Speeches by Reader.

“That is interesting—you just mentioned that there is a mayoral panel. Does Andrea Jenkyns attend the mayoral group?”

“The participation strategy emphasises collaborating with local authorities. What specifically will you do with local authorities to get them bought in to what the Government want to achieve?”

“Put yourself a year ahead, when you come back in to see us: if the public attitudes tracker says that attitudes are getting worse towards support, what actions do you think you would have to take?”

“What are the metrics you will use to judge whether that strategy is successful?”

“We read your Energising Britain strategy and the five principles of how the Government will work with people, communities and organisations: communicate, listen, enable, grow and collaborate. What metrics will you use to judge whether that is a success?”

“That is positive to hear, thank you.”

“I think that you are right that the clean energy mission sits with the Department, but the climate and carbon budget is cross-Government. Do you see as much priority given to that in other Departments as you do in yours, given that the plan you have just referenced talks about fuel and transport? The CCC report is very…”

“It is very positive to hear that the Department is holding a Government-wide view of risk. You just referenced the carbon budget and growth delivery plan, and that very clearly relies on other Departments. Do you see delivery of the clean energy mission being as big a priority to other Departments as it is for DESNZ? I…”

“The Department has recognised the challenge with public perception—you published the Energising Britain strategy—but it does not seem like this big risk to the transition is owned somewhere centrally. Or is that an unfair assessment?”

“It sounds like there is not a corporate risk register of the things that are impacting delivery, or does that corporate risk register exist for the Department, as a single thing that says what the risks are to you delivering on your responsibilities as a Department?”

“On that risk register, would we see the risk of the reduction in public consensus and buy-in to the energy transition? DESNZ’s data shows that 41% of people now have a negative view, versus 22% with a positive view, of the Government’s work on energy transition. Would we see that on the risk register, and where would i…”

“Ryan, does the Department maintain a risk register of some sort, looking at risks to the Department of not delivering on the energy transition?”

“You picked my final question around what the technical, financial or policy barriers are that prevent farms from exploring renewables and exploring renewables beyond solar. It sounds like licensing is one of them.”

“Did this form part of your evidence into the Batters review—in terms of profitability? A large argument for installing renewables, beyond the green issue, is that you can reduce your costs, so do you think that the Batters review was clear enough on the profitability benefits of investing in green technology?”

“There are direct incentives for installing solar from DEFRA that do not exist for some of those other technologies. Could the Government do more to incentivise those other technologies beyond solar?”

“Judicaelle, we have data from DEFRA that shows that there has been uptake of renewables on around a third of farms, but almost all of that is solar. Most farms are not exploring wind or biodigestion—anaerobic digestion—and so on. Why do you think that is?”

“Are brown bread and baked beans ultra-processed?”

“I will pick up on that, then go back to talking about renewables. Would a stronger link in the Government narrative between defence and the need for an energy transition help build better consensus for the investment that we need to make in our energy sector?”

“Build the solar on golf courses?”

“Why do you think that the public don’t recognise that? I am sorry that my colleague Bradley has left, because his big attack on the Government is that the transition to net zero is impacting on food security. I am sure that he and other Opposition Members make that point time and again in debates on food security. Why …”