Alison McGovern
Main Page: Alison McGovern (Labour - Birkenhead)
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab)
8. What recent representations he has received on the proposed changes to financial support for solar PV.
Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
9. What recent representations he has received on the proposed changes to financial support for solar PV.
Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab)
15. What recent representations he has received on the proposed changes to financial support for solar PV.
Gregory Barker
The hon. Gentleman is somewhat misled. We are certainly not proposing cuts to solar. We are putting solar at the forefront of our transition to contracts for difference, which set out the growth path for all renewable technologies well into the next decade. We are seeing tremendous growth in solar and our ambitious solar strategy will ensure that that continues for years to come.
Alison McGovern
May I push the Minister a little further on what he has just said? There seems to be genuine worry that the consultation represents disinvestment in solar photovoltaics. Will he say how that is not the case and confirm that to do so would be counter-productive?
Gregory Barker
Let me reassure the hon. Lady that this Government are 110% committed to solar. What is more, when we came into office there were a few megawatts of solar and there are now thousands of megawatts of solar. More than 3 GW of solar have been installed under this Government. We have a fantastic record and there is lots more to come, but the changes to which she referred simply refer primarily to large field-based solar and only to schemes above 5 MW. The feed-in tariffs system remains intact and is there for the long-term support of rooftop mounted and smaller scale systems.