Results 1-20 of 36 for climate change speaker:Alan Duncan

Probation Service (4 Nov 2009)

Alan Duncan: ...than other levels of offender. In taking probation performance as a whole and considering where we might improve it, the hon. Gentleman focused to some extent on funding. Given the current economic climate, that is no small issue. At a time of economic recession, we need to ensure value for money. No public service will be immune from economies, and funding problems will inevitably raise...

Business of the House: Standing Orders etc. (Machinery of Government Changes) (25 Jun 2009) has video

Alan Duncan: I thank the Deputy Leader of the House for giving the Government's position on these two motions. As she said, we are discussing the establishment of a dedicated Select Committee on science and some changes to the parliamentary pension scheme, to which an amendment has been tabled, primarily by the Liberal Democrats. The changes to the machinery of government in the last reshuffle were, I...

Business of the House: Standing Orders etc. (Machinery of Government Changes) (25 Jun 2009) has video

Alan Duncan: The House will have heard what the hon. Gentleman has said. There are many arguments surrounding the scheme, many of which are difficult to put in the current climate of public opinion. By and large, the scheme would have been totally self-funding, had the Government not taken such a long contributions holiday. The Minister has today made the point that the tenure of Members, unlike others in...

Members' Allowances (30 Apr 2009) has video

Alan Duncan: ...in Public Life has reported. I sense that the mood of the House is that it should be accepted. If the Government have said that they accept it, it is more likely than not to go through, unless they change their mind again. We are experiencing the control of everything in the House by the Executive, who are in some difficulty. We simply say that we do not want to score political points, but...

Business of the House: Members' Payments and Allowances (22 Jan 2009) has video

Alan Duncan: ...that it works. I hope that the Leader of the House and the House authorities will allow me to heat my constituency home in Rutland with oil. There is another good element to the motions that will change the whole climate of freedom of information. Through these motions, the House is properly introducing a thorough regime for audit and assurance. That point is crucial. There will be a full...

Written Answers — Energy and Climate Change: Departmental Procurement (16 Dec 2008)

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized businesses were paid within 10 days of receipt by (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Opposition Day — [18th Allotted Day]: Unemployment in the UK (7 Oct 2008) has video

Alan Duncan: ...; it is triple what was seen as an absolutely unacceptable level of unemployment in the 1970s. The starting point is not a happy one, which means that what will follow may be extremely serious. The climate for future employment is not healthy, and one reason why is that after the 10 years to which I have referred, our economy and fiscal position should be in a much better position to cope....

Written Answers — Treasury: Tax Yields: Sustainable Development (1 Sep 2008)

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue accrued to his Department from (a) climate change levy receipts, (b) the non-fossil fuel obligation, (c) the auction of EU Emissions Trading Scheme allowances, (d) transport fuel duty, (e) the fuel duty escalator, (f) increased airport passenger duty and (g) other financial measures designed to effect a reduction in carbon dioxide...

Opposition Day — 16th Allotted Day: Energy Security (30 Jun 2008) has video

Alan Duncan: ...the worst performers in Europe; notes that the Government's own Renewables Advisory Board has established that the UK is set to miss its EU renewables target for 2020 even with significant policy changes; further notes that, as an island nation, the UK has major potential as a source of wave and tidal energy; deplores the fact that the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund has not delivered...

Opposition Day — 16th Allotted Day: Energy Security (30 Jun 2008) has video

Alan Duncan: That is a slightly ridiculous question; that was such a long time ago. Renewables hardly existed 10 years ago. So much has changed in the past decade and so much could have been done. Over the next 15 years all but one of our nuclear fleet of power stations will be withdrawn from service, a third of our coal plants will be decommissioned and we will need about 25 GW of new electricity...

Points of Order: Treaty of Lisbon (No. 2) — (2nd Allotted Day) (30 Jan 2008)

Alan Duncan: ...Friend is being ingenious and allows me to move on to the next part of my remarks. The Government say that the treaty would better equip the EU to tackle the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. They claim that it will drive forward a liberalised European energy market, benefiting not only British consumers but British companies that wish to gain a foothold in the region....

Points of Order: Treaty of Lisbon (No. 2) — (2nd Allotted Day) (30 Jan 2008)

Alan Duncan: ...costs". Finally, of course, the central foundation for action depends on the creation and maintenance of the internal market, under article 95 of Maastricht. The treaty of Lisbon makes no change of substance to that. Instead, the one new thing in the latest treaty is the explicit provision allowing the Union to pass laws on security of energy supply. We should be in no doubt about the...

Orders of the Day: Energy Bill (22 Jan 2008)

Alan Duncan: ...lazy to go to work. The challenges that confront the United Kingdom are twofold. First, for our own environmental integrity, and to secure even a hint of global leadership on the issue of tackling climate change, we must cut our carbon emissions. Secondly, we must ensure that while we move to a low-carbon economy, we do not compromise our security of supply. We must produce approximately...

Orders of the Day: Energy Bill (22 Jan 2008)

Alan Duncan: That could destroy the investment climate for future energy investment. I do not want to make any precipitate comments about such taxation decisions, except to say that if we are to have a sensible energy policy, a constant climate for investment is required. One of the worst things that we can do is chop and change, and pounce on people who do well. We need a regime that does not have...

Orders of the Day: Energy Bill (22 Jan 2008)

Alan Duncan: ...country, and the Government goofed—big time. We were ahead and now we are behind; we were way ahead of the pack on CCS and now we are not. That brings me to my next point, which is about the climate change levy. As the Secretary of State has just said, nuclear power is not carbon-emitting—so why is it subject to the climate change levy, which is effectively a tax on carbon?...

Orders of the Day: Energy Bill (22 Jan 2008)

Alan Duncan: ...by 2020. As we heard earlier, the current approach will not get us there. We will certainly not reach 15 per cent. even with the Government's shiny new Bill. The whole country is looking for a step change, and on that step the Government have stumbled. We have consistently spoken in favour of feed-in tariffs—"familiar arguments", the Secretary of State said when we last met him at...

Oral Answers to Questions — Innovation, Universities and Skills: UK Energy Policy (10 Jan 2008) has video

Alan Duncan: May I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement? There has never been a more pressing time for responsible policy making. Carbon emissions are changing our climate, we are paying $100 for a barrel of oil and we are facing a clear and massive energy shortfall. It is our duty to set political scrapping aside so that we can make sure that we do what is right for the...

Opposition Day — [13th Allotted Day]: Department of Trade and Industry (6 Jun 2007)

Alan Duncan: ...as far as possible by auction and far less by historic use. We want a properly understood and priced regime—the Government have been slow on this—for handling waste. We would reform the climate change levy, which attacks nuclear energy even though it is a non-carbon-emitting process, and we would have a fair planning regime in order to enhance the regime under which a future...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Energy White Paper (23 May 2007)

Alan Duncan: ...? Last July we set out our objectives. We called for a cap and trade scheme for CO2 based on auctioned rights, for site and type licensing, and for reform of the renewables obligation and the climate change levy. In addition, we said that there must be long-term certainty for investors. As we keep on saying, if this could lead to broad agreement between us and the Government, that would be...