Welsh Labour has hailed an agreement reached at the Labour party’s national policy forum which puts clean coal technology at the heart of Labour’s energy policy for the next general election as a major boost for the coal industry in Wales.
 
Derek Vaughan, the Labour Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council and a Welsh Labour candidate for the 2009 European Parliamentary elections said that clean coal technology would now be at the heart of Labour’s energy policy following the conclusion of the party’s National Policy Forum at Warwick University at the weekend, where Labour party delegates from across Wales and elsewhere in the UK met with UK Government ministers to debate and agree Labour’s policies for the next general election.
 
Policies agreed at the National Policy Forum will now go to the Labour party’s Annual Conference for final approval.
 
Speaking from the national policy forum in Warwick, DEREK VAUGHAN said:
 
“The agreement reached at Labour’s National Policy Forum at Warwick during the weekend on our energy policy for the years ahead is a major boost for the coal industry in Wales.
 
“The National Policy Forum, which gives hundreds of thousands of people involved in the Labour party’s policy making process the chance to express their views and ideas on how we as a party should tackle the big challenges facing this country has put clean coal technology at the heart of Labour party policy, and it will have a central part to play in the future energy needs of the UK.
 
“But what makes this policy that more exciting, is that it came from Labour party members in the Rhondda.
 
Derek Vaughan added: “Wales will play a major role in our efforts to cut carbon emissions by supplying high quality coal for the next generation of coal-fired power stations, with collieries in places such as the upper Neath valley in particular benefiting.  
 
“While we all recognise that the world faces difficult and testing times, this weekend, delegates at the national policy forum have been thinking ahead to identify the steps we as a party need to take towards ensuring we build the kind of future we want to see for this country.
 
“They debated how we will create a greener economy, whilst continuing to secure sustainable economic growth and jobs, how we can deliver world-class public services, continue the drive towards world-class education and skills, implementing the next-generation of family-friendly policies for the 21st century workplace and how we can provide better youth services for our young people.
 
“The Labour party, under Gordon Brown’s leadership, will continue to focus on dealing with the big challenges facing this country and who will unlike Cameron and the Tories, who have nothing to offer the people of Wales, continue to focus on delivering policies of substance, which will make a real and positive difference.