Draft Clean Heat Market Mechanism Regulations 2024

Tom Collins Excerpts

Monday 13th January 2025 General Committees

[Tom Collins (Worcester) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I am quite frankly staggered by the criticism from the Opposition. I remind Conservative Members that they had a policy of exactly the same architecture in recent years, with targets set at a level that produced a textbook example of unintended consequences. I will not accept any attempt from them to rewrite history on the matter.

I welcome the ambition in the draft regulations and in our mission for dependable, affordable and clean energy. In particular, I welcome the fresh approach from this Government of partnership with industry, understanding markets and putting people first. As the representative of a constituency that is home to one of our large domestic heating technology manufacturers, which produces boilers, heat pumps and other technologies for heating, I welcome the renewed targets that come with these regulations alongside and as a result of the Government’s fresh, constructive approach. I welcome that approach, because there is much more to be done in the transition for heating.

This is just one point in that journey. I would like to see us exploring an approach to air source heat pumps, alongside other technologies, and I am confident that we are now in the best possible place to navigate the way forward. I therefore thank the Minister for the approach that she has demonstrated with industry and with the market, and I ask whether she is prepared to continue in the same spirit of partnership, openness and innovation that she has begun.