Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Tony Lloyd Excerpts
Wednesday 20th July 2022

(2 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Meg Hillier Portrait Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

6. What assessment he has made of the potential role of energy efficiency in meeting the UK’s climate targets.

Tony Lloyd Portrait Tony Lloyd (Rochdale) (Lab)
- Hansard - -

8. What assessment he has made of the potential role of energy efficiency in meeting the UK’s climate targets.

Lord Sharma Portrait The COP26 President (Alok Sharma)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Buildings are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in our country, accounting for around 22% of total UK emissions. Energy efficiency measures are, indeed, a vital lever to drive down emissions, energy demand and, ultimately, bills.

--- Later in debate ---
Lord Sharma Portrait Alok Sharma
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The Government will, of course, respond to the report on the green homes grant, but I point out that some elements of it—the local authority delivery element and the social housing decarbonisation fund—have provided significant amounts of funding.

Tony Lloyd Portrait Tony Lloyd
- Hansard - -

The COP President will know that the bulk of buildings that are around today will still be around in 2030 and 2050. Most of them are grossly inadequately insulated; even new buildings are not being built to an acceptable standard. When are we going to see some action on this crucial agenda?

Lord Sharma Portrait Alok Sharma
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I have set out the amount of funding the Government are providing over this Parliament—£6.6 billion on energy efficiency. I very much share the view that we need to be doing even more on this, particularly as we face energy security issues and energy prices are so high; more insulation in homes will deliver lower bills for households.

--- Later in debate ---
Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I heartily agree with my right hon. Friend. It is not just inequality; it is inequality of opportunity, and that is what levelling up addresses.

Tony Lloyd Portrait Tony Lloyd  (Rochdale) (Lab)
- Hansard - -

Q5.   Very few people in the north of England believe that the levelling-up agenda has achieved anything at all. The Prime Minister has a few days left in office. Can he use that time to drive through the TransPennine rail system that we were promised would be finished in 2019 and will not be finished before 2030? It is a shambles, and he is responsible.

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Actually, this Government are responsible for three new high-speed lines, including Northern Powerhouse Rail, which no previous Government have done.