Speeches by Hobhouse.

“We have slightly moved on but ultimately this is a debate about the distribution and transmission networks. What is the cost of upgrading the transmission network versus the cost of upgrading the distribution network? We are always looking at the cost of energy to consumers, and since it is so difficult to calculate th…”

“Yes.”

“Yesterday, I was at a breakfast meeting about short, medium and long-term battery storage. I learned that this is not something that would, for example, tide us over two weeks or so of cold weather. We are really talking about only a few days here or there; therefore, these batteries are not the answer for a cold snap.…”

“Anybody else?”

“Fair enough, Chair. As I understand it, inertia is about the speed of the turbines in generating electricity; what will the main challenges be in maintaining inertia on the grid as we decarbonise, and can it be done without adding significantly to bills? As I said at the beginning, what does all this cost, and what wou…”

“Will consumers be attracted to tariffs where large smart appliances could be switched off by the grid operator remotely at peak times? Ultimately, we are talking about, “We don’t really want to think about it. I am happy if somebody else does it for me.””

“Demand-led flexibility obviously depends on consumers engaging with thinking about electricity, and we have already discussed whether that is a good or a bad thing. Consumers have not engaged very much with flexibility, and uptake has not been very widespread. Has that surprised you, Sarah?”

“The hon. Gentleman did talk to me before the debate, and I was happy to take his intervention. Bath is an example of the challenges that exist everywhere. We are here to discuss those, but also to point to the partnerships that are essential if we are to resolve the issues, so I thank him for his contribution. Yes, we …”

“Demand-led flexibility obviously depends on consumers engaging with thinking about electricity, and we have already discussed whether that is a good or a bad thing. Consumers have not engaged very much with flexibility, and uptake has not been very widespread. Has that surprised you, Sarah?”

“In a previous inquiry, we heard that the network costs are the most expensive but also that companies’ profits are hidden in the network costs—at least that is what we thought we found out. It is important to get to the bottom of the transparency of network costs in terms of what is included and what is not.”

“Of course.”

“Fair enough, Chair. As I understand it, inertia is about the speed of the turbines in generating electricity; what will the main challenges be in maintaining inertia on the grid as we decarbonise, and can it be done without adding significantly to bills? As I said at the beginning, what does all this cost, and what wou…”

“We were talking about the fact that the system should be abated gas—that is, it has to have a carbon capture attached to it. Does the cost calculation include the abation?”

“We have slightly moved on but ultimately this is a debate about the distribution and transmission networks. What is the cost of upgrading the transmission network versus the cost of upgrading the distribution network? We are always looking at the cost of energy to consumers, and since it is so difficult to calculate th…”

“The long-term plan is to move away from oil and gas and into renewables, but there is always the question of intermittency. We need flexibility, but at what cost? That is the big question. There are all sorts of solutions—battery storage, hydrogen—but it has also been argued that methane has a very large energy potenti…”

“Our waterways in Bath are the envy of the country. Across England and Wales, more than 30,000 boats are licensed to navigate our canals and rivers, and Bath stands out as a particular hotspot. Many boaters choose to make Bath their home, whether moored permanently or passing through as part of a longer journey. The Ken…”

“Yes.”

“Let me first express my condolences to the family of the hon. Gentleman’s constituent who drowned so tragically. Such tragedies demonstrate that antisocial behaviour often constitutes thoughtless vandalism. People do not understand what they are doing. We need to make people think about what they do, and legislation ma…”

“After more than a year of raising the issue in this House, illegal drugs including spice are still being brazenly sold to children online. If that is not harm, I do not know what is. What are the Government doing to ensure that all powers under the Online Safety Act are being used by Ofcom to stop this appalling harm t…”

“Through his new folly over Greenland, President Trump is increasingly bringing the UK closer to Europe. At Denmark’s request, would the UK allow European forces to use the UK’s command infrastructure for operations in and around Greenland?”