Jim Shannon

Excuse me—can I start again? [Laughter.] Only joking. Businesses, community and charity leaders all recognise the benefit of domestic production. Over 2,000 of them have added their support for Rosebank because of its importance. This oilfield will support hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs. On Monday, the Energy Secretary stressed that affordability is her “overriding objective”. With January expected to bring the biggest rise in bills in four years, action must be taken now to protect energy affordability. Rosebank is part of the solution to stability: by making better use of our own natural resources, we will no longer be largely beholden to geopolitical tensions in the middle east. Closer to home, in Northern Ireland, energy prices continue to climb—that is why I am here as the MP. Home heating oil prices across Northern Ireland are rising, with 68% of households depending on it, and in my constituency of Strangford and on the Ards peninsula, that figure is 80%. That is why I welcomed last month’s long overdue decision to approve gas production at Jackdaw, which will secure energy supplies for homes and businesses. Does the Minister agree that strengthening our energy security is of the utmost urgency, and if so, that lessons must be learned from the impact of the Jackdaw delays? Does he also agree that support should be given to the proposed Rosebank oilfield immediately? I urge the Minister and Government: do not delay taking decisive action to reduce our reliance on volatile international energy markets.