Energy: Draft Energy Bill

Lord Teverson Excerpts

Wednesday 14th November 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, the noble Lord has tried very hard to deviate from the Question on the Order Paper. Therefore, it is not worthy of a response.

[Lord Teverson]

My Lords, I strongly welcome the Government’s recent strategy on energy efficiency, which the Secretary of State hopes will save some 22 power stations. How do the Government intend to bring some of these demand-side issues into the new energy Bill, which we need quickly to establish international investor confidence?

[Baroness Verma]

I thank my noble friend for bringing the House back to the Question. Of course, I agree wholeheartedly that we need to consider seriously how we reduce electricity demand and that this should complement our work on electricity market reform. I paid tribute to my noble friend Lord Lawson and the work of the committee of which he was a member. We are consulting on potential policy approaches to reducing electricity demand. That must be one of the options open to us, and I am sure that the noble Lord will be part of that consultation.