Speeches by Reader.

“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?”

“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?”

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

“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 …”

“One of the biggest objections is to the action that the Government will take in addressing energy security in our country through onshore wind, onshore solar and expanding and putting resilience into the transition network. From my inbox, the biggest argument against all those things is that it impacts on food security…”

“Is that one of the challenges we face in building support for the energy transition? Has it been such an issue for such a long time that people are a bit blind to it or used to talking about it?”

“Is it fair to say, therefore, that changes to taxation on farmers is a much bigger issue than climate change? That was a political issue that drew out the farming community en masse, but we do not see that same level of concern from the farming community about climate.”

“Given the prevalence of the impact on food security and food production, why are the CLA and the NFU not more prominent in their campaigning on the climate crisis?”

“Judicaelle, I will stick with you. Is it fair to say that climate change is having a major impact on food production in the UK?”

“That leads me to my next question on authorities that are sceptical of climate change. My local authority, West Northamptonshire council, which is run by reform, has banned the words “net zero”, and has banned training or any focus on it. It even withdrew great council projects from the wards, because they did not want…”

“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?”