Domestic Buildings (Energy Efficiency)

Part of Energy and Climate Change – in the House of Commons at 10:30 am on 4 June 2009.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Gregory Barker Gregory Barker Shadow Minister (Energy and Climate Change) 10:30, 4 June 2009

I hope the Minister will also pass on my very warmest best wishes to the Secretary of State and his partner.

In the Minister's answer to my hon. Friend Dr. Lewis, she put her finger on the nub of the issue when she said that there are "many, many strategies in place", because the fact of the matter is that the Government's approach to energy efficiency is fragmented and confused. We have social energy tariffs, energy performance certificates, the decent homes standard, Warm Front, winter fuel payments, the low-carbon buildings programme, the carbon emissions reduction target, new building regulations, warm zones, the community energy saving programme, Fuel Direct, the green homes service and fuel poverty targets. No wonder the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said:

"There's a lot...out there...but it's hard to know where to start."

Given that the Government are now totally paralysed and Ministers' minds are clearly focused elsewhere, is it not clear that they are never going to get to grips with energy efficiency, and that the bottom line is that the lights are on, but nobody's home?