Clause 1 - Sustainable Energy Policy
Sustainable Energy Bill
8:58 am
Mr Stephen Timms (Minister of State (e-Commerce & Competitiveness), Department of Trade and Industry; East Ham, Labour)
Let me begin by reiterating what my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson), said a couple of weeks ago. I, too, am delighted that the Bill is before the Committee. It has taken longer than he or I would have wished for the detail to be sorted out, but with the cross-party consensus that has been stimulated by it, my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, North-East (Brian White) will be able to secure some worthwhile legislation in his name as a result of our deliberations.
I am pleased that he will not press the proposed amendments. I know that he and others rightly attach great importance to the Government reporting on delivery of all the energy White Paper commitments against all our targets and goals. That is our firm intent. The reporting requirement in new clause 1 fully
reflects the spirit of the clause while avoiding an overly prescriptive approach. It encompasses all four of our sustainable energy policy goals—cutting carbon emissions, maintaining the reliability of energy supplies, promoting competitive markets and tackling fuel poverty—in a way that will be durable.