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Prout, and her ministerial team. The first question comes about new | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
energy technologies. Order, order. Questions to the | :00:00. | :00:16. | |
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Thank you. Question | :00:17. | :00:24. | |
number one. Thank you. Encouraging and supporting innovation is central | :00:25. | :00:29. | |
to everything we do. The UK has a proud record of leadership in energy | :00:30. | :00:34. | |
and innovation, for example, through driving down costs of offshore wind | :00:35. | :00:36. | |
technology. The Government took steps to build on this last year's | :00:37. | :00:41. | |
Spending Review, more than doubling our innovation budget to a total of | :00:42. | :00:44. | |
?500 million over the next five years. In this way, we can continue | :00:45. | :00:48. | |
to support the development of clean, cheap and rival technologies. Thank | :00:49. | :00:54. | |
you. I recently visited to farmers in my constituency. They are | :00:55. | :01:00. | |
generating electricity through any real big digestion and another who | :01:01. | :01:06. | |
is using the same process. To generate bio gas. This is connected | :01:07. | :01:12. | |
to the national grid. With the Secretary of State joining | :01:13. | :01:14. | |
congratulating these entrepreneurs who have shown considerable | :01:15. | :01:16. | |
innovation in the use of neat analogy. Catch you when what further | :01:17. | :01:19. | |
support Government is giving? Thank you. My honourable friend is correct | :01:20. | :01:28. | |
that one of the biggest challenges we face is how to decarbonise our | :01:29. | :01:35. | |
energy supply. We have provided low carbon heat and electricity and I | :01:36. | :01:41. | |
would like to congratulate employers such as those mentioned, who make | :01:42. | :01:45. | |
use of food and farm waste, to help deliver renewable energy. Can I ask | :01:46. | :01:54. | |
the Minister to get out a bit more? Because I walk around my | :01:55. | :02:00. | |
constituency and I talked to the big companies who invest in new | :02:01. | :02:04. | |
technology. They think the stop start nature of Government policy, | :02:05. | :02:08. | |
especially from the Treasury, has deeply harmed innovation and | :02:09. | :02:13. | |
research in this area. I am sorry to hear that. The facts speak for | :02:14. | :02:17. | |
themselves. Investment in renewable technology and energy is at a record | :02:18. | :02:24. | |
high in the UK. This Government is always careful to consult before | :02:25. | :02:27. | |
making changes. That is to ensure that we take industry with us and | :02:28. | :02:36. | |
deliver the stability they need. The most dominant form of low carbon | :02:37. | :02:40. | |
electricity is meagre power. In terms of innovation, the Secretary | :02:41. | :02:46. | |
said updaters on the competition in nuclear power? Thank you. Nuclear | :02:47. | :02:53. | |
power is an important part of the energy mix. We continue to need it | :02:54. | :02:57. | |
and this Government supports going forward, to replace our ageing | :02:58. | :03:02. | |
nuclear fleet as it comes off, over the next decades. We have launched | :03:03. | :03:06. | |
this competition and have had 38 expressions of interest and we will | :03:07. | :03:10. | |
work closely with those companies to make sure we are plans the | :03:11. | :03:13. | |
competition to bring on the most likely investment. Last month, the | :03:14. | :03:19. | |
US Senate passed an Energy Bill in a rare occurrence of bipartisan | :03:20. | :03:24. | |
cooperation. This bill could potentially unleashed billions of | :03:25. | :03:29. | |
dollars in research and development on new energy technologies, | :03:30. | :03:34. | |
including energy storage, hydro- kinetic and advancing the electric | :03:35. | :03:37. | |
grid in the United States. Can the UK Government Act in a similar | :03:38. | :03:41. | |
manner, investing in the future and addressing the myriad of problems | :03:42. | :03:48. | |
with our energy infrastructure? The Climate Change Act underpins the | :03:49. | :03:51. | |
drive towards renewable energy in this country and it was indeed | :03:52. | :04:00. | |
passed a cross-party and this area is developing in low carbon and | :04:01. | :04:04. | |
remains cross-party and this Government is committed to making | :04:05. | :04:08. | |
sure we make the investment and plan for the long term, to ensure we | :04:09. | :04:12. | |
develop renewable energy, whilst always ensuring we do it at the | :04:13. | :04:14. | |
least possible cost and putting energy security first. Will my | :04:15. | :04:19. | |
honourable friend agree that supporting innovative electric | :04:20. | :04:23. | |
vehicles is an excellent way to protect the environment and UK | :04:24. | :04:28. | |
business? Will the Government do all I can to support this new | :04:29. | :04:39. | |
technology? The future for transport is indeed electric. The Department | :04:40. | :04:43. | |
for Transport has clear plans to make sure that we develop that and | :04:44. | :04:49. | |
support that industry. One in four electric cars is driven around | :04:50. | :04:52. | |
Europe at the moment and made in the UK. I hope the UK will continue to | :04:53. | :05:05. | |
be a leader in this developing area. The honourable gentleman may be | :05:06. | :05:08. | |
aware that we have recently launched a consultation on tidal energy. That | :05:09. | :05:15. | |
is being headed by Charles Hendry. In terms of tidal stream, which he | :05:16. | :05:19. | |
may also be asking about, we have yet to decide how allocations will | :05:20. | :05:26. | |
be taken forward. I welcome the support for smart meters and I'm | :05:27. | :05:30. | |
sure you will agree the role it is vital to put consumers in control of | :05:31. | :05:35. | |
energy use. Consumers need ready access to data from smart meters. If | :05:36. | :05:40. | |
we're going to achieve this, and that is why all households will be | :05:41. | :05:44. | |
offered an in-home displays to allow them to see the energy they are | :05:45. | :05:48. | |
using in real time. As well as its cost. It will also allow suppliers | :05:49. | :05:55. | |
to trial innovative technologies alongside. Smart meters can | :05:56. | :06:00. | |
transform domestic energy consumption and help save the | :06:01. | :06:04. | |
planet. But only if consumers are given secure control and ownership | :06:05. | :06:09. | |
of their own data. The display options she refers to will still | :06:10. | :06:13. | |
allow smart meters to be a back door into our homes for hackers. Can she, | :06:14. | :06:19. | |
before it is too late, overcome her ridiculous complacency and announce | :06:20. | :06:22. | |
measures which will give consumers the digital rights that they | :06:23. | :06:30. | |
deserve? The honourable lady should know that privacy is absolutely | :06:31. | :06:33. | |
protected and at the heart of the smart meter programme. She should be | :06:34. | :06:38. | |
careful not to put fear into the hearts of people, where none should | :06:39. | :06:42. | |
exist. The data is protected and the data belongs, not to Government, | :06:43. | :06:46. | |
which some people might not unreasonably fear, but to the energy | :06:47. | :06:50. | |
companies. So, we will make sure that we always reassure consumers | :06:51. | :06:54. | |
that privacy is at the core of delivering safe meters in the | :06:55. | :06:59. | |
future. The Competitions and Markets Authority has recommended a | :07:00. | :07:03. | |
temporary safeguard for vulnerable users on prepayment meters. This | :07:04. | :07:07. | |
safeguard could be worth savings of up to ?300 million a year for those | :07:08. | :07:11. | |
on prepayment meters. The secrecy committed to implement it as as | :07:12. | :07:18. | |
possible? Thank you. You are correct. The preliminary report | :07:19. | :07:25. | |
addresses head on the difficulties of higher costs paid by people with | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
prepayment meters. We blame them and those recommendations and look | :07:30. | :07:31. | |
forward to seeing the final recommendations. According to | :07:32. | :07:37. | |
Government's calculations, smart meters installed could save ?17 | :07:38. | :07:43. | |
billion in collective energy bills over the next 15 years. Does the | :07:44. | :07:47. | |
minister recognised that consumers have access to data usage? This | :07:48. | :07:54. | |
