Oral Answers to Questions

Dennis Skinner Excerpts

Thursday 8th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davey]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He and I may disagree about the significance of onshore wind, but I appreciate the measured way in which he has engaged with me and the Prime Minister on this issue. I can tell him that 5 GW of onshore wind power generation has already been built, that there is planning consent for a further 6 GW and that planning permission is being sought for 7 GW-worth of projects, only some of which will be approved. Given that the ambition was for 13 GW, most of the development that the country needs is indeed already on the table. As for subsidy, the subsidy levels go down as costs go down, and we are proposing a 10% reduction in subsidies for onshore wind.

[Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab)]

The previous Energy Secretary opposed the idea of limiting how close wind farms could be to homes and residential areas, as is the case in Scotland. What is this Energy Secretary’s view?

[Mr Davey]

The hon. Gentleman will know that, as my right hon. Friend the previous Secretary of State said, this is a planning issue that needs to be determined at the local level.