Debate contribution: Great British Energy Bill: Legislative Consent Motion
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 11 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Great British Energy Bill: Legislative Consent Motion
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4793342
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I beg to move
A key priority of my Department's economic plan is the decarbonisation of our economy. It is a moral obligation to future generations. The transition to net zero also creates the opportunity to increase the number of good jobs, raise productivity and drive regional balance across the North. Anything that supports that transition is to be welcomed. The Great British Energy Bill was introduced at Westminster on 25 July 2024. It creates a new publicly owned company to support the delivery of clean power projects here and in Britain. It is worth emphasising that the Bill only establishes the company: how it operates in practice will be determined by the policy directions given to the company.
Energy policy is fully devolved under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. It should therefore be for me, as Economy Minister, to set those policy directions. However, the original iteration of the Bill did not respect devolution. My predecessor, Conor Murphy, therefore sought amendments that would allow us to consent to the Bill. Our Scottish and Welsh counterparts had similar concerns. Those efforts led to an amendment to clause 5 that requires my Department to consent to the strategic statement that the Secretary of State lays at Westminster. That ensures that the strategic approach taken by the company aligns with my economic plans and those outlined in the draft Programme for Government. Following discussions at the Executive, it was agreed that I should now seek the legislative consent of the Assembly that the Bill's provisions be extended to here. My officials are already working closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to ensure that the work of the company aligns with that of my Department and supports SMEs. That work includes shaping the British Government's local power plans. It is proposed that the local power plan for the North will identify small and medium-sized renewable projects that GB Energy will invest in, driving development of those low-carbon energy projects. Importantly, GB Energy will focus on building the supply chains necessary to meet the demands of rolling out a decarbonised energy sector. Early indications are that GB Energy has the potential to support the transition to net zero. I will, however, scrutinise all proposals to ensure that our devolved powers are properly represented and respected. I therefore commend the motion to the Assembly and thank Members for their support at this juncture.
403 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.86).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.86 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.63 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.37 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:57 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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