Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Oral Answers to Questions

Roger Williams Excerpts
Thursday 19th May 2011

(12 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Barker of Battle Portrait Gregory Barker
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Ultimately, it will be the decarbonisation of the energy sector that will ensure that electric cars become genuinely low or zero-carbon vehicles. With the publication of the fourth carbon budget, we now have the long-term trajectory in place to ensure that we reach our ambitious decarbonisation goals.

Roger Williams Portrait Roger Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire) (LD)
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10. When he expects to receive the recommendations of the independent fuel poverty review.

David Amess Portrait Mr David Amess (Southend West) (Con)
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14. When he expects to receive the recommendations of the independent fuel poverty review.

Lord Barker of Battle Portrait The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked Professor Hills of the London School of Economics to lead the independent fuel poverty review and to provide interim findings by this autumn and a final report by early 2012 at the latest.

Roger Williams Portrait Roger Williams
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I thank the Minister for that reply. I understand that the author of the report has been asked to demonstrate how fuel poverty can be removed entirely within 15 years. Many constituents of mine live in homes that are off mains gas and are hard to heat. Will the green deal have enough capacity to meet that target and eliminate this scourge of rural areas?

Lord Barker of Battle Portrait Gregory Barker
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Absolutely. The rural fuel-poor, who for many years have been overlooked by fuel poverty policies, and who suffer particularly from high heating-oil prices and from hard-to-heat homes, will particularly benefit from the green deal and from the renewable heat incentive. Under the coalition, it is a double win for the rural fuel-poor.