Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Charles Hendry and Meg Hillier

Thursday 19th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Charles Hendry]

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion of the case for Dungeness. We have examined carefully the evidence that has come forward, and we will publish it when the relevant documents are republished very shortly. He will have to be patient for a little longer, but I assure him that we have given every attention to the evidence that has been presented to us.

[Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)]

Yesterday we heard the Secretary of State say that the national policy statements would be published shortly, and the Minister has repeated that today. With the stringent targets in the fourth carbon budget and the previous three, businesses need certainty if we are to meet our carbon reduction targets. Will the Minister be more precise and tell us exactly when the Department is planning to publish—not just “shortly”, but a date?

[Charles Hendry]

The hon. Lady will be aware that given the nature of the report provided by Dr Weightman yesterday, it would be wrong to make premature and rushed conclusions. We have to go through the right process. We are in the current situation because the national policy statements that the last Government published contained a massive flaw that required them to be consulted upon again. We have had to go through that process, which has involved extra time and delay. However, we will bring them forward for full parliamentary scrutiny in the next few weeks.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Charles Hendry and Meg Hillier

Thursday 11th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Charles Hendry]

My hon. Friend raises an important issue. Targeting payment to specific staff, rather than building it into a general salary, is a more efficient use of public spending. For example, it does not increase long-term costs such as pension entitlement. We are, however, looking closely at such issues. We have already taken measures to tighten controls in areas such as travel, and we have implemented a pay freeze this year and next year for all staff other than those earning less than £21,000. The use of bonuses has been significantly reduced.

[Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)]

Moving from housekeeping to international issues, I note that next week there will be a debate on the Cancun climate change conference, thanks to the hon. Member for Chippenham (Duncan Hames). That debate is very welcome, but until we heard some snippets from the Minister today, it underlined the fact that there has been a deafening silence from the Government in the House about what they want to achieve. We all want a good outcome, and we recognise the challenges, as the Minister said, about legally binding international agreements. Will he tell the House clearly what the Government hope to achieve in the UK, and whether they are planning to make a statement in Government time?