In answer to questions from Crown Paints’ employees Prime Minister David Cameron said ignoring the option of fracking to reduce energy prices in the UK would be a “big mistake”
The Prime Minister visited Lancashire-based Crown Paints yesterday to commend the company on its continued growth and to see recent investments in technology and training.
In a question and answer session with employees, the Prime Minister was challenged on the prohibitive costs of energy in the UK. He responded: “I think we would be making a big mistake as a nation if we did not think hard about how to encourage fracking and cheaper prices right here in the UK.”
He said that the UK is “missing out big time at the moment,” by lagging behind other European Union nations and the US in finding ways to reduce the price of energy, particularly for industry.
“If you look what’s happening in America with the advent of shale gas and fracking, their energy costs in business and their gas prices are half the level of ours.”
Mr Cameron tempered his apparent enthusiasm for fracking however with the proviso that: “Nothing is going to happen in this country unless its environmentally safe.”
Crown Paints is a contender in the Sustainable Manufacturing category of The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2013.
Mr Cameron’s visit to Crown Paints was spurred by the firm’s year on year growth rates and plans to extent the internation reach of its brands.
Mr Cameron praised the firm’s tenacious commitment to growth during his tour saying: “We need more businesses like Crown Paints in the UK and we need to be making more things, selling more things, in the UK and overseas, and offering more apprenticeship schemes to train up our young people.”
