2 February 2023
Peter Aldous highlights East Anglia’s key role in national resilience on food and energy security

Peter Aldous highlights East Anglia’s key role in strengthening national resilience on food and energy security and asks the Government about co-ordinating Departments to ensure the region realises its full potential in both feeding the nation and keeping the lights on.

National Resilience

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

7. What progress his Department has made in strengthening national resilience. (903405)

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Oliver Dowden)

Resilience is a key priority across Government. My Department has already published the resilience framework, refreshed the national security risk assessment and established a risk sub-committee of the National Security Council, which I chair. We will soon publish a new national risk register, and this afternoon I will chair the UK resilience forum, which strengthens our links with partners across the country in collectively tackling the risks we face.

Peter Aldous 

I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, as I am involved in family farms.

As the breadbasket of Britain and home to the all-energy coast, East Anglia has a key role to play in strengthening national resilience on food and energy security. Can my right hon. Friend outline the co-ordinating work his Department is doing with other Departments to ensure the east of England realises its full potential in both feeding the nation and keeping the lights on?

Oliver Dowden 

My hon. Friend is right to highlight East Anglia’s increasing role in providing energy security through its massive offshore wind developments, which are helping to provide secure renewable energy. In addition, the Government food strategy, which was published last year, sets out plans to boost domestic production in sectors with the biggest opportunities, which will of course include East Anglia.

Hansard

31 January 2023
Peter Aldous visits ScottishPower Renewables

Local MP, Peter Aldous, visited the ScottishPower Renewables control room in Lowestoft last Friday.

He said:

“It was a fantastic visits. Renewable energy offers tremendous opportunities for local people in Waveney.”

1 February 2023
Levelling-Up the East of England

Peter Aldous writes for The Parliament Politics magazine.

Last February, the Government published its White Paper “Levelling-Up the United Kingdom”, setting out twelve targets for 2030. In December, the East of England APPG, which I Co-Chair with Daniel Zeichner MP, published a report on Levelling Up the East of England, which analysed confidence in the region to achieve these targets.

The report found there is “high” confidence in achieving three Levelling Up missions: employment and pay; research and development; and wellbeing. Meanwhile, there is “medium” confidence in achieving four of the missions: improved digital connectivity; the delivery of pride in place; reductions in crime; and widened devolution.

However, it found there is “low” confidence in the other five policy areas, many of which are those most important to the people and prospects of our region. They include improved educational attainment; more skills; better transport; longer healthy living; and more affordable housing to buy and rent.

The results of Round 2 of the Levelling-Up Fund mean that, in total, the East of England has hitherto been awarded £252.5 million. This represents the third lowest level of funding of any region, despite deep pockets of deprivation in coastal communities, urban areas and rural areas.

It would be wrong to judge Levelling Up purely on the basis of funding, but concerns exist that a lack of understanding pervades Whitehall regarding the challenges faced by many in our region, as well as the opportunities that the Government could unlock there to benefit the whole of the United Kingdom.

Transport

The East of England – with our 17 ports and airports, including two freeports and Stansted – is a gateway to the UK. If the region had a fit-for-purpose 21st Century transport system, the whole of the UK would benefit accordingly.

On the railways, it is vital that funding is provided for the improvement of the Ely and Haughley junctions. This will improve connectivity from the Felixstowe/Harwich freeport to the Midlands and the North; get freight off the busy A14; and provide additional capacity for passenger services into London.

Reinstating the four trains/hour from Liverpool Street to Stansted will help to attract investment from airlines to secure new routes to destinations such as Boston and San Francisco. It is estimated that this could deliver £95 million of new investment in the East of England.

Education

Achieving good grades not only benefits individuals by improving their life chances and sense of wellbeing, but also enhances economic growth. However, across the region there is a level of attainment behind the level of England as a whole, reflecting that funding for East of England schools is lower than the national average.

Skills

The report’s key recommendations to propel our region are for much greater in-work education provision and participation in further education and skills; training for adults; improvements in the overall quality of training; access to training (linked to rurality and transport matters); and a better alignment with employer needs.

However, at present progress is hamstrung by a lack of revenue funding, as well as a shortage of trainers and teachers. The Government must address this.

Health

Insufficient regard is given to the region’s increasing population, whilst we have a high percentage of elderly people resident in the area. This puts added pressure on the care sector, which is currently grappling with a workforce crisis. There are also significant health inequalities, with an increasing number of children living in poverty.

