Lord Hughes of Woodside
Main Page: Lord Hughes of Woodside (Labour - Life peer)
Baroness Verma
My Lords, I do not quite know how to repeat myself, but I will try yet again. The Government did take on board the concerns of some communities, and we did have a call for evidence. That consultation has recently closed. We are looking very closely at the responses to that call for evidence, but we need to ensure that onshore is part of the renewable energy mix in order to meet our targets for 2020. Onshore schemes also bring real benefit to the local communities they are set in. I very much take on board the points raised by the noble Lord and others, but we are mindful that this needs to be part of a bigger picture.
Lord Hughes of Woodside
My Lords, while surely understanding the concern of my noble friend, will the Minister not be deterred by those who stridently demand more and more renewable sources of energy, yet oppose every attempt to provide them? We should therefore stand by the policy of supporting wind farms, and supporting diversity, including the use of nuclear power.
Baroness Verma
My Lords, that was what I hoped and tried to get across; obviously I failed. I would like to reiterate that this Government want to be the greenest Government ever, and in doing that are of course looking at all renewable energies. Onshore wind is only a small part of the renewable energy sector, but it is an important one, one that is very cost effective, and one that will hopefully be part of our energy security for the future.