Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Wright Excerpts

Thursday 24th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)]

13. When he plans to respond to the Committee on Climate Change’s fourth carbon budget report.

[Simon Wright (Norwich South) (LD)]

15. When he plans to respond to the Committee on Climate Change’s fourth carbon budget report.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)]

The Climate Change Act 2008 requires the Government to set the fourth carbon budget level in law no later than 30 June 2011. I anticipate that a statutory instrument will be laid before the House after the Easer recess.

[Gregory Barker]

My hon. Friend is right: there is a whole range of measures, but transport is also key. The recent spending review announced that the Government have provided up to £400 million for measures to promote the uptake of ultra-low carbon vehicle technologies, including support for consumer incentives, the development of recharging infrastructure and a programme of research and development work, which we continue to add to.

[Simon Wright]

The Committee on Climate Change recommended a tightening of the second and third carbon budgets in the light of the impact of the recession. Does the Minister agree that we must deliver on that recommendation and use the Committee’s report as a means of strengthening the UK’s global leadership in encouraging our international partners to tighten their emissions targets?