allows them to shared with third parties, to improve competition. | :07:55. | :08:02. | |
Yes, the Government will be glad to see the fact that Competition and | :08:03. | :08:05. | |
Markets Authority has said they will make available in a controlled way | :08:06. | :08:10. | |
the details of people who have not switched. We have to make sure it is | :08:11. | :08:14. | |
done in a way that does not result in consumers viewing overwhelmed by | :08:15. | :08:19. | |
the jesters. The Competitions and Markets Authority has yet to come | :08:20. | :08:22. | |
out with final solution but I am confident it will do so and when it | :08:23. | :08:25. | |
is measured and will help to make sure that people who have not been | :08:26. | :08:28. | |
switching have access to switching and the opportunities that are | :08:29. | :08:36. | |
there. Thank you. The Government has announced up to ?730 million of | :08:37. | :08:41. | |
contracts for different support. For offshore wind and others. The first | :08:42. | :08:48. | |
option will offer ?299 and I expect Scottish projects to bits. This is a | :08:49. | :08:52. | |
huge opportunity for the UK supply chain and I am doing every day I can | :08:53. | :08:56. | |
to persuade developers to buy British. The Government has | :08:57. | :09:07. | |
cancelled the CFC for a wind farm in eastern Scotland. Without it, there | :09:08. | :09:14. | |
will be no project at all. Can the Secretary of State and that's why | :09:15. | :09:18. | |
this has been cancelled? And will be committed to redeploying funds to | :09:19. | :09:24. | |
another Scottish project? Well, what I can say is that it is not the | :09:25. | :09:30. | |
Government that decides whether delivery milestones are met, it is | :09:31. | :09:35. | |
the low carbon contracts company who manages those CFT 's. That | :09:36. | :09:38. | |
cancellation was a result of the milestone delivery date, not being | :09:39. | :09:43. | |
met. There are ongoing discussions about it. I absolutely recognise the | :09:44. | :09:51. | |
termination of a CFD is disappointing. There is a big | :09:52. | :09:55. | |
project pipeline of Scottish onshore wind and I expect to see other | :09:56. | :09:57. | |
projects coming forward next auction. I am happy to hear the | :09:58. | :10:03. | |
mellifluous tones of the honourable gentleman but his inquiry must | :10:04. | :10:05. | |
relate to Scotland, brother and Cleethorpes. There is a direct link. | :10:06. | :10:15. | |
Clearly, developments in the industry in Scotland will impact on | :10:16. | :10:19. | |
the success or otherwise of developments of the energy estuary, | :10:20. | :10:23. | |
which is the Government ambition for the Humber. Could the Minister give | :10:24. | :10:27. | |
an update on how developments in Scotland might impact on the Humber? | :10:28. | :10:36. | |
Very neat. I commend my honourable friend for both his tenacity and his | :10:37. | :10:40. | |
command of the English language. I can certainly say to him that this | :10:41. | :10:45. | |
project pipeline, whether from Scottish projects, from the Humber | :10:46. | :10:50. | |
region, will enormously benefit the UK supply pipeline and that is what | :10:51. | :10:56. | |
we really want to do. I am talking with individual developers. He will | :10:57. | :10:59. | |
be aware of the East Coast review that is ongoing, to try to make sure | :11:00. | :11:04. | |
that wherever possible, we buy British. That is this UK fabricators | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
and opportunities to get more of this valuable business, which has | :11:10. | :11:13. | |
been a real success story for the United Kingdom. | :11:14. | :11:17. | |
Scotland's and doubted potential in renewables is being squandered by | :11:18. | :11:25. | |
removed control from here in Westminster. -- undoubted. When will | :11:26. | :11:32. | |
Scotland be treated better? Mr Speaker, I'm not sure if it is | :11:33. | :11:36. | |
Parliamentary language to say, what a rubbish, but that was absolute | :11:37. | :11:42. | |
rubbish. There is no sense in which the UK Government treats Scotland as | :11:43. | :11:46. | |
an absentee landlord, and the honourable gentleman will absolutely | :11:47. | :11:50. | |
be aware that 60% of the renewables obligation has gone to Scottish | :11:51. | :11:55. | |
projects, how on earth he can think that Scotland is somehow losing out | :11:56. | :12:01. | |
is absolute nonsense! Thank you, Mr Speaker. If we are not being run | :12:02. | :12:05. | |
from removed control, can the Minister tell us hammy times the | :12:06. | :12:09. | |
Secretary of State has been to Dublin since the last election? I | :12:10. | :12:13. | |
can tell the honourable gentleman I have been to Scotland a number of | :12:14. | :12:18. | |
times. I do not know the answer to his question, I can write to him on | :12:19. | :12:23. | |
that point. But my right honourable friend is absolutely committed, as | :12:24. | :12:27. | |
am I, to the success of not just the renewables sector in Scotland, but | :12:28. | :12:36. | |
also to the oil and gas sector, and he will be aware of the hours she | :12:37. | :12:39. | |
and I have spent in this chamber desperately trying to get the | :12:40. | :12:41. | |
authority sorted out through the Energy Bill that he and his | :12:42. | :12:44. | |
colleagues have absolutely tried to delay and discover at every turn! Dr | :12:45. | :12:51. | |
James Davies. Question number four, Mr Speaker. Minister. Thank you, Mr | :12:52. | :12:58. | |
Speaker. It is quite right that network companies give proper | :12:59. | :13:02. | |
consideration to protect immunities in sensitive areas, and my | :13:03. | :13:04. | |
honourable friend is right to speak up for his local residents. I hope I | :13:05. | :13:09. | |
can reassure him and his constituents that legislation does | :13:10. | :13:12. | |
already put this requirement on them. Local communities will always | :13:13. | :13:16. | |
be properly consulted on how new transmission networks might affect | :13:17. | :13:20. | |
their local environment. Dr James Davies. I am grateful for this | :13:21. | :13:31. | |
reply. She will be aware that many miles of new Alec Issigonis will be | :13:32. | :13:33. | |
required across the country for new projects including in my area of | :13:34. | :13:36. | |
North Wales. Would she agree that where there is controversy, the cost | :13:37. | :13:38. | |
of delays to such infrastructure projects could far outweigh the | :13:39. | :13:44. | |
costs of putting cables underground to overcome such controversy? Would | :13:45. | :13:47. | |
she also agree that planning guidance may need firming up to | :13:48. | :13:51. | |
enable clarity around this requirement? Minister. I certainly | :13:52. | :13:56. | |
agree that getting on with project and avoiding delays is important, | :13:57. | :13:59. | |
and I am sure he will appreciate that there is a balance to be | :14:00. | :14:03. | |
struck. A recent independent study shows that under grounding of | :14:04. | :14:07. | |
transmission lines can cost up to ?24 million per kilometre, compared | :14:08. | :14:12. | |
to 4.4 million for overhead lines. These costs are ultimately paid | :14:13. | :14:17. | |
through consumer bills. I do want to reassure him again that existing | :14:18. | :14:21. | |
planning guidance will make sure that undergrounding is always fully | :14:22. | :14:27. | |
considered. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I wanted to ask the Minister about | :14:28. | :14:32. | |
broader vertical infrastructure. We have pylons, as you know, coming | :14:33. | :14:36. | |
through Cumbria, but in my constituency we also have a lot of | :14:37. | :14:40. | |
wind farms and telephone masts. My question to her, how do we mitigate | :14:41. | :14:44. | |
bringing all of those together when we look at new panning? That | :14:45. | :14:52. | |
planning. I hope I can reassure the honourable lady that local authority | :14:53. | :14:55. | |
planning processes do always take into account the cumulative impact | :14:56. | :15:01. | |
of yet one more project that is under way. I mean, I suppose this | :15:02. | :15:06. | |
is, quite rightly, a question for the see Elche, but I think that the | :15:07. | :15:10. | |
existing planning arrangements will certainly always allow for proper | :15:11. | :15:20. | |
consideration of alternatives, but also to look at one more project | :15:21. | :15:24. | |
does and whether somehow it can be brought together so that, if there | :15:25. | :15:27. | |
is an area that is affected, it can have, you know, several different | :15:28. | :15:32. | |