To meet these challenges, Government policies should recognise the significant population growth, ageing population and deprivation in the East of England, and ensure our region gets its fair share of overall funding based on this.

Housing

Whilst home ownership in the East of England is the highest of any English region, homes are less affordable than in the rest of the UK. In 42 out of 48 areas, average house prices are more than 8 times the median wage.

To meet this challenge, we need to build more homes across all tenures, including social housing, to meet the needs of all people – whether that be those setting up home for the first time, those starting families, those looking to “down” or to “right size” as their children leave home.

Conclusions

Whilst those living in the East of England would undoubtedly benefit if we achieve the 2030 targets for the 12 missions in our region, the rest of the UK will too. For example, if connectivity and transport links across the region were improved, these benefits would flow to all corners of the UK.

There is the opportunity to not only level up but to create global exemplars in sectors such as low-carbon energy and life sciences. As the “breadbasket of Britain” and the “All Energy Coast”, the East of England has a vital role to play providing food and energy security.

For the East of England to realise its full potential for the benefit of local people, and also the rest of the country, it is vital that the Government – working in partnership with the region’s local government, businesses and Strategic Transport Boards – delivers on the twelve levelling up missions.

31 January 2023
Peter Aldous leads debate on levelling up in the East of England

Peter Aldous leads a Westminster Hall debate on progress on the Government’s 12 levelling up missions in the East of England.

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

I beg to move,

That this House has considered progress on the Government’s levelling up missions in the East of England.

It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Davies. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting this debate, which comes a year after a similar debate, when the opportunities and challenges facing the east of England were also considered through the prism of levelling up.

Last February the Government published their White Paper, “Levelling Up the United Kingdom”, in which they set out 12 levelling-up missions, with targets to be achieved by 2030. Last month, in December, the all-party parliamentary group for the east of England, which I co-chair with the hon. Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), published a report in conjunction with the East of England Local Government Association and various private sector partners that analysed confidence in the region in achieving those targets.

In summary, the report found that there was high confidence in achieving three of the levelling-up missions: employment and pay, research and development, and wellbeing. There was medium confidence in achieving four of the missions: improving digital connectivity, delivering pride in place, reducing crime and widening devolution. However, there is low confidence in five policy areas, many of which are the most important to the people of, and the prospects for, the east of England: improved educational attainment, more skills, better transport, longer, healthier living, and more affordable housing to buy and rent.

Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)

The hon. Member is doing an excellent job of making the case for the east of England. One of the five areas of concern he referenced was transport. Does he agree that it is essential to keep up the pressure for important rail improvements at Ely and Haughley junctions, to restore four trains per hour to London Stansted, to secure East West Rail and to ensure that affordable, reliable bus services become the norm rather than the exception across the region?

Peter Aldous 

I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and I greatly enjoy working with him on the APPG. He is correct to raise those issues. I will comment on the rail issues in passing a little later, but they are vital to the east of England and to the whole UK.

I will comment in a little more detail on the five issues where there is low confidence and on what needs to be done so that we can get on course to deliver the 2030 targets. I anticipate that colleagues will home in on areas and issues that are important to them and their constituents. I should add that each of the issues warrants a debate of its own, and I am conscious that I will only scratch the surface of each mission.

Earlier this month the Government published the results of round 2 of the levelling-up fund. In the two rounds that have taken place so far, there have been 12 awards in the east of England, with a total value of £252.5 million. In both rounds we secured the fourth lowest amount of funding in the UK. Although, on an allocation per head basis, the situation has improved significantly, from £14 per head in the first round to £26 per head in the second, the east of England remains the region with the third lowest funding over both rounds.

It would be wrong to judge levelling up solely on the basis of those grants, but there is a worry that there is a lack of understanding in Whitehall of the challenges faced by many people in the east of England and of the exciting opportunities available in the region. With the right policies and support, the Government can help unlock these opportunities, which will benefit not just our region but the whole United Kingdom.

Down here in London, there may be a view that East Anglia is a comfortably-off region where levelling up does not apply. That is wrong, as we have relatively low levels of pay and there are deep pockets of deprivation in coastal communities such as Lowestoft, which I represent, in rural areas and in our larger cities and towns, such as Norwich and Ipswich.

Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)

Does my hon. Friend agree that some coastal regions around the country suffer from pockets of deprivation that are unrecognised because the central hinterland looks wealthy?

