Oral Answers to Questions

Clive Lewis Excerpts

Tuesday 19th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Clive Lewis.

[Clive Lewis (Norwich South) (Lab)]

The Minister may be surprised—[Interruption.] Indeed, Question 9, Mr Speaker.

[Clive Lewis (Norwich South) (Lab)]

9. What plans she has with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the capacity of local authorities to deliver area-based home retrofit schemes.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Amanda Solloway)]

To support English local authorities, we fund an embedded technical assistance facility, providing access to experts, training and guidance to enhance their capability to deliver our domestic grant schemes.

[Clive Lewis]

Second time lucky. The Minister may be surprised—[Laughter]—to hear the following words leave my lips, and I know I am: I agree with the former Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss), in her claim that low and middle-income households cannot afford to pay for the transition to net zero. Where we differ is that I do not believe that we should let the planet burn, as she does. Instead, the wealthy must pay for the green transition. Will the Minister commit to income and wealth redistribution and finally give households and local authorities the ability to transition successfully?

[Amanda Solloway]

The Government provide a wide range of funding to support local authorities in reaching net zero through the core settlement, grant funding schemes and UK growth funding. The Government are enabling local authorities to tackle net zero goals.