<p>Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:51 pm on 22 November 2016.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 1:51, 22 November 2016

[Continues.]—as a matter of energy policy. China has a problem with pollution. It knows it; it sees the smog in Beijing, it sees the smog in its major cities and it knows its population will not put up with that. What he’s suggesting, if he thinks about it, is, first of all, we should have more air pollution so that people find that that is a problem for their health. Secondly, we should import coal. That means (a) the price of coal is increasing and that means more cost, and (b) less energy security, as far as Britain is concerned, which I cannot agree with him on. And, of course, what he is saying, in effect, is that we should look to build more coal-fired power stations. Well, good luck to him on that. If he wants to see people being angry and annoyed, putting a coal-fired power station next to them is a sure-fire way—pardon the pun—of doing that. No, I can’t agree with him. I don’t accept that renewable energy—energy that is there; tidal energy that is there will always be there as long as the moon is there, and hasn’t yet been properly harnessed—that technology, should not be developed for the future energy needs of Wales, rather than relying on fossil fuels that have to be imported. I cannot see how that is a secure energy policy for the future.