Peter Aldous 

My hon. Friend raises a good point. I am mindful of the fact that Jaywick, which is in his constituency, is statistically the most deprived area in the east of England. As he rightly says, pockets of deprivation can be hidden, because there are often areas of wealth within a few miles of them that camouflage that deprivation.

The east of England is an economic success story, and it is one of only three regions that are net contributors to the Exchequer. With the right policies and the necessary initiatives, we can significantly reduce poverty and create what, in effect, would be a global powerhouse, with specialist skills and expertise in such sectors as low-carbon energy, agritech, life sciences and sustainable fishing. Despite the drawbacks, a good start has been made locally in Waveney, and much of Lowestoft resembles a building site at present, with work well under way on the Gull Wing bridge—the long-awaited and much-needed third crossing of the port, which divides the town—as well as on the construction of permanent flood defences.

At this stage it is appropriate to pause and to recall that this evening is the 70th anniversary of the 1953 storm surge that hit our coast so cruelly, causing death, destruction and, ultimately, the demise of the beach village in Lowestoft. Today the region remains extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels and the threat of climate change, but the drive towards net zero presents our economy with significant opportunities, which we must grasp. In Lowestoft, work is also getting under way on the various towns fund projects designed to regenerate the town centre and the surrounds. These projects, together with the flood defence scheme and the new bridge, currently represent a public investment in the town of in excess of £220 million.

Due to inflation, the shortage of raw materials and supply chain challenges, delivering such construction projects is not easy at present, and I commend the project managers at Suffolk County Council, Coastal Partnership East and East Suffolk Council for their hard work. Our task locally is to ensure that the developments act as a catalyst for private sector investment and that they fit in with and complement the overall economic strategy for the region.

I will now briefly touch on the five missions where there is low confidence of meeting the 2030 targets.

Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)

The hon. Gentleman’s constituency and mine are very alike from a fishing point of view. He mentioned 1953, which is also an anniversary for us back home: the MV Princess Victoria went down that year, and I was at the service on Sunday, so 1953 also resonates with us.

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it sometimes appears that the regions that shout the loudest get the lion’s share of the funding? Does he agree that the Government should consider introducing a scoring matrix, which would ensure that each constituency sees projects delivered? That would mean that my constituency could level up with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Peter Aldous 

The hon. Gentleman is quite right that there are significant similarities between the east of England—East Anglia—and Northern Ireland. As far as a matrix is concerned, I am not 100% sure about that, but there needs to be much better feedback from Government on why particular bids are not successful. We probably need to look at the criteria that bids must satisfy before we come on to the next round.

I will comment on the five missions where there is low confidence in achieving the 2030 targets, and I will start with transport. It should be highlighted at the outset that the east of England, with 17 ports and airports—including two freeports and Stansted—is very much a strategic gateway to the whole UK. If the east of England has a fit-for-purpose, 21st-century transport system, the whole UK benefits; unfortunately, we are some way from achieving that. There is concern that the transport needs of the region are being overlooked in Whitehall, notwithstanding the good, co-ordinated work of our two strategic transport bodies, Transport East and England’s Economic Heartland.

On the railways, it is vital that funding is provided for the upgrading of the Ely and Haughley junctions. That will improve connectivity from the Felixstowe-Harwich freeport to the midlands and the north, thereby facilitating levelling up in those regions. It will get freight off the busy A14 and help to provide additional capacity for passenger services into London Liverpool Street. Reinstating the four trains per hour from Liverpool Street to Stansted would help to attract investment from airlines and to secure new routes to destinations such as San Francisco and Boston—that is the one in Massachusetts, not our near neighbour in Lincolnshire, although that road also needs improvement.

It is estimated that, if such routes are opened up, they will deliver £95 million in new investment to the east of England. However, if we are to deliver such investment, there is a need for good transport links to and from the airport. Locally, the Waveney constituency is served by two railway lines—the East Suffolk and the Wherry—which must be upgraded to improve accessibility and connectivity. That is vital to deliver meaningful levelling up to coastal communities such as Lowestoft and Yarmouth.

