The government's former net zero tsar calls for emergency debate into expansion of oil and gas drilling in the North Sea - UK politics live

Chris Skidmore, former science minister, says Rishi Sunak's announcement 'is the wrong decision at precisely the wrong time'The Labour MP Jess Phillips has said the criminal justice system has suffered from "total collapse and calamity", with her party claiming that more than 90% of crimes go unsolved.The MP for Birmingham Yardley and shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that criminals have "never had it so good", adding:People don't expect anyone to be caught.The Home Office has watched while charging has dwindled over the years so that 90% of crimes currently go unsolved.This is about maxing out our oil and gas reserves and that means that we will be much more energy secure and less dependent on hostile actors like Vladimir Putin.The independent climate change committee understands that fossil fuels will play a major role in our energy base for years to come so we think it's essential that that fossil fuel comes from British water, ensuring the revenue comes to the British exchequer rather than paying to import, which would have a higher CO2 emission and rely on sometimes hostile foreign powers.I don't recognise that. We are committed to reaching net zero by 2050.We were the first parliament in the world to legislate for that. Carbon capturing plays a major role in delivering that. Continue reading...