Speeches by White.

“At the recent North sea summit, we committed to a joint ambition of 100 GW of offshore renewable projects with our European neighbours, including through co-ordinated energy infrastructure planning. We are determined to work closer than ever with our European neighbours to maximise our joint clean energy independence. …”

“I applaud my hon. Friend for all his ambition and championing of the opportunities that are presented in our low-carbon transition plan. Today’s announcement of the local power plan is a real opportunity to turn the dial on this issue, for local communities to become involved, and to make the best of the benefits of th…”

“This Government take energy security extremely seriously. We run one of the world’s safest, most reliable energy systems, and we are a top destination for investment. Investment in our energy infrastructure undergoes the highest level of national security scrutiny.”

“That is slightly audacious, given that when we left government in 2010 we had, I think, three of the top solar companies in the world, but when we came back into office we had nothing—there was no supply chain. National security is this Government’s No. 1 overriding priority. We are engaging constructively with every o…”

“I thank the hon. Member for raising this really important issue, and for raising the figures. I think she would agree that we have an ambitious plan. Today’s announcement of the local power plan may well meet some of the needs that she raises. I will take this issue away and have a look at it. We recognise that retrofi…”

“This Government are absolutely committed to supporting the NHS to be at the heart of our decarbonisation effort in order that, first, it gets to reduce its emissions and that, secondly, it can reduce its dependence on expensive fossil fuels. That is why Great British Energy has already supported over 260 NHS sites with…”

“I feel very fortunate to have a Minister of State for Housing who I think previously sat in my job in Opposition, so has a strong personal commitment. As I say, I find ministerial colleagues incredibly helpful. We are looking forward to the future homes standards coming forward imminently.”

“For sure. I am the Minister for Climate Action, since September. I am responsible for net zero strategy, the carbon budget, green finance and international climate change.”

“Thank you, Chair, for that question. If we look at the statistics, the polling numbers are, surprisingly—I say that as a Member of Parliament, because sometimes perception is different—incredibly high, in terms of the British public supporting taking action on climate change. We do regular assessments, but 79% of the p…”

“If what you are saying, Chair, is that people want to tackle climate change and at the same time reduce their cost of living, I completely agree with you. People want both those things. We as a Government have to meet both of those needs: we need to make sure that we are leading the transition to a low-carbon Britain, …”

“I think there is absolutely more to do to make that clear.”

“First, in terms of the risks and what is happening in our country at the moment, I think you just spoke to Neil Morisetti about what the risks are and what is happening in our country at the moment. Colleagues have been flooded—what is the impact of that? We need to make sure that people are aware of why we are taking …”

“I think it should be multiple message carriers. I am working with multiple message carriers. We work with the Net Zero Council, which was relaunched under the Secretary of State, and a great selection of individuals, from trade union leaders to corporate leaders to leaders of NGOs, within that. Each of them has a role …”

“Absolutely.”

“You referred to some of the interventions we have already made. We have doubled the warm homes discount, so it is now available to 6 million people over the course of this winter. We will be taking, as you rightly mention, £150 off energy costs thanks to the announcements in the Budget. Obviously, we had the warm homes…”

“We are looking at all options—don’t get me in trouble!”

“That is a great question. To be honest, I am not sure that most members of the public know what net zero means. It is a term that, in some ways, has become weaponised, but it is a policy term that is used as part of a long-term direction. Is it a useful term? It is something we have done to set the long-term trajectory…”

“If you are saying that the language should be more appropriate and accessible, I agree with that 100%. Language is very inaccessible in this debate and people do not know what the terms mean.”

“I want to have a cleaner, greener, healthier, wealthier country, and I think this is the route to doing it. Any of those words, whether it is about a cleaner or healthier home or a cleaner or greener environment, are more the words that you and I would use around the dinner table. I certainly do not have a conversation…”

“I think there are multiple motivations. The vast majority of the public understand that it is happening, not just because people have been talking about it for 20 years, but because they see it themselves. Whether it is an influx of ladybirds or wasps over the summer, people can see that things feel different. They hav…”