I will turn now to education. Achieving good grades not only benefits the individuals themselves, improving their life chances and sense of wellbeing, but enhances the prospects of economic growth. Unfortunately, the overall level of attainment across the region is behind that in England as a whole. That is predominantly because the funding for east of England schools is way below the national average. The f40 is a group of the lowest-funded education authorities in England; it is a club to which one does not aspire to belong but, unfortunately, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Central Bedfordshire are all members. To ensure that young people in the east of England have a fair opportunity to realise their full potential, attention should be given to revising the funding formula that applies to rural schools, and a significant part of the increased funding of £4.6 billion over the next few years should be allocated to councils to support children and young people with educational needs and disabilities.

On skills, exciting opportunities are emerging in the east of England, such as in the energy sector and in further education colleges such as East Coast College, with its campuses in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. Such colleges are doing great work, but they are hamstrung by a lack of revenue funding and a shortage of teachers and trainers. The key recommendations in the APPG’s report when it comes to meeting the region’s future needs are that there should be much greater in-work education provision and participation in further education and skills training for adults; improvements in the overall quality of training; better access to training, taking into account rurality and transport challenges; and better alignment with employers’ needs.

Local skills improvement plans, which are being worked up by chambers of commerce, councils and local enterprise partnerships, are the vehicle for bringing about that sea change. However, when we look at energy—with the construction of Sizewell C, with 50% of the UK’s offshore wind fleet anchored off our coast and with the potential for hydrogen production distribution starting from the gas terminal at Bacton—there is concern that the scale of the opportunity has not been fully recognised and acknowledged. The fact that we do not have a bespoke institute of technology is a disappointment.

With regard to the health mission, insufficient regard is had to the fact that population of the east of England is increasing and that a higher percentage of elderly people are resident in the area than in other areas. Those factors apply added pressure to our health and care sector, which is grappling with unprecedented demand and a workforce crisis. There are also significant health inequalities, including an increasing number of children living in poverty and an alarming gap in healthy life expectancy between areas that are often only a few miles apart. To meet those challenges, Government policy should recognise the significant population growth and pressures in the east of England to ensure that the region gets a fair share of funding overall for its demography and that the most deprived areas are recognised within that.

While home ownership in the east of England is the highest of any English region, at 67.4% in 2021, those homes are less affordable than in the rest of the UK. In 42 out of 48 areas in the region, average house prices are more than eight times the median wage. The bottom rungs of the housing ladder have, in effect, been sawn off. In my own constituency casework, the No. 1 issue is the challenges faced by many people seeking a comfortable, warm and dry place to live that they can truly call home. To meet that challenge, we need to build more houses, with the necessary supporting infrastructure, across all tenures, including social housing. We need to meet the needs of all people, whether those setting up home for the first time, those starting families or those looking to downsize or rightsize as their children leave home.

Moreover, the Government need to follow up on their recently announced and welcome ambition to reduce energy demand by driving forward a national retrofit programme. We have successful individual schemes, such as the energy company obligation, but we are yet to embark on the journey to upgrade the bulk of the UK’s existing building stock. Policies should be set in Whitehall—hopefully, the Chancellor will have more to say on that next month—and then delivered locally, carried out by local craftsmen who are trained in local colleges and overseen by local councils.

In conclusion, I will make three observations about levelling up in the east of England. First, those living in the east of England will clearly benefit if we achieve the 2030 targets for the 12 missions, but so will the rest of the UK. For example, as I mentioned, improved connectivity and transport links across the region will lead to benefits flowing to all corners of Great Britain.

Secondly, there is the opportunity not just to level up but to create global exemplars in sectors such as low-carbon energy, life sciences and agritech. Low-carbon energy is particularly important in my constituency on the East Anglian coast—the all-energy coast. Nowhere else in the UK, quite likely nowhere else in Europe and possibly nowhere else in the world, do we find offshore wind, nuclear, carbon capture and hydrogen clustered so closely together. We must realise the full potential of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is an open goal staring us in the face, and it is vital that we do not kick the ball over the bar.

Thirdly, in these uncertain times, we need to have in mind our national security, which the east of England played a crucial role in providing during world war two, when the RAF and the US air force flew from our network of airfields across the region. I hope that security in that form will not be necessary again, but in a geopolitical context, we are in worrying and uncertain times. As the breadbasket of Britain, and as the aforementioned all-energy coast, we have a vital role to play in providing food and energy security.

Delivering on the levelling-up missions, not just in the east of England but across the country, requires collaboration. There is a need for Departments to be properly co-ordinated—I am conscious that I have commented on many issues that do not fall within the Minister’s remit, and I apologise for that. There is also a need for collaboration between national Government and local government, and with the region’s businesses. We need a delivery vehicle to achieve that. I look forward to the Minister’s summing up, and I hope she can pledge that the Government will commit to this important partnership approach.