projects in the same place, rather than spreading it out and ruining | :15:33. | :15:39. | |
the landscape. The best way to deliver energy bills for businesses | :15:40. | :15:43. | |
and households is to have a robust and competitive energy market. In | :15:44. | :15:48. | |
2010, the big six controlled 99% of the domestic market, but this year | :15:49. | :15:53. | |
consumers can choose from over 30 independent suppliers who between | :15:54. | :15:57. | |
them control over 15% of the dual fuel market. Competition is | :15:58. | :16:00. | |
improving, but we cannot be complacent, and that is why I look | :16:01. | :16:05. | |
forward to the final report of the Competition and Markets Authority, | :16:06. | :16:07. | |
and I would encourage consumers to switch. I agree with the Secretary | :16:08. | :16:13. | |
of State and banker for the answer, and the best way for consumers to | :16:14. | :16:17. | |
get a good deal is to consider switching. -- and thank her. Can my | :16:18. | :16:21. | |
right honourable friend confirm that the Government remains committed to | :16:22. | :16:26. | |
reducing the time it takes for customers to switch? The fact is | :16:27. | :16:30. | |
that consumers are sometimes put off from switching not only by the | :16:31. | :16:33. | |
complications which they perceive but the length of time which it can | :16:34. | :16:39. | |
take, and we are confident they will reach revival next day switching by | :16:40. | :16:46. | |
2018. My friend the shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate | :16:47. | :16:48. | |
Change recently visited the warning Trego house in my constituency where | :16:49. | :16:53. | |
heating and lighting bills are kept and ?100 per year. -- the | :16:54. | :17:03. | |
award-winning eco house. I thank the honourable lady for her question, | :17:04. | :17:07. | |
and she's absolutely right that there are fantastic taking place | :17:08. | :17:11. | |
through private sector investment to make sure they deliver innovations | :17:12. | :17:14. | |
in this sector which will drive down bills. In terms of zero carbon | :17:15. | :17:20. | |
homes, I can reassure heard there is a EU directive which calls for near | :17:21. | :17:25. | |
zero carbon emissions which will reduce the cost of bills. Does my | :17:26. | :17:33. | |
right honourable friend agreed that it is important to give more power | :17:34. | :17:40. | |
to price comparison websites to give consumers more knowledge? Well, I | :17:41. | :17:43. | |
agree that we have to have as many choices as possible for people, and | :17:44. | :17:47. | |
Competition and Markets Authority have made some proposals, but we | :17:48. | :17:51. | |
also have to be careful to make sure it is fairly addressed and the | :17:52. | :17:54. | |
cheapest tariff is indeed available and there is full disclosure. What I | :17:55. | :17:57. | |
intend to do is encourage people to go to the Ofgem website, be an | :17:58. | :18:06. | |
energy shopper. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State is | :18:07. | :18:09. | |
fond of telling us how keen she is to cut energy bills, but last Friday | :18:10. | :18:14. | |
her department, when attention was diverted elsewhere, reveal that | :18:15. | :18:16. | |
families in this country will be asked to pay an extra up to ?38 on | :18:17. | :18:23. | |
their energy bills in order to fund her failure to get new power | :18:24. | :18:27. | |
stations built. Can she now confirm to this House that not only is she | :18:28. | :18:32. | |
asking families to pay more to fund her policy of closing coal-fired | :18:33. | :18:36. | |
power stations, but now, at exactly the same time, she is also asking | :18:37. | :18:45. | |
them to pay more to keep them open? What the honourable lady is faring | :18:46. | :18:49. | |
too is changes in the capacity market, and she has not grasped the | :18:50. | :18:55. | |
facts of the situation. -- is referring to. The consequences of | :18:56. | :18:58. | |
wholesale prices falling is that coal and gas prices become an | :18:59. | :19:02. | |
economic goal. Because we will take no risks with energy security, and | :19:03. | :19:09. | |
because we are clear that energy security must be the number one | :19:10. | :19:12. | |
priority, we have brought forward a new capacity market which will stop | :19:13. | :19:16. | |
their being sort of price hikes which are most and welcome and | :19:17. | :19:19. | |
actually my department estimates this will save consumers up to ?46 | :19:20. | :19:25. | |
on their bills. Mr Speaker, the absurdity of the situation appears | :19:26. | :19:29. | |
to be lost on the Secretary of State, but since she has been on | :19:30. | :19:32. | |
this panicked spending spree, perhaps I can ask another question. | :19:33. | :19:36. | |
She recently announced generous subsidies to EDF, the big energy | :19:37. | :19:41. | |
company that operates British nuclear facilities. She has agreed | :19:42. | :19:45. | |
to hand over ?153 million in subsidies in 2018, a further ?139 | :19:46. | :19:51. | |
million the following year, to subsidise nuclear power stations | :19:52. | :19:54. | |
that would have been open anyway. Is she now also aware of the recently | :19:55. | :20:00. | |
breaking news that the cost of Hinkley Point C is now set to rise | :20:01. | :20:06. | |
to ?21 billion? That is ?3 billion more than was forecast. And can she | :20:07. | :20:12. | |
tell us what she estimates the cost to bill payers and taxpayers in the | :20:13. | :20:15. | |
UK will be of this new revised estimate? I am concerned the | :20:16. | :20:21. | |
honourable lady did not hear my answer to the earlier question. | :20:22. | :20:25. | |
Energy security has to be the priority of Government. What we have | :20:26. | :20:29. | |
done in bringing forward changes to the capacity market is make sure | :20:30. | :20:33. | |
that, because of low wholesale prices, we have sufficient energy | :20:34. | :20:36. | |
coming forward June be next two years. The honourable lady reveals a | :20:37. | :20:40. | |
total lack of understanding of getting the right balance between | :20:41. | :20:45. | |
secure electricity, nuclear and, yes, in the short-term coal, which | :20:46. | :20:48. | |
supports our renewable investment, keeps bills low and ensures | :20:49. | :20:52. | |
customers always have a good supply of electricity. Question number six. | :20:53. | :21:02. | |
Indeed! Mr Speaker, the most effective way for consumers to | :21:03. | :21:05. | |
ensure they are on the best value tariff is by engaging the energy | :21:06. | :21:09. | |
market and switching supplier. I would encourage all members to | :21:10. | :21:17. | |
encourage their constituents to make use of websites. We will make it | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
easier for consumers to switch and we are planning to move to next day | :21:23. | :21:29. | |
switching by 2018. My constituency is one of the coldest constituencies | :21:30. | :21:34. | |
in England, so household energy costs are properly | :21:35. | :21:35. | |
disproportionately higher compared to other areas in the country. As | :21:36. | :21:39. | |
she made an assessment of the trends are people changing suppliers, | :21:40. | :21:44. | |
whether they are actually keeping costs down? Well, I thank my | :21:45. | :21:47. | |
honourable friend for his question, and I can reassure him that | :21:48. | :21:52. | |
switching was at a four year high in 2015, six .1 million switches across | :21:53. | :21:58. | |
Great Britain, a 15% increase. -- 6.1 million. I am aware some people | :21:59. | :22:04. | |
are not willing to switch, which is why we have the big energy saving | :22:05. | :22:08. | |
network programme, which this year gave ?10,000 of funding to two | :22:09. | :22:14. | |
champions in the area who reached over 350 customers directly and | :22:15. | :22:17. | |
trained 111 front line staff. Over the year, 1900 vulnerable customers | :22:18. | :22:24. | |
were supported. It is important to reach all consumers. Last week the | :22:25. | :22:27. | |
honourable gentleman the member for Lichfield and up to having brought a | :22:28. | :22:31. | |
hedgehog into the chamber some years ago, I am pleased to say not during | :22:32. | :22:37. | |
my tenure! With all the reference to to price comparison websites, I'm | :22:38. | :22:40. | |
glad no-one has thought it necessary to bring a meerkat into the chamber! | :22:41. | :22:50. | |
Jessica Morden! Secretary of State. The Government agrees with the | :22:51. | :22:53. | |
