Thursday Volume 599 17 September 2015 No. 46 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 17 September 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1167 17 SEPTEMBER 2015 1168 We estimate that closing the renewables obligation House of Commons early to large and small-scale solar PV projects will reduce costs to the levy control framework by between Thursday 17 September 2015 £180 million and £280 million per year. The estimated saving of closing the RO early to new onshore wind is up to £270 million per year. The details of those cost The House met at half-past Nine o’clock estimates are published in impact assessments that are available on DECC’s webpage. PRAYERS Dr Whitehead: Does the Secretary of State agree that publishing impact assessments two months after decisions have been taken is unacceptable practice? Does she [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] acknowledge that, using the alternative methodology in Mr Speaker: On the front of today’s Order Paper, it is the impact assessment, the net present value of deciding noted that on 23 September 1915, Captain Harold to close the RO early turned out to be minus £100 million? Cawley, 6th Battalion The Manchester Regiment, Member That means that we are £100 million worse off as a for the Heywood Division of Lancashire, was killed in result of her taking that decision, instead of allowing action at Gallipoli, Turkey; on 30 September 1915, the RO to continue. If she had had the impact assessment Captain The Hon. Thomas Agar-Robartes, 1st Battalion to hand when she took the decision, might she have The Coldstream Guards, Member for St. Austell, died made a different decision after all? of wounds received in action near Loos, France; on 2 October 1915 Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Ninian Edward Amber Rudd: What the hon. Gentleman fails to address Crichton-Stuart, 6th Battalion The Welch Regiment, in his question and does not seem to absorb from the Member for the United Boroughs of Cardiff, Cowbridge steps that we have taken to address the costs is that and Llantrisant, was killed in action at Loos, France; at the front of everything this Government do is the and on 6 October 1915, Lieutenant The Hon. Charles impact on consumer bills. We had a commitment to Thomas Mills, 2nd Battalion The Scots Guards, Member limit the levy control framework to £7.6 billion by 2020. for the Uxbridge Division of Middlesex, was killed in When it became apparent that we were way in excess of action at Hulluch, France. We remember them today. that, but were still meeting our renewables targets, it was right to limit the amount of money we were spending. That is why we took action quickly to do so. BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con): I TRANSPORT FOR LONDON BILL [LORDS] congratulate my right hon. Friend on the action she has Motion made, taken, particularly in relation to the wasteful onshore wind turbines that are blighting many areas of the That the promoters of the Transport for London Bill [Lords], countryside. In June, when she made her original which was originally introduced in the House of Lords in Session 2010–12 on 24 January 2011, may have leave to proceed with the announcement, she suggested that some of the RO Bill in the current Session according to the provisions of Standing money might be diverted to other forms of alternative Order 188B (Revival of Bills).—(The Chairman of Ways and power generation. Is she in a position to say what those Means.) alternatives may be? Hon. Members: Object. Amber Rudd: The key reason for reining back on To be considered on Thursday 15 October. onshore wind was its very success. The Government are absolutely committed to supporting renewable sources of energy, and onshore wind has been very successful. On the use of funds that may have been saved, I come Oral Answers to Questions back to the point that the Government are committed to staying within the levy control framework budget as far as is possible. That is the key reason we are taking steps to limit spending. Any further spending commitments, ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE as my hon. Friend will be aware, are up to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Secretary of State was asked— Lisa Nandy (Wigan) (Lab): I thank the Secretary of Renewables Obligation State for her kind words. It is a pleasure to speak from the Dispatch Box today and a privilege to follow in the 1. Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (Lab): footsteps of my right hon. Friend the Member for Don What assessment she has made of the relative net Valley (Caroline Flint), who has been a fearless advocate financial benefit to the public purse of early closure of for consumers and the environment in recent years. the renewables obligation using different cost My right hon. Friend will be as dismayed as I am that methodologies. [901431] this week it was announced that, for the first time, the UK is no longer one of the top 10 countries in the world The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for investing in clean energy technologies. The Government (Amber Rudd): May I start by welcoming the hon. have ruled out new onshore wind farms, slashed solar Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) to her Front-Bench support and left onshore wind farm companies with an role? uncertain future. The only new nuclear plant that seemed 1169 Oral Answers17 SEPTEMBER 2015 Oral Answers 1170 to be proceeding is delayed and in doubt, gas investors welcome Otis, who I gather was born only a few months do not have the assurances that they need to invest, ago. That is fantastic, and I congratulate her on being carbon capture and storage has stalled, and other clean here so soon afterwards. I wish her every success in her generators have been hit with new taxes. What exactly is new role. the Government’s plan to cut carbon pollution and The Government remain totally committed to our keep our lights on? green energy future and to tackling climate change. The success of our renewables program has exceeded Amber Rudd: I, too, am sorry that the right hon. expectations, which means that we are on track to meet Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) is no longer on our targets comfortably.A key priority for the Government the Front Bench. She and I used to have regular, robust is to keep consumer bills down and limit the cost to exchanges, and she had a realistic approach to energy hard-working families, while ensuring that the UK remains security, describing nationalisation proposals as “turning an attractive location for all forms of low-carbon energy. the clock back”. How much I agree with her. The hon. Member for Wigan mentioned investor Margaret Greenwood: The Government are axing confidence, but perhaps I may ask her to look within support for onshore wind earlier than expected, cutting her own team as there are real concerns about the feed-in tariffs for solar, and ending the exemption for Opposition’s approach to nuclear power—who knows renewables from the climate change levy. If renewables their position ahead? The Government are committed really are the future for our energy supply, what action to a mix of energy supply and to ensuring that nuclear will the Government take to repair investor confidence? power, which she mentioned, is part of that mix. It is so disappointing that under the previous Labour Government Andrea Leadsom: That is an incredibly important there was no planning or looking ahead— question. More than £42 billion has been invested in renewables, nuclear and CCS since 2010, and 2014 was Mr Speaker: Order. The Secretary of State can leave a record year with more than £8 billion being invested. me to adjudicate on these matters. Her answers must be The Government remain committed to our long-term, about the policy of the Government. That is the premise low-carbon future in all areas of low-carbon generation. from which we start and with which we proceed. As the hon. Lady will appreciate, we must also consider our other priorities, such as keeping bills down for Lisa Nandy: I was going to thank the hon. Lady for consumers. The policy reset that we are undertaking is that answer, but I do not think I will. about ensuring that through our success in generating Investors looking at the UK are scratching their renewables, we do not impact in a devastating way on heads. On the one hand the Government say that they the bills of hard-working families in this country. are trying to reduce the cost of energy for working families, but on the other hand they say that they want Christina Rees: Will the Minister outline when the to go for shale gas and CCS, which are unproven contract for difference negotiations on the Swansea bay markets. We have, tidal lagoon project are likely to be concluded? My “new nuclear build and offshore wind which are substantially constituents in Neath are eagerly awaiting the job more expensive than renewables such as onshore wind and solar opportunities and apprenticeships that will follow. PV.Investors don’t know what the government is trying to achieve.” Those are not my words; those are the words of Ernst Andrea Leadsom: The hon. Lady will be aware that and Young’s energy analyst in a report that was published the Government are incredibly keen on those new this week.