22 February 2023
MP calls for fresh incentives to invest in renewable energy projects

Peter Aldous raises concerns that the UK risks missing its net zero goals unless it matches EU and US plans for subsidies and tax breaks and calls for new incentives to invest in renewable energy.

Speaking to City AM he said:

“The UK needs to stay competitive to keep growing net zero investment, which is the best route to a more productive, resilient economy with better-paid jobs.”

Aldous argued Biden’s legislation had “accelerated the global race to net zero” and posed a “challenge” to UK competitiveness.

The MP urged the government to deliver a set of fresh incentives to invest, from planning reforms and investment relief for renewable energy projects in line with the oil and gas allowance and “backing emerging sectors like sustainable aviation fuel earlier than other nations”.

He said:

“We can still lead by ensuring the UK is the best place to invest in clean industries and technologies,”

 

Read the article in full CityAM UK risks falling behind US and EU in green energy race, warn MPs

21 February 2023
Peter Aldous calls for urgent funding to protect local pharmacies

Peter Aldous, along with 36 other parliamentarians, has signed a letter to Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to urge the Government to provide an urgent funding injection to keep community pharmacies afloat.

The MP signed the letter which also calls for the implementation of a “Pharmacy First” scheme, designed to give the public direct access to self-care advice and information, and treatment for minor ailments, including conditions such as Urinary Tract Infections and minor skin infections.

The letter urges the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to:

  • Provide a short-term financial injection to stabilise the position and enable pharmacies to keep their doors open.
  • Commit to working with the sector to create a fully-funded Pharmacy First service to build positively on the contributions pharmacies can make. With adequate funding this service could ease wider pressures on GPs and hospitals.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), which represents the 11,000+ community pharmacies in England, estimates that pharmacies have seen their funding reduced by 30% in real terms since 2015 and they are now often dispensing NHS medicines and providing other services at a loss. They warn that without urgent action, increasing numbers of pharmacies will close their doors. PSNC has also expressed fears that the pharmacies which remain open will not have sufficient resources to help all the patients displaced by closures.

Echoing the concerns of PSNC, the All-Party Parliamentary Pharmacy Group (APPG) called on the Government to take urgent action in its January ‘The Future of Pharmacy Manifesto’ to relieve the funding pressures on the community pharmacy sector in the short term and review the long-term funding model for pharmacy. The pharmacy sector is also launching a ‘Save Our Pharmacies’ campaign to draw attention to the urgent situation that all pharmacies are facing.

The MP letter follows the announcement of the closure, consolidation or eventual sale of 237 LloydsPharmacy branches based in national supermarket Sainsbury’s, many of which are located in the constituencies of MPs attaching their support to the letter. This is in addition to recent pharmacy closures announced by Boots, Tesco and Asda.

Peter Aldous said:

“During the pandemic, pharmacy teams remained open throughout, ensuring critical patient access to their services. It is concerning that a large number of pharmacies are struggling. I urge the Government to take steps now to prevent the deterioration of our pharmacy network.

“We must not take for granted the incredible work of community pharmacy teams in our area. Without the healthcare advice and array of clinical services provided by pharmacies, our NHS would struggle to function and likely be overwhelmed. I urge the Government to take immediate action to resolve the funding crisis engulfing the community pharmacy sector, to ensure that our high-street pharmacies can continue to provide the kind of high-quality service that we have all come to rely on and expect.’’

20 February 2023
Aldous calls for review of criteria ahead of levelling up round three

Peter Aldous calls on the Government to review the investment criteria ahead of bids for round 3 of the levelling up fund to include stand-alone coastal defence schemes that are not part of a wider transport regeneration or cultural bid as such projects bring significant economic and social benefits. 

Levelling-up Fund Round 2

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

19. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the geographical spread of the funding awarded in the second round of the levelling-up fund. (903633)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Dehenna Davison)

The second round of the levelling-up fund will invest up to £2.1 billion in 111 vital local infrastructure projects. We prioritised investment in high-quality bids in places that have not previously received levelling-up fund money in order to maximise the spread of overall funding from rounds 1 and 2. In this round of the fund, two thirds of the funding went to those places in the greatest need, which we designated as category 1. In Scotland, across both rounds, the amount of money awarded exceeded our public funding commitments.

Peter Aldous 

Projects to protect coastal communities against erosion and flooding bring significant economic and social benefits on their own. Can my hon. Friend therefore review the investment criteria for round 3 of the levelling-up fund to include stand-alone coastal defence schemes that are not part of a wider transport regeneration or cultural bid?