Hansard

Winding up at the end of the debate

Peter Aldous 

We have had a very full debate. I will go through the contributions made by hon. Members and hon. Friends, and I will try to pull one or two things together out of those.

The hon. Member for Bedford (Mohammad Yasin) highlighted the importance of investment in health infrastructure and services. He is right to do so, because it is something that particularly concerns a great many of our constituents, and we must get that right. We have had a lot of discussion about the importance of rail, which I will come to in a minute. Being at the west of the region, he has highlighted the importance of East West Rail and, generally, in the east of England that can be a challenge.

We look so much north-south and at the roads to London; in fact, very often our road network is focused on the roads down to London. The A12 used to be a toll road from Yarmouth, and it was the main road serving that part of the area, and there was also the A10. Actually, those cross-country routes—whether they are the railways or the roads—are so important. In Suffolk or Norfolk, there is the A143, which links to Lowestoft but actually runs from Yarmouth right down on the county border through to Bury St Edmunds and down to Haverhill. That is a tortuous way to go down, so those cross-country routes are absolutely vital.

My hon. Friend the Member for Clacton (Giles Watling) emphasised the challenges faced by Jaywick and also highlighted the railways. Like me, his constituency is served by two railway lines, and he highlighted the slow, tortuous journey to Liverpool Street. From my perspective, on the East Suffolk line from Lowestoft to Ipswich the journey time has not improved since 1859. That is another particular challenge that we need to address.

A lot of our strategic investment in the coming years will be in the railways, but the road network is there and we must not forget it. There are pinch points and particular challenges. The A12 through Essex is heavily overused. Quite frankly, its activity justifies M status, but I do not think that will ever come, and we have to address that. Because of a lack of maintenance, a lot of our main roads are turning into little more than country tracks in some respects, which reminds me that there were most regrettable accidents on the B1062, which links Beccles to Bungay, over the new year period. I talked that through with the local community and the county council. The county council engineer is doing great work. He said, “We have analysed what happened and think there is a need for improvement, and you are now in the top 20% of our priority schemes.” I thought, “Great.” I said to him, “How many priority schemes do you have?” And he said, “Oh, 10,000”. That illustrates that investment in the existing network—

Geraint Davies (in the Chair)

I remind the hon. Gentleman that this should be a short winding-up rather than a full second speech.

Peter Aldous 

I take that on board, Mr Davies. I thought I had a bit more time.

Geraint Davies (in the Chair)

Just a few minutes.

Peter Aldous 

That is fine. My right hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) gave an impassioned speech, which emphasised the railways. She raised reform of the apprenticeship levy, which is vital, and investment in skills.

My hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (James Wild) raised digital connectivity, which, although a medium risk in the report, is a challenge in the east of England because of our dispersed population, which covers a relatively large geographical area. I also have an interest in the A47, which runs from the A1 and, one might say, begins or finishes in my constituency—in Lowestoft. It is good that work has been done on that. He is an impassioned campaigner for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The James Paget University Hospital, which serves my constituency, is going to be rebuilt. Investment in NHS buildings is important, as is addressing demand and the workforce.

The hon. Member for Nottingham North (Alex Norris), speaking for the Opposition, raised some interesting points, including the common challenges across the country and how the approach that we have adopted might be an exemplar elsewhere. He also highlighted the particular challenges of coastal communities.

I thought the Minister gave a tremendous speech. It is unfortunate that, as I understand it, we will be losing her. She gets it; there was no camouflaging, and she came straight to the point, for which I thank her.

To sum up—my right hon. Friend the Member for Witham got this right—we have to break out of departmental silos. Levelling up is not just for my hon. Friend the Minister’s Department but for all Departments. There were so many issues that were not necessarily for her to address in her remit; they cover the whole of Government. It is about thinking in a joined-up way down here in Whitehall and Westminster, and devolution to local authorities, which will be very important. My right hon. Friend also raised the fact that we have to bring business with us. I think the LEPs have been a success, because they have put business at the forefront. I am not sure about the future of LEPs, but whatever happens, business has to be there, working in partnership and in collaboration with local and national Government. [Interruption.] I see that you are getting impatient, Mr Davies, so on that point I will sum up. I thank all colleagues for their contributions to the debate and thank you for chairing it.

