North East MPs call for local jobs boost (BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats)

BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats <info@banffandbuchanlibdems.org.uk>

North East MPs call for local jobs boost

January 31, 2012 9:00 AM
Originally published by The Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce MP

North East Liberal Democrat MPs Malcolm Bruce MP and Sir Robert Smith MP are urging the Westminster Government to give a boost to jobs by providing an investment plan for Carbon Capture & Storage.

The MPs met representatives of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industry in Westminster to discuss the potential of CCS to stimulate the local and national economies.

Malcolm Bruce MP, the MP for Gordon, said:

"Carbon capture and storage could create 13,000 jobs in Scotland by 2020, and another 14,000 elsewhere in the UK, spread across a wide range of skills. The UK and Scotland remains well placed for technological leadership - our share of worldwide carbon capture and storage business could be worth more than £10 billion a year by around 2025.

"The North East of Scotland has geographic advantages and can draw on the vast expertise and experience of the Aberdeen City and Shire Oil and Gas industry bringing prosperity, growth and jobs to the region in the low carbon economy."

Sir Robert Smith MP, member of the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change and MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine added:

"CCS is a major opportunity for Aberdeenshire, Scotland and the UK. With the prize now in sight, we must not allow this to slip away. We urge the Government to put in place a streamlined procurement process as swiftly as possible to deliver the commitment to four CCS projects.

"We look forward to the publication shortly of DECC's 'CCS Roadmap', which is the opportunity to lay out a strong, clear and well-defined commitment to a programme of investment planning for CCS in both the short and long term."

ENDS