Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Thursday 1st December 2011 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Chris Huhne)]

I am sorry, Mr Speaker, but I do not have the answer to the question.

[Mr Speaker]

It is on what discussions the Secretary of State has had with major energy companies on their pricing policies.

[Chris Huhne]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was under the impression that the question had been withdrawn, but I am happy to answer my hon. Friend.

We have had a number of discussions with energy companies, most recently the energy summit, in which we discussed consumer pricing.

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[Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Although I accept that the same sun shines on all three places, Huddersfield and Lewisham, Deptford are rather a long way away from Stoke-on-Trent, to which this question is confined.

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

6. What recent assessment he has made of the effects of Government policy on household energy bills.

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[Dr Daniel Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) (Con)]

8. What assessment he has made of the potential benefits of the renewable heat incentive for rural and remote households.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Minister, if he has recovered his composure.

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

The renewable heat premium payment, the initial heat support scheme launched on 1 August, is targeted at off-gas-grid homes, particularly those in rural and remote areas. It is too early to make an accurate assessment of the benefits, but we intend to evaluate them fully next year to feed into developing future support for renewable heat.

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[Chris Huhne]

The eco-consultation and that jobs estimate obviously came out before the Chancellor’s announcement in the autumn statement of £200 million of incentives for the uptake of the green deal. Those introductory incentives have been warmly welcomed across the industry and will ensure that we have substantial uptake of the green deal. On the point about funding, the whole model of providing energy efficiency changes with the green deal. That was supported across the House, including by the last Labour Government. It will, I believe, unlock substantially more money that was ever available from publicly funded, Exchequer-funded sources.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I hope that the Secretary of State will not overuse his renewables.

[Guy Opperman (Hexham) (Con)]

The Green Alliance has conducted three constituency pilot workshops in my constituency of Hexham, in Bristol North West and in Redcar today. Will the Minister meet the Green Alliance and me before Christmas to discuss the outcomes for the green deal that we studied for some considerable time only last month?

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

I can give my hon. Friend an absolute assurance. In fact, he may like to join me on 12 December when I host a round table specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises to work out how they can become key delivery partners in the green deal, which will provide a huge opportunity for local partnerships in exactly the way my hon. Friend suggests.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Mr Denis MacShane. Not here.

[Paul Flynn (Newport West) (Lab)]

Can the Secretary of State deny the outrageous claims that his own personal consumption of energy is about to be similar to that of a small town? Can he confirm for the House that he believes in leading the energy green crusade by example rather than just by exhortation?

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[Chris Huhne]

The hon. Gentleman has a long-standing interest and expertise in this matter, and I am delighted to answer his question.

I could not have gone to Durban any earlier than Sunday, because that is the beginning of the ministerial segment, but the hon. Gentleman can be assured that I have been involved in talks with a number of other ministerial participants ahead of the conference, including Chinese, Colombian and South African Ministers. I believe that we have a real chance of making progress. Some of the gloomiest reporting tends to appear just before the talks begin in earnest, and I have not given up yet.

[Mr Speaker]

I am pleased to learn about the ministerial segment, of which I had not previously heard.

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

I know that our splendid Liberal Democrat Secretary of State believes passionately in localism. Can he explain why, having been rejected, the proposed Nun Wood wind farm development, which covers three parliamentary constituencies and is opposed by the three Members of Parliament and the three local authorities concerned, has suddenly been granted approval on appeal? That cannot be localism at work.

[Charles Hendry]

My hon. Friend has made an important point. In future, as a result of one of the changes that we are making to the planning system, it will not be possible to overrule such decisions on appeal simply because the developments involved meet a regional renewable energy target. That target has been removed, and we are giving much more authority and many more decision-making powers to local bodies. Applications involving more than 50 MW will be submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission and then to Ministers for approval, but we are determined to strike the right balance between local and national interests.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Ian Murray. He is not here, so I call Ian Mearns.

[Ian Mearns (Gateshead) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State agree to meet me and my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) to discuss the announcement of redundancies by Carillion Energy Services, which employs people in both our constituencies, and the fact that he is putting thousands of real people’s jobs at risk by slashing feed-in tariffs? The Minister accused my right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) of scaremongering earlier, but redundancy notices have been served to 4,500 employees.

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[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I would have called Mr Sammy Wilson if he were standing, but I won’t because he isn’t. Instead, I call Mr Nigel Dodds.

[Mr Nigel Dodds (Belfast North) (DUP)]

I am very grateful for the advantage given to me by my colleague. What action has been taken to deal with Northern Ireland’s especially high dependence on home heating oil, given that a number of the current initiatives to tackle fuel poverty do not apply to Northern Ireland?

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[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

The only hon. Member standing who has not had a go is Chi Onwurah.

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. As my hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) said, many of our constituents face unemployment as a direct consequence of the inept and unfair way this Government have introduced the changes to the feed-in tariffs. What are the Government doing to give them security in their jobs and to give some certainty to the industry?