Competition and Markets Authority that consumers on prepay meters are | :22:54. | :22:56. | |
getting a poor deal and supporting such consumers was at the heart of | :22:57. | :23:00. | |
the decision to support the CMA investigation in the first place. | :23:01. | :23:04. | |
The honourable member may have seen the estimate by Citizens Advice that | :23:05. | :23:09. | |
23% of households in her constituency have prepayment meters, | :23:10. | :23:13. | |
above the national average of 16%. It is important we take on board the | :23:14. | :23:17. | |
CMA recommendations after their report is published. In Wales, a | :23:18. | :23:22. | |
staggering one fifth of households are on prepayment meters, paying up | :23:23. | :23:27. | |
to ?330 per year more for gas and electricity than those on the | :23:28. | :23:29. | |
cheapest tariff, so it is important for Wales and those 700 households | :23:30. | :23:36. | |
in my constituency that we know which of the recommendations the | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
Government is working on the CMA with and when constituents will | :23:42. | :23:46. | |
start to see the benefit, can the Minister be specific? Well, Mr | :23:47. | :23:49. | |
Speaker, I say to the honourable lady, we don't yet have the specific | :23:50. | :23:53. | |
recommendations, but she will be aware, as I am, that what we have | :23:54. | :23:57. | |
had proposed so far in the draft recommendations as a safeguard | :23:58. | :24:00. | |
tariff for those people on prepayment meters. It is not clear | :24:01. | :24:04. | |
yet whether that will be temporary or long-term, but we will look | :24:05. | :24:12. | |
carefully at the recommendations of the CMA in order to get the best | :24:13. | :24:14. | |
outcome for the most vulnerable customers, which I know is a desire | :24:15. | :24:17. | |
she shares as well. Can I push the Secretary of State on that once more | :24:18. | :24:21. | |
if possible? There are four million households still languishing on | :24:22. | :24:25. | |
rip-off prepayment meters who would really like more detail from the | :24:26. | :24:29. | |
Secretary of State on this, considering that your energy | :24:30. | :24:33. | |
efficiency policies and your fuel poverty strategy is in tatters, I | :24:34. | :24:36. | |
think they would like more detail on the timetable and when this will | :24:37. | :24:41. | |
happen. Well, it is typical of the party of the said that they are not | :24:42. | :24:45. | |
able to understand the concept of the CMA, who are preparing this | :24:46. | :24:49. | |
report. It is up to them to come forward with the final | :24:50. | :24:52. | |
recommendations, and it is their recommendations that we will be | :24:53. | :24:56. | |
following. I must take issue too with the honourable gentleman's | :24:57. | :25:04. | |
reference to tatters. This Government is committed to helping | :25:05. | :25:07. | |
the most vulnerable, we are proud of the work we are doing to reforming | :25:08. | :25:09. | |
our various schemes in order to support the most vulnerable, | :25:10. | :25:11. | |
something we will continue to do in order to make sure that this side of | :25:12. | :25:15. | |
the house always supports the people most in need. Can I just press the | :25:16. | :25:22. | |
Secretary of State a little further? In my constituency of Heywood and | :25:23. | :25:26. | |
Middleton, we are in the top 54 numbers of households with | :25:27. | :25:29. | |
prepayment meters. My constituents are being ripped off, what can the | :25:30. | :25:34. | |
Secretary of State tell me that I can tell my constituents about how | :25:35. | :25:39. | |
long they will continue to be ripped off by prepayment meters? The | :25:40. | :25:44. | |
honourable lady, I am sure, has looked at the CMA report. They have | :25:45. | :25:48. | |
got this proposal for a safeguard tariff, we welcome that, one of the | :25:49. | :25:52. | |
key reasons why we were keen to work to propose this view by the CMA. We | :25:53. | :25:56. | |
are expecting them to come forward with the final report soon, and when | :25:57. | :26:01. | |
they do so, we will then act on their recommendations. I hope it | :26:02. | :26:05. | |
will deliver what we hope it will, as she does, support for those | :26:06. | :26:07. | |
people on prepayment meters, often the most vulnerable. | :26:08. | :26:12. | |
Question number nine. We have had extensive correspondence with the | :26:13. | :26:22. | |
Speaker and the Government will publish the decisions about the | :26:23. | :26:28. | |
contract for all this established technologies, including the strike | :26:29. | :26:33. | |
prices. We will take all steps needed to deliver this auction, | :26:34. | :26:36. | |
including submitting any necessary notifications to the European | :26:37. | :26:41. | |
Commission. Thank you. I am grateful for that answer. The Minister will | :26:42. | :26:46. | |
now that the application for the island strike price has been ready | :26:47. | :26:51. | |
since the New Year. The continuing failure to us admit it is causing | :26:52. | :26:55. | |
enormous uncertainty and a massive loss to confidence amongst renewable | :26:56. | :27:01. | |
energy generators in the Northern and Western Isles. Will she agree to | :27:02. | :27:06. | |
meet with near the honourable gentleman from the constituency, | :27:07. | :27:15. | |
along with developers, to discuss and understand how serious this is | :27:16. | :27:22. | |
for our industry and our islands? The right honourable gentleman and | :27:23. | :27:25. | |
the chair of the Energy and Climate Change select committee met with | :27:26. | :27:27. | |
officials recently to discuss these issues. I assured him that my | :27:28. | :27:32. | |
officials also have met with several representatives of the renewables | :27:33. | :27:35. | |
industry, specifically to discuss them in Island wind. I will | :27:36. | :27:38. | |
certainly be happy to meet again with the remote islands to discuss | :27:39. | :27:42. | |
our decisions once we have taken them. Thank you. Does the Minister | :27:43. | :27:50. | |
not agree that the very fact we have to go begging the European Union | :27:51. | :27:59. | |
before we can help our own fellow citizens in this country, not amply | :28:00. | :28:02. | |
demonstrates the reason why we would be better off, and those citizens | :28:03. | :28:09. | |
would be better off, if we left the European Union and took charge of | :28:10. | :28:12. | |
our own controls and were able to decide for ourselves how we spend | :28:13. | :28:16. | |
taxpayers money in this country? Minister. As an energy minister, I | :28:17. | :28:26. | |
can say that the Governor position is the UK should remain within a | :28:27. | :28:30. | |
reformed European Union. -- the Government position. Question number | :28:31. | :28:34. | |
ten. Yes, Mr Speaker. We are among the | :28:35. | :28:49. | |
first developed countries to be consulting on phasing out cold. It | :28:50. | :28:52. | |
is vital for our decarbonisation that we move away from the dirtiest | :28:53. | :29:02. | |
fossil fuels. -- coal. Consultation is important to ensure energy | :29:03. | :29:08. | |
security. The consultation will begin in the near future. I am | :29:09. | :29:15. | |
grateful to the Minister for her response. There are still many | :29:16. | :29:20. | |
people in the UK and Wales and indeed in my constituency, working | :29:21. | :29:27. | |
in or connected with the coal industry. What assurances can be | :29:28. | :29:30. | |
Minister provided that the consultation will be properly | :29:31. | :29:32. | |
thought through and take time to explore the issues thoroughly? So as | :29:33. | :29:35. | |
not to leave people unduly concerned for their livelihoods. Of course, | :29:36. | :29:44. | |
she is exactly right to speak out for her community. And that is | :29:45. | :29:47. | |
precisely why we're doing the consultation. We want to take all of | :29:48. | :29:52. | |
the factors account. And I am sure she and members opposite with agree | :29:53. | :29:56. | |
that it is right we move away from the dirtiest fossil fuels overtime | :29:57. | :30:00. | |
but in a measured way, taking into full account the impact on local | :30:01. | :30:04. | |
communities and what other opportunities there are four them | :30:05. | :30:11. | |
and I can totally sure we will be very carefully consulting. We would | :30:12. | :30:16. | |
reach the question for the honourable lady but if she feels an | :30:17. | :30:20. | |
irresistible urge to come in on this question instead, she can do so. | :30:21. | :30:31. | |
