Gas Crisis/Budget: Brown's statement on UIOLI on LNG and Interconnector welcomed

5.17.59pm GMT Mon 5th Dec 2005

John Hemming MP, the Chairman of the Independent Energy Scrutiny Panel, has welcomed the annoucement in the budget statement by Gordon Brown that "Use it or Lose it" will be changed on the Liquid National Gas depot on the Isle of Grain and that impediments to importing gas from Belgium will be withdrawn.

"These are two important steps that must be taken urgently to help Britain's Energy Security. Obviously the devil will be in the details and we will not immediately see the details, but at least the government are starting to move on this issue which is probably the most important short-medium term issue the country faces. We need to go all out to prevent a Gas Emergency and minimise the effects of any such event. The government have been a little slow on this, but they do now seem to be moving. We have mentioned these issues on a number of occasions. There are number of other things the government should be done, but this is a start."