Dehenna Davison 

My hon. Friend is a fantastic champion not only for the east of England but, in particular, for coastal communities. We know that coastal communities add unique value to our country and offer significant growth potential, which is why 22 coastal areas are benefiting from more than £673 million of investment via the towns fund, why eight English freeports are in coastal areas and why coastal areas such as Ramsgate continue to benefit from the levelling-up fund, but of course I will be happy to meet him to discuss this further.

Hansard

9 February 2023
Peter Aldous calls for a review of offshore wind regulation to ensure the UK can reach its full potential

Peter Aldous highlights the success of offshore wind over the past decade and calls for an urgent review of the regulatory and policy frameworks to ensure the UK industry can maintain its premier position.

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

My right hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Chris Skidmore) and his team are to be congratulated on carrying out the herculean and timely task of reviewing the UK’s legal commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Generally, I agree with his findings and recommendations, and I urge the Government to consider them carefully and to respond to them proactively. This must not be a document that gathers dust on a bookshelf, or to which occasional reference is made in preparation for debates such as this. Instead, it must mark a sea change in how we set about ensuring that the UK realises the full potential of the growth opportunities that net zero presents.

My right hon. Friend’s review calls for action on the “key 25 for 2025 recommendations”. Each of these proposals warrants a debate of its own, but what I shall briefly do is home in on one subject that is not only very important to delivering net zero, but already bringing significant job opportunities to areas such as Waveney and Lowestoft and, with the right policy framework, can deliver even more. What I am talking about is the offshore wind industry.

Offshore wind has come a long way in the past decade. At the outset, 10 years ago, there were many Doubting Thomases questioning whether the industry had a future, saying that, as a technology, it was way too expensive. However, the industry, working with Government, has proved them wrong. It is now an undoubted British success story, with everyone wanting a slice of the action. As a result, the Government have set very ambitious targets for 2030 and 2050 for the amount of electricity that offshore wind will generate.

The industry has brought significant benefits to East Anglia, with half of the nation’s offshore wind fleet anchored off the Suffolk and Norfolk coast. Its construction is being project managed from ports such as Lowestoft, where ScottishPower Renewables and SSE Renewables also have their operations and maintenance bases, and where Associated British Ports has obtained planning permission and is designing its Lowestoft Eastern Energy facility.

This success can be attributed to a combination of the ingenuity of business and the foresight of Government, who, in the Energy Act 2013, set down a policy framework that has been an undoubted success. However, times change. In many respects, offshore wind is a victim of its own success. The scale of the Government’s vision for the future of the industry means that a more strategic approach to its future development is now required. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing global gas crisis mean that other nations, in particular the US with its Inflation Reduction Act 2022, are upping their game in developing their own renewable energy strategies. All of a sudden, the UK, which is still the No. 1 world leader in offshore wind, is at risk of being an also-ran. Energy is a globally footloose industry, and it is vital that we respond to ensure that the UK retains its pole and premier position.

I shall briefly outline how I believe this can be done. First, there is a need to streamline the planning process. A more co-ordinated and efficient planning system is required if we are to achieve the 50 GW 2030 target. The establishment of the offshore wind acceleration taskforce will help achieve that, but its reforming work does need to take place at a greater pace.

Secondly, and in the same vein, we need to speed up the development of the grid system, so that offshore wind projects can be delivered more rapidly. We require a new model of grid development where critical investments are accelerated by Ofgem and the transmission owners. To deliver this step change in grid development, the Government should reform the remit of Ofgem through an amendment to the Energy Bill, as recommended by my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood and his team.

Thirdly, there is a need for a stable and attractive fiscal framework that enables businesses to make what are enormous investment decisions with confidence. It would be wrong to get into a bidding war with the US, the EU and other nations, but we do need a taxation regime that encourages investment through a compelling range of capital allowances. I urge my right hon. Friend the Chancellor to introduce these in the forthcoming spring statement.

Fourthly, although the framework set down in the Energy Act 2013 has served us very well, it does need considered reform to take account of the harsh new global economic reality. Due to inflation and supply chain constraints, it is necessary for Government to adjust the parameters for future contracts for difference auctions, both with regard to their overall budget and the strike prices that are set. In the longer term, it is necessary to reform the contracts for difference allocation process so as to better balance price and supply chain considerations. In doing so, we will be able to maximise the opportunities that offshore wind presents for economic regeneration and job creation in places such as Lowestoft.

