Oral Answers to Questions

Andrea Leadsom Excerpts

Thursday 16th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Gregory Barker]

The hon. Lady raises a very important point, but as I just said to her hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Diana Johnson), Warm Front—the key weapon under the previous Government—signally failed. Under the previous Government, we saw fuel poverty more than double; it rose from 2.5 million in 2005 to 4.5 million now. Warm Front signally failed; we need to be far more ambitious. The green deal will be the game changer, and it will bring in billions of pounds. As for now, we inherited a Warm Front waiting time for installations of between three and six months. Anyone requiring heating to cope with the cold weather now cannot rely on Warm Front, and I am afraid they never have been able to.

[Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire) (Con)]

13. What assessment he has made of the efficiency and effect on quality of life of onshore wind farms.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry)]

The electricity output from a wind farm is a key factor in determining if and where it will be built. The assessment of a planning application includes, among other things, an analysis of visual, landscape and noise impacts. We are constantly looking at ways to ensure that the analysis remains robust and protects the quality of life of people living close to wind turbines. We have already taken action to ensure that the issue of noise is addressed in a standard way across the country.

[Andrea Leadsom]

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Can he tell me what assessment he has made of the Danish state energy company’s recent decision to cease building further onshore wind farms, and a similar decision in France in the summer to restrict onshore wind farms, bearing in mind their impact on local communities versus their efficacy? Can he reassure me that in future we will take into account the impact on local communities, and that we will not force them to have wind farms where they do not fit the environment?

[Charles Hendry]

My hon. Friend will be aware that the United Kingdom is third from bottom in Europe on the electricity it gets from renewable sources, so the situation here is in no way comparable to that in most other European countries. We are absolutely committed to giving local communities greater say on the issues—that is at the heart of the Localism Bill. We are also determined that the host communities should realise real benefits.