Clause 1 - Sustainable energy policy

Part of Sustainable Energy Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 2:30 pm on 11 June 2003.

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Photo of Sir Sydney Chapman Sir Sydney Chapman Conservative, Chipping Barnet 2:30, 11 June 2003

May I say, Mr. Illsley, that it is a great privilege to serve under your chairmanship? This is the first time that I have done so and, despite the fact that I do not intend to stand at the next election, I hope that it will not be the last time that I serve under your chairmanship in this Parliament.

I will go along with whatever the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, North-East suggests about adjourning the sitting this week and meeting next week. I have a great deal of respect for him and the way in which he has handled the Bill, which is a very difficult one because of the natural interface between the Government and the Back-Bench Member who is promoting it. I fully understand that and pay tribute to him.

The little billet-doux that I have for when we examine the amendments says, ''support BW.'' I realise that that could be the Minister as well as the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, North-East. I wish to pay tribute to the Minister, because he worked very hard in Westminster Hall yesterday and is appearing here in Committee Room 9 today. I do not know whether he is stalking me or I am stalking him, but I assure the Committee that there is nothing in it.

I wish to make a serious point. My understanding of the Minister's new clause is that it will ensure that the Secretary of State will report annually from 2004 on the progress being made towards the four principal objectives of the Government's White Paper. That will be done in the form of a sustainable energy report. If that is to be the case—I fully support it—the progress that has been made towards the specific targets mentioned in amendments (a) and (b) in the name of the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, North-East is bound to come up. The Minister may say that that is all the more reason why we do not need to include the amendments in the Bill. I would accept that argument but for the following point. Given that there will be a seven-day rethink, it is absolutely essential that we get the public on our side, and get them interested so that they know what we have to do to ensure sustainable development. Targets help to create interest, and progress towards those targets will be an incentive to the public to support a Government of whatever hue. We are talking about a period up to 2050.