Thank you. It called for -- eight coal-fired power station in my | :30:32. | :30:35. | |
constituency will recently close. Will an application for a new gas | :30:36. | :30:38. | |
power station be dealt with in a timely manner to help create future | :30:39. | :30:43. | |
job opportunities for highly skilled workforce who work at the plant? I | :30:44. | :30:49. | |
would really like to congratulate her for all the work she has done on | :30:50. | :30:53. | |
this. It is an incredibly important constituency issue and I met with | :30:54. | :30:58. | |
her and a number of other colleagues recently to talk about the | :30:59. | :31:01. | |
possibility of closing coal-fired power stations comment becoming new | :31:02. | :31:06. | |
CCG tees. And I welcome her and encourage her efforts to see if she | :31:07. | :31:11. | |
can support that to happen. I have already said to her that I will have | :31:12. | :31:17. | |
a LG to ask them what more, if anything, can be done, to make it | :31:18. | :31:23. | |
easier for planning permission for a new gas-fired power station. We are | :31:24. | :31:31. | |
holding a consultation for those making that transition. So they can | :31:32. | :31:36. | |
understand better the processes. Question number 11. The renewable | :31:37. | :31:43. | |
heat incentive is the world's first long-term financial support | :31:44. | :31:45. | |
programme for renewable heat. It is essential to Everest to deliver | :31:46. | :31:48. | |
renewable energy to consumers and businesses. In March, my Department | :31:49. | :31:59. | |
launched a consultation, and a central aim of this reform is | :32:00. | :32:02. | |
insuring the scheme offers value for money and allows a transition to | :32:03. | :32:05. | |
cleaner heating technologies in a manner affordable to the UK. I | :32:06. | :32:11. | |
recognise the importance of supporting the biomass industry. | :32:12. | :32:16. | |
What assurances can you give to me and small businesses and biomass | :32:17. | :32:30. | |
companies in my constituency? The Government is providing support for | :32:31. | :32:33. | |
small and medium-sized biomass companies, through a range of | :32:34. | :32:36. | |
incentives, ranging from the renewables obligation, and indeed | :32:37. | :32:39. | |
the renewable heat incentive. We spent biomass to play an important | :32:40. | :32:45. | |
role in industrial processes. There are fewer alternatives for lower | :32:46. | :32:48. | |
carbon technologies and we want to ensure we bring forward deployment | :32:49. | :32:53. | |
in these areas. The consultation that the Secretary of State | :32:54. | :32:57. | |
mentioned reveals an intention to provide renewable heat and that is | :32:58. | :33:05. | |
9% of the UK's heat requirements but less than the original 2020 | :33:06. | :33:10. | |
renewable heat target. How does the Secretary of State attends to meet | :33:11. | :33:16. | |
that target, given shortages? It is more about the numbers of Houses are | :33:17. | :33:23. | |
businesses that you support for the renewable incentive and not always | :33:24. | :33:27. | |
about the pure cost. It is not necessarily about the league table | :33:28. | :33:30. | |
of costs but rather about the outcome is that we get at the other | :33:31. | :33:33. | |
end. We are consulting on the renewable heat incentive to ensure | :33:34. | :33:38. | |
we deliver the best value for the taxpayer. We are committed to making | :33:39. | :33:42. | |
sure we use this money in the most cost-effective way. The Secretary of | :33:43. | :33:52. | |
State did not address the question of the relationship of the renewable | :33:53. | :34:00. | |
heat incentive proposals finances to the UK's contribution to the use | :34:01. | :34:14. | |
renewable target of 12%, by 2020. As mentioned, we are still short of | :34:15. | :34:18. | |
that kind. Is she confident that the measures and finances she suggests | :34:19. | :34:25. | |
in the new proposals will enable us to reach that target? Or is she | :34:26. | :34:29. | |
actively considering other measures to ensure that we do? The honourable | :34:30. | :34:34. | |
gentleman will be aware that the renewable target for 2020 covers | :34:35. | :34:41. | |
tilting, heat, transport and electricity. The renewable heat | :34:42. | :34:44. | |
incentive is a key part of it. That is why we have had the consultation. | :34:45. | :34:50. | |
We will now examine those answers. In order to make sure we direct the | :34:51. | :34:55. | |
funds we have in the most effective way. We recognise that it, although | :34:56. | :35:02. | |
we have made good progress, there is more work to do in reaching the | :35:03. | :35:05. | |
target, but we believe we have sufficient policies at the moment to | :35:06. | :35:08. | |
address the need. But we will look at what else can be done, | :35:09. | :35:11. | |
particularly in buildings and transport, to make more progress | :35:12. | :35:15. | |
from the halfway mark that we have met so far. In the first quarter of | :35:16. | :35:23. | |
our new more at sustainable cost control regime, six out of 11 | :35:24. | :35:29. | |
deployment caps were reached, including the two largest of the | :35:30. | :35:34. | |
four solar caps. Take-up of domestic solar photovoltaic systems is strong | :35:35. | :35:38. | |
but was still within the cap. We do estimate that it will support over a | :35:39. | :35:46. | |
new solar PV installations on domestic scale by 2019. Domestic | :35:47. | :35:54. | |
solar installers in my constituency support report that demand has | :35:55. | :36:01. | |
plummeted and are down 80% on last year. Will the Minister acknowledged | :36:02. | :36:06. | |
that they to law and that the disastrous broach this Government is | :36:07. | :36:11. | |
taking to solar energy is effectively stopping individuals who | :36:12. | :36:13. | |
want to make a contribution to comment on climate change in their | :36:14. | :36:16. | |
own homes, by installing solar panels, from doing so? No, I don't | :36:17. | :36:25. | |
recognise what she is saying. The solar deployment is amazing. Far in | :36:26. | :36:34. | |
excess of all of our expectations. 99% of solar installations have | :36:35. | :36:38. | |
taken place since 2010, so, under this Government and the previous | :36:39. | :36:44. | |
one, not under the opposition Government, it has been a huge | :36:45. | :36:48. | |
success story. And our subsidy regime takes into account the | :36:49. | :36:51. | |
interest for the consumer, who has to pay at, and the developer, who is | :36:52. | :36:57. | |
continuing to build. Some caps have been met and others are performing | :36:58. | :37:09. | |
strongly. Number 14. We launched a consultation in March, with | :37:10. | :37:11. | |
proposals for reform to the renewable heat incentive. It closed | :37:12. | :37:17. | |
22nd of April. It includes a proposal to withdraw our HSI support | :37:18. | :37:21. | |
for solar thermal technologies. We are looking carefully at responses. | :37:22. | :37:26. | |
I assure the honourable gentleman that in coming to conclusions, we | :37:27. | :37:29. | |
will address all relevant factors, including the impact on the UK | :37:30. | :37:34. | |
supply chain. The Minister accept that solar thermal has the lowest | :37:35. | :37:37. | |
CO2 footprint of all heating technologies? There are no ongoing | :37:38. | :37:44. | |
fuel commitments and low space requirements. It is ideal for homes | :37:45. | :37:48. | |
of vulnerable people because there is no requirement for it to be | :37:49. | :37:52. | |
heavily insulated. By the Government proposing cutting support for solar | :37:53. | :38:02. | |
thermal? I agree that it plays a part but as part of the reform of | :38:03. | :38:07. | |
the RHI, we are trying to ensure the budget offers the best value for | :38:08. | :38:11. | |
money full stop solar thermal does require the highest subsidy from | :38:12. | :38:14. | |
Government of all RHI technologies. The evidence suggests 50% of RHI | :38:15. | :38:20. | |
respondents said they would have installed it even without Government | :38:21. | :38:24. | |
subsidy. So, we do need to look at the balance between keeping the cost | :38:25. | :38:28. | |
down for the bill payer and supporting these technologies. | :38:29. | :38:36. | |
Number 15. With permission, I will take this with question 19. The | :38:37. | :38:40. | |
Government is taking steps to build on our proud history of energy | :38:41. | :38:44. | |
innovation and is more than doubling our innovation budget over the next | :38:45. | :38:47. | |
