Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Claire Perry and Lord Barker of Battle
Gregory Barker
Absolutely. We not only want to make it easier for consumers to shop around; we also want to ensure they are supplied with better information. We will use legislation to help people get the best deal.
Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
8. What steps his Department is taking to help people lower their energy bills.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Claire Perry and Lord Barker of Battle(13 years, 9 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con)
T7. Farmers in my Devizes constituency really welcome the inclusion of anaerobic digestion in the overall tariff and review currently taking place. That is long overdue, and an important way of reducing emissions and cutting waste from the farming industry. However, communities living close to existing or proposed sites are expressing real concerns about the possible impacts—an increase in traffic, unpleasant odours and so forth. What can be done to reassure communities and farmers that those things can co-exist in the countryside?
Gregory Barker
Obviously, the Environment Agency will continue to have oversight of such matters, but the brilliance of farm-based anaerobic digestion is that it is an on-farm solution, so it should diminish the number of road journeys that need to be made. As my hon. Friend the Energy Minister said earlier, at the heart of our proposals for an ambitious roll-out of renewables is the idea of community consent. We want a bottom-up approach, in which everyone has a chance to participate and be incentivised, rather than have things imposed from the top.