[Frank Cook in the Chair] — Home Energy Efficiency

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 9:30 am on 3 March 2010.

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Photo of Malcolm Bruce Malcolm Bruce Chair, International Development Committee, Chair, International Development Committee 9:30, 3 March 2010

Those are pertinent points, and I am sure that the Minister will take note of them. However, as I said at the outset, there are so many dimensions to the matter that it is impossible to cover them all in one speech-and I am now near the end of mine. Indeed, if I tried to cover all those points, I might get less useful answers from the Minister on the particular issues that I wish to raise.

None the less, the Intervention by Bob Spink is pertinent. The situation is most confusing. Too many things are going on, and there are too many obligations. People who by definition are poor have to worry how the heck they are to access all those things, including whether they are getting the best deal and who they should ask for advice. Those are questions also for those who are not technically fuel poor, but who wish to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and to use greener energy systems.

I do not know whether other Members have tried this, as I have, but when one seeks information someone will say, "This is who supplies solar, and these people do wind, and these do heat pumps." People then phone those suppliers, but of course they want to sell them the products that they market. What people really want is access to an objective, impartial energy audit that says, "Your house needs this in the way of insulation and would benefit from that energy mix. Here is a range of the people who can provide you with installation quotes and costs, and they work to approved standards." If that happened, I suggest that people would then want to know what grants and long-term loans were available.

One scheme that seems to have been successful is the boiler scrappage scheme. Those running it say, "The phone is ringing off the hook with people wanting to replace their boilers and take advantage of the scheme." I say in passing that it is regrettable that the scheme has not been extended to Scotland. I know that Scotland has the money and may be spending it differently, but I am not trying to make a party political point. However, given the scheme's success, I suggest that the Scottish Government could usefully consider it.

intervention

An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.

Minister

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