A report from the Public Accounts Committee entitled “Carbon Capture: High Degree of Uncertainty whether Risky Investment by Government will Pay Off” was released last year:
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Report stated that Government Department’s backing of “unproven, first-of-a-kind technology to reach net zero is high-risk”. The PAC called on the Government (Ed Miliband’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero) to assess whether its full carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) programme will be affordable for taxpayers and consumers, given wider pressures on energy bills and the cost of living.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a powerful, cross-party select committee of the UK House of Commons responsible for scrutinizing government expenditure, ensuring value for money, and holding departments accountable for public spending.
The PAC works closely with the National Audit Office to investigate how taxpayer money is used. It ensures transparency and honesty in financial operations, often reviewing reports on issues like waste, efficiency, and government projects. The committee takes evidence directly from senior civil servants—known as Accounting Officers—who are responsible for departmental spending.
It notes that three-quarters of the almost-£22bn envisaged to support the projects will come from levies on consumers who are already facing some of the highest energy bills in the world
The PAC also noted that the CCS projects “will be underwritten by taxpayers, who currently do not stand to benefit if these projects are successful.” - even MPs within the Government know that the tax payers are taking all the risk and the big private corporations will take all the profits.
Given the current geo-political situation and the even greater pressure on energy bills and the cost of living, it is more important than ever that questions must be asked about whether our country can afford to invest in such high risk projects.
What You Can Do:
Please write to your MP and let them know what you think about this report and its findings: “Find Your MP” link: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
Wirral MPs: Wirral West: Matthew Patrick: matthew.patrick.mp@parliament.uk
Wallasey: Dame Angela Eagle eaglea@parliament.uk
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough: Justin Madders: justin.madders.mp@parliament.uk
Birkenhead: Alison McGovern: alison.mcgovern.mp@parliament.uk
Chester North and Neston: Samantha Dixon: Samantha.dixon.mp@parliament.uk
Write to the Liverpool City Region Mayor: Steve Rotheram: mayor@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk.
Write to Ed Miliband the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero:
secretary.state@energysecurity.gov.uk
Follow Action Against CCS for more information: New Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ActionAgainstCCS?locale=en_GB
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