five years to a total of 500 million. We can continue to is where | :38:48. | :38:51. | |
the development of clean, cheap and reliable technologies and the growth | :38:52. | :38:55. | |
of green research and development across the UK. The honourable | :38:56. | :39:03. | |
members not here. I don't know what happened to him. Thank you for that | :39:04. | :39:12. | |
reply. With the new Grampian offshore wind farm being based in | :39:13. | :39:16. | |
the enterprising in New Haven, and with the recent opening of a college | :39:17. | :39:21. | |
in New Haven, Dougie said the state agreed that New Haven town has the | :39:22. | :39:24. | |
potential for being a hub for research and development and could | :39:25. | :39:28. | |
she outline how the Government might support that going for? I welcome | :39:29. | :39:34. | |
the activity under way in my honourable friend's constituency and | :39:35. | :39:38. | |
will of course consider opportunities to support research, | :39:39. | :39:39. | |
development and demonstration, across the UK, as we develop our | :39:40. | :39:45. | |
ovation programme. I would encourage her to speak directly to low carbon | :39:46. | :39:48. | |
energy funding bodies, who stand ready to support innovation in the | :39:49. | :39:52. | |
technologies we will need in our future. I really welcome the | :39:53. | :39:56. | |
Government of the UTC, which has, amongst other companies, the college | :39:57. | :40:02. | |
has partnered with, EDF Energy, and has focused on green engineering. I | :40:03. | :40:06. | |
think there is an opportunity there for New Haven. Thank you. The | :40:07. | :40:12. | |
Government's emissions reduction plan has been promised by the end of | :40:13. | :40:15. | |
the year. The Secretary of State has said it will address the 10% | :40:16. | :40:23. | |
shortfall for the carbon budget set in 2011. Section 14 of the Climate | :40:24. | :40:28. | |
Change Act stipulates that the Government must lay before | :40:29. | :40:31. | |
Parliament a report setting out how it will meet each carbon budget as | :40:32. | :40:37. | |
soon as is reasonably practicable after setting it. After five years, | :40:38. | :40:42. | |
the Secretary of State consider she is now in breach of the Act? Or does | :40:43. | :40:48. | |
she have an unusually elastic definition of the phrase, as soon as | :40:49. | :40:56. | |
is reasonably practicable? It is always a pleasure to receive such a | :40:57. | :41:01. | |
detailed question. I can reassure him I am fully aware of Section 14 | :41:02. | :41:06. | |
and the sections either side of that. I am clear we will have an | :41:07. | :41:09. | |
emission reductions planned by the end of the year. And also, that we | :41:10. | :41:14. | |
have an obligation to come forward with our response to the fifth | :41:15. | :41:18. | |
carbon budget. It is because we take these matters so seriously, it is | :41:19. | :41:24. | |
because this is a big, realistic, important challenge for the UK, but | :41:25. | :41:26. | |
we're not rushing it. Ronnie Cowan! Question 16, Mr | :41:27. | :41:40. | |
Speaker. My department is currently considering responses to our recent | :41:41. | :41:43. | |
consultation on reform of the renewable heat incentive. As part of | :41:44. | :41:47. | |
the consultation, we have engaged with the relevant trade bodies and | :41:48. | :41:50. | |
industry stakeholders to understand the impact of the proposed reforms, | :41:51. | :41:55. | |
including specifically the impact on the biomass industry. Currently the | :41:56. | :42:02. | |
sector directly supports the jobs of 11,500 people and 590 companies | :42:03. | :42:06. | |
across the UK. With that in mind, cut the minister explained to me the | :42:07. | :42:10. | |
UK Government's lack of ambition with respect to installation of | :42:11. | :42:15. | |
biomass boilers which will lead to job losses in the sector? I am aware | :42:16. | :42:20. | |
of the importance of biomass industry to the honourable | :42:21. | :42:24. | |
gentleman, to his constituency, and indeed to Scotland overall. This is | :42:25. | :42:27. | |
why we are consulting, to make sure we are fair with the money that we | :42:28. | :42:32. | |
have, to make sure we deliver best value for the taxpayer. Small | :42:33. | :42:37. | |
biomass has a role to play, the budget is travelling by 2021, we are | :42:38. | :42:42. | |
committed to developing biomass, and we will be coming back with | :42:43. | :42:45. | |
responses in due course. -- trebling. Question 17, Mr Speaker. | :42:46. | :42:53. | |
Well, this year the Government has pulled out all the stops to support | :42:54. | :42:58. | |
the oil and gas sector, including a fiscal package worth 1.3 billion | :42:59. | :43:03. | |
over five years, ?20 billion for new seismic surveys, and our core policy | :43:04. | :43:07. | |
of establishing the oil and gas authority, whose job is to maximise | :43:08. | :43:11. | |
economic recovery from the North Sea. This is a vital UK industry, | :43:12. | :43:16. | |
and we are totally committed to keeping the UK continental shelf as | :43:17. | :43:20. | |
an attractive destination for investment, securing hundreds of | :43:21. | :43:26. | |
thousands of jobs. I thank the Minister for her answer, and I do | :43:27. | :43:29. | |
appreciate the work that has been done, and while the SNP welcome the | :43:30. | :43:35. | |
support announced in the Budget, I think your characterisation would | :43:36. | :43:38. | |
not be one that those were lost their jobs in the north-east would | :43:39. | :43:42. | |
agree with. It is essential that we listen to those in the industry who | :43:43. | :43:46. | |
are calling for a strategic review of the fiscal and regulatory regime. | :43:47. | :43:50. | |
What steps are being taken to review the tax rate and investment | :43:51. | :43:56. | |
allowance? Well, as I have said, the Treasury have already taken enormous | :43:57. | :44:00. | |
steps with fiscal policy towards the North Sea, to promote further oil | :44:01. | :44:05. | |
and gas exploration. They are constantly looking at that. In fact, | :44:06. | :44:11. | |
it is next week that I a dinner to talk again to the maximising | :44:12. | :44:18. | |
economic recovery group of operators and investors to try to look at what | :44:19. | :44:22. | |
more we can do, and the Treasury plays their full part in that. But | :44:23. | :44:26. | |
we have to be clear that the OGA is already transforming things like | :44:27. | :44:31. | |
production costs, the level of co-operation between different | :44:32. | :44:35. | |
operators in the North Sea. This is an incredibly important area. We | :44:36. | :44:38. | |
have a group which is meeting again next week to discuss what more can | :44:39. | :44:42. | |
be done. We are literally pulling out all the stops for the North Sea. | :44:43. | :44:48. | |
Mr Peter Lilley. While sympathising with the constituents of the | :44:49. | :44:50. | |
honourable member for Livingston who have lost jobs in the North Sea, | :44:51. | :44:55. | |
would not the best thing for them to be to create new jobs by allowing | :44:56. | :45:00. | |
fracking in Scotland for the very people with those skills who have | :45:01. | :45:04. | |
been prevented from the prospect of search jobs by the hypocrisy of the | :45:05. | :45:12. | |
SNP government in Scotland? Well, I absolutely agree with my honourable | :45:13. | :45:15. | |
friend. Obviously, it is a matter for the Scottish Government to | :45:16. | :45:19. | |
decide, but certainly one of the policy options I am looking at in my | :45:20. | :45:24. | |
department, together with Business, is what all we can do in the energy | :45:25. | :45:28. | |
space for those who have lost their jobs. For example, an experienced | :45:29. | :45:32. | |
offshore engineer may well be of the region into work with offshore wind, | :45:33. | :45:36. | |
for example, or even with nuclear. There are opportunities in the | :45:37. | :45:40. | |
energy space, and I know that the Scottish Government are looking at | :45:41. | :45:43. | |
this, and I would be delighted if they wanted to think again about the | :45:44. | :45:46. | |
importance of shale gas. Topical question. Secretary of State. The | :45:47. | :45:55. | |
Energy Bill receives Royal assent today, a vital part of the plan to | :45:56. | :46:00. | |
make sure that families have access to clean, affordable energy, and we | :46:01. | :46:03. | |
are delivering on a manifesto commitment to end subsidies for | :46:04. | :46:08. | |
onshore wind. We are supporting the OGA with powers to drive greater | :46:09. | :46:11. | |