Wera Hobhouse 

Does the hon. Member agree that one of the biggest problems that we encounter is not so much the CfDs, but the delay that is caused by grid access? The National Grid cannot develop new grid infra- structure until projects have come on board.

Peter Aldous 

I agree with the hon. Lady. The industry faces a whole range of challenges. The contracts for difference one is very important at the moment, with developers putting forward their bids, but the grid is an important issue. As I have said, the industry has been a victim of its own success. The point-to-point approach to making connections into the grid, which we have had up until now, is, I fear, no longer sustainable and we need to move on to that more strategic approach.

My fifth and final point is that it is important that the Government act as a catalyst for investment in key infrastructure, particularly in ports. That is vital in order not to deflect investment overseas. Such leveraging could include revenue guarantee support for investors for a limited period, to overcome the risk gap at the time of final investment decisions, and looking to see what the UK Infrastructure Bank can do to crowd in private investment.

In conclusion, as I mentioned at the outset, offshore wind has come a long way over the past decade. In many respects it is now the UK’s star player in mission zero. It provides hope and opportunity for communities all around the UK. The existing partnership between business and Government, which culminated in the sector deal signed in Lowestoft nearly four years ago, has served us well. However, the regulatory and policy frameworks now urgently need reviewing if the UK industry is to retain its premier position. If we do not do that—my apologies for this metaphor, Madam Deputy Speaker—there is a risk that we will have blown it.

Hansard

8 February 2023
Aldous calls for change to local government funding formula to reflect needs of coastal communities

Speaking in a debate on the local government funding settlement Peter Aldous calls on the Government to offer multi-year settlements in future to enable long-term planning, highlights the problems of rural areas and coastal communities, and calls for the funding formula to be adjusted to better reflect needs of coastal communities.

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

In challenging circumstances, the Government have come up with proposals that are broadly acceptable and will enable local government, on the whole, to function properly and to deliver a wide range of services for the benefit of local communities. This is vitally important, because it is local government that best understands the needs of local people and is best able to ensure that funding delivers the benefits for which it is intended. There are some drawbacks to the settlement, which I shall briefly outline; and there is also the need to carry out that much-needed review of the funding formula, about which we have already heard and which, indeed, has been talked about throughout my 13 years in the House.

Sally-Ann Hart (Hastings and Rye) (Con)

As a member of the all-party parliamentary group on coastal communities, my hon. Friend will be well aware of a report by Pragmatix Advisory that draws attention to the need to change the local government funding formula to better reflect deprivation and the needs of coastal communities with strategic, long-term, sustainable funding, and to see projects to the end. Does he agree that the Department must consider that as we move forward?

Peter Aldous 

The short answer is that my hon. Friend has a crystal ball, because she has anticipated the conclusion of my speech, and we have been reading the same report.

In the circumstances, as we have heard, some might liken this settlement to a sticking plaster, but I would suggest that it resembles a bandage more, and that in itself reinforces the need for a fundamental overhaul.

Let me now comment briefly on the settlement’s drawbacks, which the Government should seek to ensure are not repeated next year. First, as others have said, this is the fifth one-year settlement in a row. Such short-termism makes it very difficult for councils to plan properly, to deliver world-class local services, and to fully implement key policies such as levelling up. I therefore urge the Government to come forward with a multi-year settlement next year. We have heard that they have made a start, but let them finish delivering that particular strategy.

Secondly, as we have heard, rural areas continue to get a raw deal, notwithstanding the fact that wages in those areas are invariably lower, the cost of living is higher, and it is much more expensive to deliver services. In this context, it is very disappointing that the increase in the rural services delivery grant has been wiped out for rural district authorities, as it is linked to another grant which reduces by equal measures. That makes it more difficult for authorities such as east Suffolk to deliver vital services such as waste collection, recycling and planning. I suggest that next year, the existing formula should be applied in full, without dampening.

Thirdly, the additional funding for children’s social care will help to tackle the most immediate pressures, but it is insufficient to invest in preventive and early help services, nor to invest in the workforce or additional homes needed for children in care. Moreover, it falls short of the £1.6 billion required simply to maintain current service levels. As I have mentioned, there is a need to review the local government funding formula. One of several reasons that the review remains outstanding is that the debate on whether it should take place, and what changes should be made, has been conducted in a way that pits rural communities against urban communities. The result is stalemate—nothing happens, to the detriment of areas where a better funding formula is urgently required. As we have heard, nowhere is that more needed than in coastal communities all around England and the UK, including in the constituency that I represent.

