Results 1-20 of 2,847 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Joan Ruddock

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: This has been an excellent debate and I want to comment on the various things that people have said, to try to answer the questions and then to make some remarks of my own. The hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) said at the beginning of the debate that he wanted a clear message to come from it that there should be a complete unity of purpose, and that has just been echoed by his...

Climate Change (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I am not giving way; I am going to finish. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said as he opened the debate, we need an agreement that is ambitious, effective and fair. We have worked consistently here and abroad to advance such an agreement. We have accepted our own responsibilities by putting in place the first carbon budgets in the world, accepting ambitious binding targets and...

Energy and Climate Change: Economic Situation (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: The latest analysis indicates a short-term fall in global emissions as a result of the global economic downturn, but long-term projections show a rising trend. Securing a global agreement at Copenhagen is essential to making the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Energy and Climate Change: Economic Situation (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I entirely agree with my hon. Friend, and that is exactly what the Government are doing. In this year's Budget, we added an extra £1.4 billion of targeted support to help the transition to the low-carbon economy; that was building on previous commitments, so that £10.4 billion is now being enabled. The low-carbon economy currently supports about 880,000 people in work, and it is a...

Energy and Climate Change: Economic Situation (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: No, I do not agree at all. The fact is that we have more than doubled our Kyoto commitment in respect of the basket of greenhouse gases, which has already been reduced by 21 per cent. on 1990 levels. Therefore, we have got a track record that is recognised in the international forum. Yes, we have had small reductions, but that was during a period of 34 per cent. growth in the economy, so that...

Energy and Climate Change: Economic Situation (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: What I can tell my hon. Friend is that we have learned the lessons from the donor conferences of the past where many countries made promises but did not deliver. We believe there needs to be a new architecture and a new framework, within which the money will be collected according to a formula possibly based, we think, on greenhouse gases and emissions combined, and with every country except...

Energy and Climate Change: Economic Situation (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: We are incentivising the generation of offshore wind. We have already made a commitment of £120 million, and we have seen that by increasing the renewables obligation certificates and agreeing to review them, we are encouraging that industry to come to Britain. I recently visited Aberdeen. The industry there, which has so much expertise in oil and gas, is standing ready to make that...

Energy and Climate Change: Maldives (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: We attach great importance to ensuring vulnerable countries are engaged in discussions on climate change. At the London-hosted Major Economies Forum on 18 and 19 October, participation was widened for the first time to bring vulnerable countries to the table. The Maldives was among those in attendance and Minister Aslam participated in the finance session. Last week, I also met...

Energy and Climate Change: Maldives (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I hope very much that that will be the case. We are working tirelessly to that end. Of course, our Prime Minister has said that he will be there, if necessary, to get a deal. There is no question about the Government's commitment. We support the Maldives and encourage it to keep its voice very strong in these negotiations to make the facts available to the world. Their argument is, of course,...

Energy and Climate Change: Copenhagen Summit (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: The decisions made at Copenhagen will affect everybody in the UK and around the world for generations to come. So that everyone in the UK can see what we are arguing for in the negotiations, the Government have published the "Road to Copenhagen" which, for the first time, explains our position to the wider public. We also keep people informed through our website and through advertising.

Energy and Climate Change: Copenhagen Summit (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for her final offer. I fear that the Secretary of State and I are so preoccupied with the international discussions that we are frequently out of the country, but we will of course try very hard to make a new year resolution to accept her invitation. I should tell my hon. Friend that we are keeping people informed through the Act on Copenhagen website, to...

Energy and Climate Change: Copenhagen Summit (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: The right hon. Gentleman is someone who does not accept the science and the consensus around it— [ Interruption. ] That is what he appears to be saying. The people who have expressed concerns about the advertisement tend to be in that category. We are trying to make it clear to adults that the science has a great worldwide consensus, that climate change is under way, and that if the...

Energy and Climate Change: Low Carbon Transition Plan (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I and my ministerial colleagues have received a large number of comments and representations since the publication of the transition plan and its associated documents on 15 July, including from key international partners involved in negotiations at Copenhagen and the organisations and bodies that will help us to deliver the required emissions reductions in the UK.

Energy and Climate Change: Low Carbon Transition Plan (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: First, I can tell my hon. Friend that a small leaflet is available, and we would be very pleased to give one to her with a simple explanation for her constituents. On the point about homes, we are channelling about £3.2 billion to help households to become more energy efficient; we are piloting a pay-as-you-save programme to help people to invest in more expensive means of insulation;...

Energy and Climate Change: Topical Questions (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I thank my hon. Friend for his question. There is a balance to be struck between shocking people and enabling them to think about an issue and resolve to act on it. We have carefully researched how to advertise in a responsible way. We will continue to do that, because it is essential that the British people understand what we are trying to achieve, why we need to move to a low-carbon...

Energy and Climate Change: Topical Questions (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: We are very keen for local people to be involved in any discussions. That is why we published the document entitled the "Road to Copenhagen", why we have a website, and why we encourage people to be in contact with us. It is important that people understand these issues and that they have a sense of ownership, because this is a global problem where we can all feel that we can contribute and...

Energy and Climate Change: Topical Questions (5 Nov 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I thank my hon. Friend for his question. CESP, a new programme that began in September, is designed to go to areas that have the very lowest decile income groups. His constituency certainly meets that criterion. A total of £350 million will be invested in energy-saving measures over the next three years, coming from suppliers and generators in 100 low-income communities. I can tell him...

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Climate Change (Political Response) (21 Oct 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: The fact is that United States started from a completely different point, because we had done so much already. It was low-hanging fruit, and a very different situation altogether.

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Climate Change (Political Response) (21 Oct 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I have defended, and explained, the Government's position. I have made no mention of the House and its administration, which is a matter for the House. We have not in any way sought to prevent that from happening.

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Climate Change (Political Response) (21 Oct 2009) has video

Joan Ruddock: I would not have argued in any way for the motion. The situation is very clear to us: we have a programme that was laid out in detail in the transition plan this summer and covers the next decade. It includes the spending that we need to achieve and the policies that we have to put in place. We are talking about spending billions of pounds to achieve those policies, so it would be nonsense to...