Hansard

30 January 2023
Going Nuclear: Parliamentarians Welcome Research Roadmap for a New Energy Mix

With families and businesses struggling with rising bills and energy security shooting up the policy agenda, there is a new impetus to develop nuclear energy as an essential part of the UK’s energy mix. A major new resource for UK policymakers has now set out some of the steps that will help build a new nuclear future for the nation.

“Nuclear offers a readily available low-carbon baseload for our future energy system when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. Initiatives such as 'Going Nuclear' can provide policy makers with the evidence and recommendations required to realise the UK’s nuclear energy capability and I commend everyone involved in this important work.”

Peter Aldous MP

The last nuclear power station to open in the UK was Torness, located 30 miles to the east of Edinburgh. The plant became operational in 1988, in a world where no one had seen a website and Mrs Thatcher still occupied Number 10 Downing Street.

Over 34 years later, progress towards establishing nuclear as an essential part of the UK’s policy mix seems to have stalled.

Now, the potential challenges to delivery, and practical evidence-based approaches to overcome them, are the subject of a major new collection of online articles launched by The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit, Policy@Manchester.

Working with the university's cross-disciplinary academics at the Dalton Nuclear Institute, the new resource, ‘Going Nuclear’, looks at some of the barriers to the adoption and expansion of nuclear and supports policymakers in overcoming them.

Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie who Chairs the Nuclear Delivery Group and the APPG for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) hopes that the new collection of articles can accelerate the development of the next generation of reactors to replace the UK’s ageing nuclear infrastructure.  

“Nuclear power has been part of the backbone of generating clean and reliable power in the UK since the late 1950s and early 1960s,” Crosbie tells The House. “In the last few years, this valuable contributor to net zero and our energy security has declined as aged stations are retired at the end of a long and useful life.”

Crosbie is right to highlight the declining role of nuclear. In fact, the latest data shows that annual nuclear power output in the UK is now at its lowest level for 40 years.

However, the signs are that the twin drivers of the net zero transition and the increasing importance of energy security have started to shift the debate.

Barrow-in-Furness MP, Simon Fell is one of those who detect a growing role for nuclear energy in the UK.

“A resilient, secure, and sustainable energy mix is what the UK needs,” he tells The House. “There is no sensible approach to this that doesn’t require nuclear as a substantial part of the mix. In Cumbria, we recognise this well.”

Professor Francis Livens, of the university’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, is pleased to see more attention being paid to nuclear energy. But Livens also cautions that reaping the rewards of nuclear requires a clear understanding of the challenges to delivery.

“The biggest risk on the 2030 timescale is not really the technology,” he writes, “but our ability actually to deliver these big, complex projects – a problem that’s not unique to nuclear or the UK.”

Dr Maria Sharmina, Academic Co-Director of Policy@Manchester, believes that this new resource should be essential reading for policymakers who are responsible for translating policy into delivery.  

“Progress in the nuclear industry has followed a pattern of start and stall under successive governments in the last decade,” she writes. “That must change if we are to catalyse our nuclear capability. The Dalton Nuclear Institute and Policy@Manchester recommendations in this collection provide thought leadership on the next steps to secure nuclear energy in a low-carbon and cost-effective energy transition.”

The launch of this new resource feels well-timed. With rising energy costs for consumers and businesses, triggered in part by a restricted supply of imported Russian gas, the issue of energy security has shot to the forefront of policy discussions.  

The research papers have been welcomed by Virginia Crosbie MP who recognises the importance of a robust evidence base to underpin major investment decisions by government and others.

“New nuclear is essential if we are to achieve our Net Zero goals by helping to decarbonise not just the energy generating sectors, but transport and homes too,” she tells The House. “Equipping policymakers with the evidence and recommendations to push forward with new nuclear power is key to ensuring we retain a clean, safe and prosperous United Kingdom.”

Not only can the planned expansion of nuclear energy protect the nation against shocks in the global energy market by increasing self-sufficiency, but as Crosbie suggests, it can also be a critical part of the transition to a net zero economy.

Simon Fell agrees with his Conservative colleague. “Nuclear is not just something for us to light on while on the path to net zero,” he tells us. “It is a key component of our Net Zero mix.”

Fellow member of the Nuclear Energy APPG, Mark Menzies MP, added:

“The United Kingdom remains reliant on foreign powers and environmentally damaging sources for our energy needs. We have a chance to change this, ending our exposure to price shocks and outside events.

