Energy: Draft Energy Bill

Baroness Worthington Excerpts

Wednesday 14th November 2012 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Baroness Worthington]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the provisions set out in the draft Energy Bill will deliver reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma)]

My Lords, as the Prime Minister said, we are committed to being the greenest Government ever. We acted quickly to put our own house in order by reducing central government carbon emissions by almost 14% in our first year in office. At Durban last year, we secured a roadmap to negotiate a new, global and legally binding agreement on climate change to be in place no later than 2015. Across the EU, we have led calls to increase the EU emissions reduction target to 30% by 2020. The noble Baroness asked about the forthcoming energy Bill. I could not think of a better example of what this Government are doing to reduce carbon emissions.

[Baroness Worthington]

My Lords, when I tabled this Question I hoped that we would have an energy Bill. Sadly, that is not the case. We have the Corby shambles and a Government at war with themselves over wind farms. Who is responsible for Government policy on wind farms? Should we take it from the comments made by Minister John Hayes last night that the Government consider that it will soon be “game over” for the British onshore wind industry?

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, I expected the noble Baroness to come back with a serious question and I am disappointed that she did not take this opportunity to further reach out to the work that we are doing. I will not comment on remarks made that I cannot attribute, so I will resist the noble Baroness’s call to comment on my honourable friend.