here - United Kingdom Parliament

1657 Oral Answers
6 JUNE 2013
Oral Answers
1658
year. The Government have a target of installing
1 million biomass boilers in the UK by 2030, but some
are concerned that the target might not be met. Will the
Minister outline what steps are being taken to achieve
the target, and meet businesses such as Baxi UK in my
constituency to discuss the issue?
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate
Change (Gregory Barker): I know that my hon. Friend
does a huge amount for businesses in his constituency,
and I would be happy to meet him, Baxi UK, and
representatives of the industry in my Department. The
coalition Government are committed to delivering not
just cheaper bills but cleaner energy, and biomass boilers
are part of that strategy. The good news is that we have
recently announced that renewable heat payment vouchers
for biomass will increase to £2,000 until March 2014,
and later this summer we will provide details for the
scheme that we will be launching for domestic renewable
heat initiatives next spring.
Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab): Apparently, more
than 5 million homes could still benefit from cavity wall
insulation, so there is still a lot of work that could be
done.
The Government have claimed it is too early to set a
decarbonisation target for 2030, but next month they
will publish their electricity market reform delivery
plan, which will determine our energy mix and its
carbon intensity. In the absence of a legally binding
decarbonisation target, will the Secretary of State at
least confirm that his long overdue delivery plan will be
in line with our legally binding carbon budgets, or will
the Government be rewriting the fourth carbon budget?
Mr Davey: No, the plan will be in line with our legally
binding obligations. As I have explained to the House,
before we set the decarbonisation target in 2016 we will
give National Grid guidance on setting the EMR delivery
plan to ensure that it is on path to meet our decarbonisation
targets in the least-cost way.
T3. [158100] Mr Mark Spencer (Sherwood) (Con): The
Minister will be aware that I represent Thoresby
colliery in my constituency, one of the most efficient
and profitable pits in the country. Is he optimistic for
the future of coal mining in Nottinghamshire, and does
he remember my invitation to visit?
Michael Fallon: I would be delighted to visit my hon.
Friend’s constituency. He will know that deep-mine coal
in this country has suffered a number of setbacks this
year, including the serious fire at Daw Mill colliery. I
assure him that my officials continue to work with the
company to do our best to ensure its continued viability.
We are also in touch with the situation in Scotland to
ensure that everything possible can be done to replace
some of the jobs that were lost when the company there
went into liquidation.
T4. [158103] Sheila Gilmore (Edinburgh East) (Lab):
On some energy issues, such as setting a date for a
decarbonisation target, the Government appear to be
extremely slow, but on others, such as the exploitation
of shale gas, they want to rush ahead at great speed
without looking at environmental and safety considerations.
Will the Secretary of State commit to looking
properly at those considerations before any extraction
takes place?
Mr Davey: In 2016, we will be the first country to set
a decarbonisation target, so the idea that we are being
slow on that is preposterous. On shale gas, we are
behind other countries—she may have noticed that the
US has already gone into it. We are determined to see
whether this country can benefit from shale gas, but we
will ensure that we protect the environment and take the
public with us. That is the right way to get the benefits
for the country that shale gas might well offer.
T6. [158105] Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con): I
congratulate my right hon. Friend on today’s announcement
that local opinion will no longer be trumped at the
planning stage by national policy. However, everyone in
my constituency wants to know whether that applies to
the six large wind farm applications, over which planning
power is not devolved, and which are currently being
heard at the UK’s largest ever public inquiry, which
started yesterday. Everybody in my constituency is desperate
to know whether those applications are subject to the
new policy.
Mr Davey: My hon. Friend will know that the public
inquiry has started, and that it would be inappropriate
for a Minister to comment on it. I am sorry, but I
cannot give him the answer he looks for.
T5. [158104] Katy Clark (North Ayrshire and Arran)
(Lab): Will the Secretary of State explain why, at the
same time as energy bills are soaring, research from
Energy Bill Revolution and the Association for the
Conservation of Energy shows that help for people
most in need is falling?
Mr Davey: I have not seen the research to which the
hon. Lady refers. Given that we have introduced the
warm home discount, which targets some of the poorest
households in our country, taking £130 directly of their
bills, I would be surprised by such findings. I reassure
her and the House that the Government are not complacent
on the challenge of fuel poverty. We know we need to
do as much as possible, which is why we commissioned
Professor Hills, why we consulted on many of his proposals,
and why we will respond. We will shortly produce a
framework on fuel poverty and produce a strategy by
the end of the year. The Government believe that that
should be a high priority.
T7. [158106] Mr Dominic Raab (Esher and Walton)
(Con): When will the British Geological Survey review
of shale gas reserves be published? Given that IGas
recently found that there are 20 times the previous
estimates of reserves, does the Minister agree that shale
represents a major strategic advantage for Britain, in
meeting energy demand and decarbonisation?
Michael Fallon: I can confirm to my hon. Friend that
the BGS report will be published before the summer
recess. There have been a number of optimistic estimates
of the amount of shale in the UK. Shale clearly has
enormous potential. It would therefore be irresponsible
of us not to encourage exploration to see exactly what is
down there.