collaboration and productivity in the industry. I would like to thank | :46:12. | :46:16. | |
the committee, the minister who made this possible, and who went through | :46:17. | :46:19. | |
the Bill, in such painstaking detail, to deliver it. Evidence from | :46:20. | :46:27. | |
the universities of Leicester and York show that sick and disabled | :46:28. | :46:30. | |
people are especially at risk of fuel poverty after the recent social | :46:31. | :46:35. | |
security cuts from this Government and the previous coalition. Will the | :46:36. | :46:38. | |
Secretary of State be approaching the Chancellor again to look at | :46:39. | :46:42. | |
better targeting of the Warm Home Discount funding, especially after | :46:43. | :46:47. | |
her rebirth just before the budget by him? I thank the honourable lady | :46:48. | :46:53. | |
for her question and her suggestion, she will be aware that this | :46:54. | :46:56. | |
Government and this department specifically is refocusing as far as | :46:57. | :47:01. | |
possible our support to those who are most vulnerable. On the Warm | :47:02. | :47:05. | |
Home Discount, we have just closed the consultation. We are looking at | :47:06. | :47:08. | |
the results, but rest assured we will be targeting as far as possible | :47:09. | :47:12. | |
those were most in need, which is the right thing to do. Thank you, Mr | :47:13. | :47:18. | |
Speaker. I number of constituents are concerned about fracking in | :47:19. | :47:24. | |
Dorset what reassurance can the Minister give to me and my | :47:25. | :47:26. | |
constituents about Environ mental considerations, about issues of | :47:27. | :47:30. | |
public consultation, letting residents have a say, and also that | :47:31. | :47:34. | |
it will only be considered inappropriate locations? I can | :47:35. | :47:41. | |
absolutely ensure my honourable friend that the UK has more than 50 | :47:42. | :47:45. | |
years of safely regulating onshore and offshore oil and gas, and we | :47:46. | :47:51. | |
have the best regulatory environment in the world. We have the | :47:52. | :47:54. | |
Environment Agency looking very carefully at any proposals for | :47:55. | :48:01. | |
hydraulic fracturing, the payoff and safety executive who monitor all the | :48:02. | :48:05. | |
activity in the area, and local authorities will of course consult | :48:06. | :48:09. | |
widely with local communities. -- the Health and Safety Executive. I | :48:10. | :48:12. | |
am desperate for local communities to be given the proper facts, and I | :48:13. | :48:17. | |
think that is an important part of the job for us and local authorities | :48:18. | :48:24. | |
to do. Mr Speaker, people across the country will be really quite | :48:25. | :48:28. | |
concerned by the lack of answer just given by the Minister. They will | :48:29. | :48:32. | |
also be looking very closely at Ryedale, where North Yorkshire | :48:33. | :48:36. | |
County Council is set eminently to make a decision about whether | :48:37. | :48:40. | |
fracking should be given the green light there. Can the Minister tell | :48:41. | :48:46. | |
us, if the answer is no, Wilshere extend the same courtesy to that | :48:47. | :48:51. | |
community as she has extended to communities affected by wind farms | :48:52. | :48:55. | |
and give the people of Ryedale a promise that she will not override | :48:56. | :48:58. | |
their wishes and impose fracking against their will? Where the | :48:59. | :49:08. | |
industry for hydraulic fracturing is concerned, safety is absolutely | :49:09. | :49:12. | |
paramount. If there is any likelihood or chance or any risk or | :49:13. | :49:16. | |
any of the scare stories that the right are the lady likes to | :49:17. | :49:23. | |
propagate, if any of those issues were real, this Government would not | :49:24. | :49:27. | |
be looking at promoting such a vital industry. What I would say to her is | :49:28. | :49:33. | |
that we provide 40% of our own natural gas. The rest is imported | :49:34. | :49:39. | |
from overseas. It is vital for our energy security that we continue to | :49:40. | :49:42. | |
use home-grown resources wherever we can. It is also a massive jobs and | :49:43. | :49:48. | |
growth opportunity for very many communities in this country, where | :49:49. | :49:53. | |
climate is desperately needed, and she should take some interest in | :49:54. | :50:00. | |
that. Minister, you cannot be accused of excluding from her | :50:01. | :50:02. | |
observations anything that might be in any way at any time to any degree | :50:03. | :50:10. | |
material. Certainly, Benson, most grateful! Henry Smith. -- certainly | :50:11. | :50:22. | |
comprehensive. What progress as the Minister made in working with EDF | :50:23. | :50:24. | |
Energy with regard to the roll-out of smart meters for the benefit of | :50:25. | :50:30. | |
consumers? I can assure my honourable friend that we are | :50:31. | :50:33. | |
working closely with all energy suppliers on these aspects of the | :50:34. | :50:37. | |
roll-out to ensure that the consumer benefits are fully realised. Good | :50:38. | :50:42. | |
progress has been made so far, with over 3 million meters installed, and | :50:43. | :50:45. | |
there is evidence that these consumers are already saving energy. | :50:46. | :50:50. | |
Recent research by British Gas shows that consumers with smart meters | :50:51. | :50:54. | |
have reduced energy consumption by 3% on average for gas and | :50:55. | :50:58. | |
electricity. I hope this is a case of third time lucky, I have asked | :50:59. | :51:02. | |
the housing minister twice this question, and I have notified the | :51:03. | :51:06. | |
Minister's office of the question, so I hope I will get a reply. What | :51:07. | :51:11. | |
is the difference in terms of the annual Energy Bill that a family | :51:12. | :51:17. | |
would have to pay in a zero carbon home as opposed to a home that is | :51:18. | :51:23. | |
insulated and has the energy efficiency standards that the | :51:24. | :51:28. | |
Government are proposing? I think that the honourable gentleman is | :51:29. | :51:32. | |
asking a question which starts from an incorrect premise. In so far as I | :51:33. | :51:37. | |
am trying to answer his question, bear with me. I think what he's | :51:38. | :51:42. | |
referring to is the zero carbon proposal that was rejected by the | :51:43. | :51:45. | |
other place last night, although it was agreed that there would be a | :51:46. | :51:50. | |
review on going. But the fact is that the problem with zero carbon | :51:51. | :51:53. | |
homes, as perceived in this bill, was that they added costs to the | :51:54. | :51:58. | |
house. If you do that, you are ultimately adding that to the house | :51:59. | :52:03. | |
owner, the bill payer, and the problem was with the allowable | :52:04. | :52:06. | |
solutions portion is that it would act as a tax on home-builders and | :52:07. | :52:09. | |
ultimately be no benefit to the home owner. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The | :52:10. | :52:18. | |
committee for climate change 2015, in its report to Parliament, | :52:19. | :52:23. | |
recommended that the Government produces an effective policy | :52:24. | :52:26. | |
framework on aviation carbon dioxide emissions, and part of that plan was | :52:27. | :52:32. | |
UK emissions 2050 should not be higher than those of 2005. Will my | :52:33. | :52:39. | |
right honourable friends tell me if her department will work with the | :52:40. | :52:43. | |
Department for Transport to publish such an important policy before a | :52:44. | :52:54. | |
decision on a new runway is made? Mr Speaker, my honourable friend has | :52:55. | :52:57. | |
incorporated quite a few questions in that one question, and what I can | :52:58. | :53:01. | |
say to her is that the most important element of addressing | :53:02. | :53:04. | |
airport emissions is to have an international agreement. We do not | :53:05. | :53:08. | |
want to have a situation where the UK is trying to do something | :53:09. | :53:11. | |
independently, it is important that it is EU wide and international. We | :53:12. | :53:16. | |
tried to get it incorporated into the Paris climate change agreement, | :53:17. | :53:22. | |
but we're working with international partners to make sure we get an | :53:23. | :53:26. | |
international agreement of this autumn, and I will certainly keep | :53:27. | :53:31. | |
her updated. Rachael Maskell. I am going to pressure the Minister | :53:32. | :53:34. | |
further, because one week tomorrow an important decision is being made. | :53:35. | :53:38. | |
