, but all such issues will be a matter for debate in Committee. He was also not keen on the proliferation of wind farms in Wales, but we are talking about a technology that can be used now and ought to be used now, and we should be getting on with that. My hon. Friend the Member for Carmarthen, West and South Pembrokeshire (Nick Ainger) gave a helpful account of gas import and storage. He welcomed the Bill, and we appreciate his support. On fuel poverty, he argued that pensioners were not an absolute priority, but I have to tell him that, regrettably, the majority of people in fuel poverty are still pensioners. The hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Weir) posed a lot of questions that I think I have dealt with already. [Interruption.] I am being urged to come to the end of my remarks by everyone around me. This is an important Bill. It is important to implement the measures to decarbonise our electricity supplies, help more vulnerable customers with their energy bills and provide the clear market framework needed for a transition to a low-carbon economy. Question put and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time.