Coastal communities such as Lowestoft face significant challenges: a higher proportion of children living in workless households; household incomes £3,000 on average per annum lower than elsewhere; disabled people less likely to find work; people facing greater health challenges and inequalities, including shorter life expectancy, obesity and higher rates of depression. Those challenges are exacerbated by the fact that in coastal areas, funding must go further and stretch that extra mile. There is a higher cost of delivering services: the population is much older, and in the holiday season there is a need to provide services for visitors.

It should also be pointed out that there is enormous potential in coastal communities that properly funded local government services can help unlock. That includes jobs in the low-carbon energy sector, sustainable fishing and leisure and staycations. Therefore, the local government funding formula must be urgently adjusted to better reflect the needs of coastal communities. I urge the Government to commit to doing that straightaway, so that for 2024-25, coastal communities that have been forgotten for far too long finally get that fair deal that they need.

Hansard

7 February 2023
Aldous seeks Government support for energy-intensive metal-finishing businesses

Peter Aldous calls on the Government to review the support available to metal-finishing businesses, which are extremely energy-intensive, to prevent them losing business to overseas competitors and to strengthen our supply chain and enhance national security.

Businesses: Energy Costs

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

11. What fiscal steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support businesses with energy costs. (903525)

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (James Cartlidge)

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer Question 10 with what I believe to be Questions 11 and 20.

Mr Speaker 

Correct!

James Cartlidge 

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is good when a Treasury Minister gets the numbers right.

I can confirm that the Government are supporting businesses with energy costs during the winter by means of the energy bill relief scheme. The scheme came into effect on 1 October 2022, and will run until 31 March this year. Following the review of the operation of the current scheme, we announced that we would launch a new energy bills discount scheme, which will provide eligible, non-domestic energy users—including eligible hospices—with a discount on their energy bills for a further 12 months from 1 April until 31 March next year.

Peter Aldous 

Metal finishing is a vital component of many strategic industries, including defence, aerospace and energy. Although the process is extremely energy-intensive, businesses such as MP Eastern in Lowestoft do not currently qualify for the additional support that is available, and are therefore losing business to overseas competitors. In order to stop that, strengthen our own supply chain and enhance national security, will my hon. Friend review the support that is available to metal-finishing businesses?

James Cartlidge 

My hon. Friend and county colleague is always championing his local businesses in the Chamber—[Interruption.] I am glad that the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Angus Brendan MacNeil) agrees with me that my hon. Friend is a stalwart champion of his constituency businesses.

We have taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade-intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for ETII support. The firms eligible for the scheme are those operating within sectors that fall above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and the 60th percentile for trade intensity, and those operating within sectors that are eligible for the existing energy-intensive industries compensation exemption scheme. As ever, my hon. Friend is welcome to write to me about the specifics.

Hansard

6 February 2023
Peter Aldous visits Fern Communications

Peter Aldous visited Fern Communications who provide robust communications systems that are used in offshore environments across the world.

During his visit, Peter commented how pleased he was to see Fern's commitment and dedication to young local people. 

Fern strongly believes developing and training our younger generation for the future is critical to the industry.

3 February 2023
World Cancer Day

Peter Aldous joins Keeping Abreast ahead of World Cancer Day at the information event at James Paget University Hospital.

Keeping Abreast offers support to those faced with breast reconstruction due to a breast cancer diagnosis or the discovery of a breast cancer gene.

2 February 2023
Peter Aldous questions Government about monitoring levelling-up progress

Peter Aldous questions the Government on monitoring cross-departmental progress on the delivery of the Government’s 12 levelling-up missions.

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

T7. As the Government’s 12 levelling-up missions transcend the responsibilities of any one Government Department, what co-ordinating and monitoring work is my right hon. Friend’s Department carrying out to ensure the successful delivery of those policies? (903430)

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Jeremy Quin)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that that needs co-ordination. I am delighted to say that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has regular meetings to make certain that that co-ordination happens across Government. The levelling-up missions themselves are jointly monitored by my right hon. Friend and by the No. 10 policy unit to ensure that they are effective and we get bang for buck.

Hansard