We know that one energy company wants to frack the beautiful | :53:39. | :53:42. | |
landscape just south of the North Yorkshire Moors national park. 4000 | :53:43. | :53:47. | |
well-informed, over 4000 well-informed local people want to | :53:48. | :53:51. | |
protect their local community and environment. Who should have the | :53:52. | :53:59. | |
greatest influence? I say again, the shale industry is vital to the UK's | :54:00. | :54:05. | |
energy security future, and we absolutely support the idea of local | :54:06. | :54:09. | |
consultation and local people having their say, but as in all planning | :54:10. | :54:14. | |
matters, as in all... If the right honourable lady could just stop | :54:15. | :54:19. | |
chuntering for one minute, every time I try to answer a question, she | :54:20. | :54:24. | |
just chant as! So the point is, there is a balance between the | :54:25. | :54:28. | |
absolutely right case that local people should have their say and the | :54:29. | :54:33. | |
national interest, and that is why there is a very clear local | :54:34. | :54:37. | |
consultation process, and that is why the people of Ryedale will have | :54:38. | :54:41. | |
their views taken into account, and the local authority will balance up | :54:42. | :54:52. | |
those interests. Bob Blackman. What progress is my right honourable | :54:53. | :54:55. | |
friends made in securing new nuclear power stations and in particular | :54:56. | :55:00. | |
modular stations of a smaller scale? My honourable friend is right that | :55:01. | :55:07. | |
new nuclear is an essential part of a new energy system going forward. | :55:08. | :55:12. | |
We are supporting new nuclear, we are particularly enthusiastic about | :55:13. | :55:15. | |
small modular reactors, which is why the Chancellor gave us double the | :55:16. | :55:20. | |
funds for the innovation budget, and we have launched a competition which | :55:21. | :55:26. | |
we hope will bring forward a great arrangement of different proposals | :55:27. | :55:29. | |
so that we can take forward a number of them. Mary Creagh. See ABS to me | :55:30. | :55:35. | |
that 7300 households in Wakefield are paying more than ?400 a year for | :55:36. | :55:39. | |
gas and electricity than they should be because they are stuck on | :55:40. | :55:43. | |
prepayment meters. Last month, the CMA recommended a price cap to | :55:44. | :55:48. | |
protect my constituents from this indefensible overcharging, and this | :55:49. | :55:51. | |
week we hear that the chief executive of the CMA is to be her | :55:52. | :55:56. | |
department's new permanent secretary. Can we look forward to | :55:57. | :55:59. | |
him implementing his own recommendations in the very near | :56:00. | :56:00. | |
future? Mr Speaker, forgive me for making no | :56:01. | :56:10. | |
comment about the appointment. I share The Right Honourable laid's | :56:11. | :56:15. | |
view that prepaid metres need reform. That we need the safeguard | :56:16. | :56:20. | |
tariff. It is unacceptable that those usually on the lowest income | :56:21. | :56:26. | |
are stuck on higher tariffs. We will support them to make sure they | :56:27. | :56:31. | |
deliver on. That Cornwall produces the world's finest China clay. The | :56:32. | :56:36. | |
industry is facing increases in costs due to the implementation of | :56:37. | :56:41. | |
the EU tradings scheme. The Government should do all it can to | :56:42. | :56:46. | |
make sure British industry is not put as a disadvantage because of | :56:47. | :56:51. | |
energy costs. Would she meet with me to discuss how we can support the | :56:52. | :56:56. | |
China clay industry? I would be delighted to, he is a strong | :56:57. | :57:02. | |
champion in his constituency. The ETAS provides a role in levelling | :57:03. | :57:08. | |
out competitive within the EU to make sure our intensive industries | :57:09. | :57:12. | |
are protected.ly meet with him to ensure his industry receives a fair | :57:13. | :57:15. | |
settlement. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary | :57:16. | :57:21. | |
of State will be aware of the devastating Super Puma helicopter | :57:22. | :57:24. | |
crash in Norway less than a fortnight ago, which killed 14 | :57:25. | :57:29. | |
people, including Ian Stuart, from Lawrence Kirk. They have ditched in | :57:30. | :57:35. | |
the North Sea three times since 2009, citing problems such as | :57:36. | :57:40. | |
gearbox and oil pump failure. We don't know the cause of the crash on | :57:41. | :57:46. | |
the 29th. 14 fam will be desperate to know. Will she engage with her | :57:47. | :57:51. | |
counterparts in Norway to ensure any lessons learnt from their | :57:52. | :57:56. | |
investigations can be applied to offshore commercial helicopter | :57:57. | :57:59. | |
flights in the UK? Yes. I think we were all completed devastated to | :58:00. | :58:04. | |
hear about that. Of course having been on one of those trips to an | :58:05. | :58:09. | |
offshore rig and seeing the massive focus there is on health and safety | :58:10. | :58:13. | |
it was doubly tragic. Of course he will be aware that the UK civil | :58:14. | :58:18. | |
aviation authority have grounded the model involved. We are working | :58:19. | :58:21. | |
closely with them and with colleagues in Norway to understand | :58:22. | :58:25. | |
what has happened, so we can make sure this can't happen in the | :58:26. | :58:29. | |
future. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Does minister | :58:30. | :58:34. | |
agree with me that historic market towns built for the horse and cart, | :58:35. | :58:39. | |
like my constituency, cannot cope because they don't have the | :58:40. | :58:43. | |
infrastructure that is brought along? Well, I think, you know, I | :58:44. | :58:49. | |
absolutely think that that is one of the factors that any local authority | :58:50. | :58:52. | |
planning committee will take into account. That is precisely the point | :58:53. | :58:57. | |
about having the local authority involvement with it and the | :58:58. | :59:00. | |
community say, because of course local people know best who is -- | :59:01. | :59:04. | |
what is suitable for their area. Nevertheless, you know, the local | :59:05. | :59:09. | |
planning aspect is one aspect of it. The health and safety and the | :59:10. | :59:14. | |
environment agency, so a whole safety regulatory environment is | :59:15. | :59:18. | |
vital this. I can assure her there'll be no compromise on either | :59:19. | :59:23. | |
safety or on the local communities' views. Mr Speaker, the Secretary of | :59:24. | :59:29. | |
State will know that we have scientific evidence that the noxious | :59:30. | :59:35. | |
fumes from diesel engijs is poisoning our children and air. It | :59:36. | :59:39. | |
is related to the climate change that we have? | :59:40. | :59:44. | |
I share the honourable gentleman's concerns about pollution and about | :59:45. | :59:47. | |
air quality. That is why this Government is so | :59:48. | :59:52. | |
committed to delivering on the Climate Change Act. I think it is | :59:53. | :59:56. | |
clear that the problem has been also derived from the support for diesel, | :59:57. | :00:02. | |
which didn't, which basically we were all misled. I hope we can look | :00:03. | :00:07. | |
carefully at making sure it doesn't happen again, that no defeat devises | :00:08. | :00:12. | |
are installed.ly work carefully with the Department of Transport to make | :00:13. | :00:15. | |
sure we can deliver on. That Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of | :00:16. | :00:19. | |
State will be aware of the continuing speculation around the | :00:20. | :00:25. | |
Hinckley C project. Will she assure me the Government will bear in mind | :00:26. | :00:32. | |
it can create 25,000 jobs in the south west, the types of jobs this | :00:33. | :00:36. | |
economy needs? I thank my friend for that question and the opportunity to | :00:37. | :00:40. | |
say how much this Government supports the Hinckley project. We | :00:41. | :00:45. | |
expect this project to go ahead and that it will deliver the much-needed | :00:46. | :00:51. | |
clean, secure, affordable energy. This Government is focus ond a new | :00:52. | :00:55. | |
nuclear programme, not just Hinkley Point but other new nuclear as well. | :00:56. | :00:59. | |
We, on this side are doing what the other side of the House disally | :01:00. | :01:05. | |
failed to do for 13 years, which is to deliver on infrastructure to the | :01:06. | :01:07. | |
benefit of | :01:08. | :01:08. |