Climate Change

Energy and Climate Change – in the House of Commons at 10:30 am on 9 July 2009.

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Photo of David Drew David Drew Labour, Stroud 10:30, 9 July 2009

What recent representations he has received from those living in rural areas on the effects on their living conditions of climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Joan Humble Joan Humble Labour, Blackpool North and Fleetwood

What steps he is taking to inform the public of the effects on their living conditions of climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Ed Miliband Ed Miliband The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

The recent UK climate projections spelled out the dangers of unchecked climate change: hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. As people from rural areas have made clear, this would have a particular effect on agriculture and farming. My Department, working alongside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is seeking to inform people of the economic, social and human consequences of this for the UK, and therefore of the need to act on climate change.

Photo of David Drew David Drew Labour, Stroud

Two years ago my county was under water, which sadly is a harbinger of what climate change will probably bring. What guarantees can the Government give that we will get appropriate measures—those that we have already spoken about—and that those measures will be applied in rural areas, where we have a disproportionately high number of older people living in older property that is in desperate need of measures such as loft insulation? Can the Government reassure me about what they are willing to do?

Photo of Ed Miliband Ed Miliband The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

My hon. Friend makes an important point about rural areas. The truth is—this is why what the G8 leaders agreed yesterday is significant—that we need action throughout the world to protect people in rural areas, because we know that climate change is a global issue. Unless every country acts, we will not be able to avoid the dangerous climate change that would increase the frequency of events such as the one mentioned by my hon. Friend, which happened in my constituency, too. Again, he makes an important point about energy efficiency. One of the things that we have done in the Warm Front programme, for example, is to pilot measures for people off the gas grid, which is an issue in rural areas, to try to help them with new kinds of renewable heating. Also, the community energy saving programme that my hon. Friend the Minister of State mentioned will pilot help for some of the poorest people in rural areas.

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Ed. Miliband's response is woefully inadequate and startlingly incomplete and complacent! Measures such as those cited 'for people of the gas grid' will affect only a tiny percentage of our population, and will consequently have an insignificant effect on Climate Change. If we are to take the issue seriously (as it deserves) he needs to adopt a much bolder approach - not just improve the heating systems for a few isolated houses! There are many more areas to be addressed: energy useage and conservation; electricity generation and distribution; transport; waste;...

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Photo of Joan Humble Joan Humble Labour, Blackpool North and Fleetwood

I very much welcome the huge investment that the Government have put into new sea defences in Blackpool and in Cleveleys, but what further action can the Government take to protect and inform people about the immediate risks of climate change and to plan for a low carbon economy that will safeguard our future?

Photo of Ed Miliband Ed Miliband The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

My hon. Friend is right to say that spending on flood defences will have to increase. It already has increased to £800 million in the final year of the current spending review. That is an important investment, which will have to rise further. The best combination for us would be to adapt to the effects of climate change that are inevitable, and to strive domestically and internationally for the action needed to prevent dangerous climate change in future. That combination of measures is necessary and we must strive for it, particularly in the next six months in the run-up to Copenhagen.

Photo of David Evennett David Evennett Shadow Minister (Business, Innovation and Skills)

I noted the Secretary of State's responses. Surely informing the public should be a top priority to get them on board. His recent pamphlet was a start. How effective does he think measures such as pamphlets are in making the public aware of the important challenges facing individuals and households, as well as industry?

Photo of Ed Miliband Ed Miliband The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

The hon. Gentleman makes an important and challenging point for all of us. We are sending out copies of the leaflet on the Copenhagen manifesto, to which he refers. My assessment of the state of the debate in Britain is that it is good, because there is broad consensus politically about the need to tackle the problem and among the public about the science. However, we need to bring home the point—this relates to the point that my hon. Friend Mrs. Humble made—that climate change will happen in the UK if we do not take action. The danger is that people think that it will happen to people somewhere else. We have to convince people that it will affect future generations in the UK significantly if we do not act.