“Only through commissioning large scale nuclear projects and embracing new technologies like SMR can we hope to achieve net zero by 2050. For high skilled, well paid jobs, and a resilient path to net zero, investment in next generation nuclear is a must.”

Labour peer, Lord McNicol of West Kilbride, is another who welcomed the publication of this new policy resource. 

“New nuclear has a critical role to play in the nation’s energy mix,” he tells us. “At a time when we face a global climate crisis and challenges around energy security, this timely new resource not only identifies the current barriers to adoption and expansion of nuclear but also offers guidance to policymakers to help overcome them.”

Echoing the potential of ‘Going Nuclear’ to make a vital contributon to the policy debate was Peter Aldous MP who said:

“Nuclear offers a readily available low-carbon baseload for our future energy system when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. Initiatives such as 'Going Nuclear' can provide policy makers with the evidence and recommendations required to realise the UK’s nuclear energy capability and I commend everyone involved in this important work.”

Whilst an expansion of nuclear will bring a range of benefits to the UK, experts from the University of Manchester caution that achieving this will demand coordinated action from government.

Alongside the need for consistent funding and a long-term strategy, the researchers have identified other practical barriers such as skills and supply chains that must be addressed if the nation is to harness the full potential of nuclear.

What this rich collection of research articles ultimately demonstrates, however, is a sector ready to step up and make a more significant contribution to meeting the nation’s energy needs.

It sets out a path that, with rapid action from policymakers, could lead to nuclear potentially providing 20-25% of our electricity needs by 2050. That could be great news for the environment, businesses, and consumers in every part of the UK.

For more information about ‘Going Nuclear’ and to read the collection of thought leadership pieces from Policy@Manchester, please click here.

 

Published in The House Magazine

27 January 2023
Peter Aldous signs Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment

This week Peter Aldous signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.

Holocaust Memorial Day falls on 27th January every year, the anniversary of the liberation of the infamous former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945. Across the UK – and world – people will come together to remember the horrors of the past.

In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. The theme for this year’s commemorations is ‘Ordinary People’.

On Holocaust Memorial Day we also remember and pay tribute to all of those persecuted by the Nazis, including Roma and Sinti people, disabled people, gay men, political opponents to the Nazis and others. We also remember all of those affected by genocide since, in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

After signing the Book of Commitment, Peter commented:

“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people from Waveney to reflect on the darkest times of European history. Today, I pledge to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in Holocaust.”

Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:

“On Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the 6 million men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, simply for being Jewish, and we pay tribute to the incredible survivors, many of whom still share their testimony day in and day out to ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of the past. We also remember that antisemitism did not start or end with the Holocaust, we must all be vigilant, and speak out whenever it is found.”

26 January 2023
Peter Aldous opens East of England energy event in Westminster

East Anglia’s energy sector headed to London to join the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR)’s House of Commons Reception at the Terrace Pavilion. 

In addition to key players representing major developers in the region (including ScottishPower Renewables, Sizewell C, Ørsted, Vattenfall, Equinor, and the National Grid), several Members of Parliament attended the event, including Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, and Brandon Lewis, MP for Great Yarmouth. 

Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney, opened the reception stating, “there is nowhere like the East of England for doing energy, and being in the forefront of the drive towards zero carbon. We’ve got it all.”

Mr Aldous went on to discuss the successes of the region in the last few years, including the Sizewell C project, offshore wind developments, the exciting prospect of hydrogen, and the unique opportunity the Bacton Gas Terminal presents: “The East of England can be a global exemplar of how to do zero carbon.” 

The MP also highlighted challenges facing the region, urging government to look at how valuable time lost during the planning process can be mitigated and made a plea to local communities to “work together” with industry to  elevate the region as a “global leader”. 

Mr Aldous concluded with a clear message: “Partnership working is vital. We need to be coming together and working via a clear policy framework.” 

Following the MP’s speech, Gillian Noble, Managing Director Offshore Development and Operations at ScottishPower Renewables (SPR), took to the podium to discuss what their East Anglia Hub project would do for not only the region but also the UK: “It will generate enough renewable electricity for up to 2.5 million homes, creating over 7,000 jobs. From now until 2030, SPR will invest £6 billion across the region.” 

Tom McGarry, Head of Regional External Affairs and Development for EDF’s Sizewell C (SZC) project followed, and heralded 2022 as a year of, “progress, achievement, and acceleration” for Britain’s new nuclear power station.

