Clause 1
Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Bill
2:30 pm
Joan Ruddock (Minister of State, Department for Energy and Climate Change; Lewisham, Deptford, Labour)
May I also say what a pleasure it is to serve under your chairmanship, Miss Begg?
First, I congratulate the hon. Member for East Surrey on having reached this stage with his private Member’s Bill. Many fall by the wayside, but his has made it into Committee. We have been pleased to work with him and he has been extremely co-operative, which we appreciate. I also thank him for his kind words about our civil servants who, as he rightly said, have worked extremely hard to get us to this position.
I am rising to oppose clause 1 and to explain why we wish to substitute new clause 4 for it. The changes proposed by the Government are necessary to align some of the definitions in the current clause 1 more closely with existing legal definitions, and to reflect other proposed amendments to the Bill. Given the changes required to clause 1, I hope that hon. Members will agree that removing the clause in its entirety is a better way of dealing with the situation than amending it bit by bit.
New clause 4 inserts additional definitions as a result of other amendments that are made to the Bill. Let me highlight a particular change for the Committee—that made to the existing definition of “energy efficiency measure”. The purpose of this change is to bring the definition into line with that in section 41A(2) of the Electricity Act 1989, which states:
“In this section ‘energy efficiency target’ means a target for the promotion of improvements in energy efficiency, that is to say”—
and this is the relevant phrase—
“efficiency in the use by consumers of electricity, gas conveyed through pipes or any other source of energy which is specified in the order.”
I do not intend to discuss energy efficiency targets, but I hope that hon. Members agree that that definition is much broader than the one in clause 1 as drafted. Making that change is important, given the role that energy efficiency has to play in any long-term energy strategy. It is therefore essential that, in seeking to define and promote green energy—the intended purpose of the Bill, of which energy efficiency forms an integral part—the definition of “energy efficiency” should be as broad as possible.
Aside from that, amendments to clause 1 only reflect changes made to the wider Bill. I do not propose discussing in detail those changes now, since that discussion is best had in the context of debating the policy issues and questions arising from each clause. Suffice it to say that I will ensure that the definitions in the clause reflect any further amendments made to the Bill as a result of the Committee’s consideration of it.
In summary, the Government oppose clause 1 standing part of the Bill and we seek to substitute new clause 4 for it.