Mr McGarry discussed the initiatives being put in place to reduce the impact of the core construction on the local community. This included the placement of apprenticeships from Suffolk into roles at Hinkley Point C in anticipation of targeting 1,500 apprenticeships for the SZC project. 

With over £10 million worth of contracts already committed to East of England companies - £2 million in Suffolk alone – he echoed his peers’ earlier calls for collaboration with EEEGR and government to elevate the East of England as an “international example that will deliver a just transition to a cleaner and better future for all”. 

Luke Bridgman, Senior EPC Project Director at Ørsted: “The East of England is an exciting place for Ørsted. It’s home to our Hornsea 3 project and will become the world’s single biggest offshore wind farm when finished in 2027. With a capacity of 2.8 GW, it will power up to 2.3 million UK homes. Hornsea 3 will contribute significantly to Ørsted’s 30 GW by 2020 vision, and government’s ambition of having 50 GW of offshore wind installed by 2030 as part of the British Security Strategy.”

Rob Anderson, Project Director for Vattenfall’s Norfolk Vanguard and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms: “The good news is, [the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone is] all based in East Anglia. That’s over 10 GW of power that’s right there. It will bring lots of opportunities across the region, and we are engaging early with young people across the region as well as engaging actively through EEEGR and East Wind. […] There are head winds – we’ve seen cost increases, increased interest rates, and volatile supply chains. These need to be addressed early.”

Matei Negrescu, Vice President for Renewables at Equinor: “The East of England is where it all started for us in the offshore wind industry. It’s here that we developed our first wind farm, Sheringham Shoal, in 2011, followed by Dudgeon in 2017. Great Yarmouth is the home of our O&M base. […] We look to continue to collaborate with the Department for Business, Energy, and Industry, OFGEM, and more to futureproof the UK to deliver net zero targets.” 

Chris Bennett, Director for UK Regulation at National Grid: “We recognise the critical role we play in facilitating the transition to a cleaner, greener, and more affordable energy system. […] The move to renewables has never been more important, and the East of England is the heart of that. […] We shouldn’t underestimate the scale of the task ahead of us […] This will take all of us working together, and we are keen to work with everyone to support delivery of clean, affordable, and sustainable energy transition.” 

Attendees also heard from David Dukes from GENERATE and Jenny Morgan from Seaway7 throughout the event.
 
Overall, the event had a running theme of the East of England being a hub for investment, skills, apprenticeships, and benefits to the supply chain. The impact of projects will be huge. The East of England is a unique place, with the opportunity to become the energy exemplar of the UK, and EEEGR is spearheading work with developers, operators, the supply chain, and government to champion this within the region.

24 January 2023
Peter Aldous pressures the Government to publish its strategy for the future of NHS dentistry

Peter Aldous recalls Parliament passing a motion in October calling on the Government to report to the House in three months’ time on their progress in addressing the crisis in NHS dentistry and seeks confirmation that the Government is producing a strategy and asks when it will be published.

Access to NHS Dentistry

Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)

5. What steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry. (903221)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Neil O’Brien)

The Government are working to improve access. We have made initial reforms to the contract and created more unit of dental activity bands to better reflect the fair cost of work and to incentivise NHS work. We have introduced a new minimum UDA value to help sustain practices where they are low, and we are allowing dentists to deliver 110% of their UDAs for the first time to deliver more activity. Those are just the first steps; we are planning wider reforms.

Peter Aldous 

On 20 October, the House passed a motion highlighting the continuing crisis in NHS dentistry and calling on the Government to report to the House in three months’ time on their progress in addressing this crisis. That time has now elapsed. I am grateful to the Minister for that update, but can he confirm that the Government will be producing a comprehensive strategy for the future of NHS dentistry, and can he inform the House when it will be published?

Neil O’Brien 

It was very useful to meet my hon. Friend the other day, who is a great expert on this issue. As he knows, we are working at pace on our plans for dentistry. As well as improving the incentives to do NHS work, we are working on the workforce to make it easier for dentists to come to the UK. We laid draft secondary legislation in October to help the General Dental Council with that. We are working on our plans for a centre for dental development in Ipswich and elsewhere in the east of England, as he knows. Although we have not yet set a date to set out the next phase of our plans, my hon. Friend knows from our meeting that this is a high priority area for us and that we are working on it at pace.

Hansard