My Lords, as it is presumably a question of just power generation companies and not companies in general, I will save time and move on. Many noble Lords mentioned feed-in tariffs. It is true that Germany has been successful in deploying renewables by using a feed-in tariff, but at a...

My Lords, as it is presumably a question of just power generation companies and not companies in general, I will save time and move on. Many noble Lords mentioned feed-in tariffs. It is true that Germany has been successful in deploying renewables by using a feed-in tariff, but at a...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for raising the issue of taxation. That is a matter for the Treasury; it is a matter of fiscal policy, not a matter for tonight. My noble friend Lord Puttnam spoke about the public interest test. I welcome his contribution. He...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for raising the issue of taxation. That is a matter for the Treasury; it is a matter of fiscal policy, not a matter for tonight. My noble friend Lord Puttnam spoke about the public interest test. I welcome his contribution. He...

My Lords, I am very pleased to follow the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, who made a most thoughtful speech. He offered a range of options and considerations which were sadly lacking in the two Front Bench speeches so far. It is fashionable to suggest that the Labour Government, after 10...

My Lords, I am very pleased to follow the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, who made a most thoughtful speech. He offered a range of options and considerations which were sadly lacking in the two Front Bench speeches so far. It is fashionable to suggest that the Labour Government, after 10...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friends on the Front Bench for encouraging me to join them in contributing to this debate in order to reinforce the connection with the Climate Change Bill. As the Minister pointed out in his introduction, this Bill is linked both with the...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friends on the Front Bench for encouraging me to join them in contributing to this debate in order to reinforce the connection with the Climate Change Bill. As the Minister pointed out in his introduction, this Bill is linked both with the...

My Lords, much can be welcomed in the Bill but, as I think Ministers and Whips have realised by now, if I speak from these Benches rather than from the Benches behind them, I am not entirely at one with government policy on a number of issues. After the wide-ranging...

My Lords, much can be welcomed in the Bill but, as I think Ministers and Whips have realised by now, if I speak from these Benches rather than from the Benches behind them, I am not entirely at one with government policy on a number of issues. After the wide-ranging...

My Lords, I too welcome this Bill but it seems only yesterday that we had before us another Energy Bill. It is shattering how quickly four years can pass by. I must declare an interest as a farmer and as a member of the Renewable Energy Association. I was a...

My Lords, I too welcome this Bill but it seems only yesterday that we had before us another Energy Bill. It is shattering how quickly four years can pass by. I must declare an interest as a farmer and as a member of the Renewable Energy Association. I was a...

My Lords, we have had an interesting and wide-ranging debate. I hope that noble Lords will forgive me if I deal with it in considerable detail. Because I am not troubled by what is going on in Moscow tonight—those of us who support Aston Villa are never troubled—I make no...

My Lords, we have had an interesting and wide-ranging debate. I hope that noble Lords will forgive me if I deal with it in considerable detail. Because I am not troubled by what is going on in Moscow tonight—those of us who support Aston Villa are never troubled—I make no...

My Lords, I was talking about power companies factoring in legislation about CO2 and their investment in new power-generating plant. They have been lobbying about it for the past five years.

My Lords, I was talking about power companies factoring in legislation about CO2 and their investment in new power-generating plant. They have been lobbying about it for the past five years.

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord O’Neill, on his speech, particularly his words about fuel poverty, which I shall move on to later. I hear his criticism of these Front Benches, which was balanced by his criticism of his own Government in certain areas. Again, I shall come...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord O’Neill, on his speech, particularly his words about fuel poverty, which I shall move on to later. I hear his criticism of these Front Benches, which was balanced by his criticism of his own Government in certain areas. Again, I shall come...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill and the many noble Lords who have contributed such considerable expertise to this evening’s debate. It has clearly shown how complicated this subject is, and how urgent the action is needed. We were told at the opening of this Session...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill and the many noble Lords who have contributed such considerable expertise to this evening’s debate. It has clearly shown how complicated this subject is, and how urgent the action is needed. We were told at the opening of this Session...

My Lords, on the subject of having a nerve and the impact of fuel costs on fuel poverty, is not one of the major contributing factors the level of tax which the Government are adding to the cost of fuel? If the Government are so committed to this policy, why...

My Lords, on the subject of having a nerve and the impact of fuel costs on fuel poverty, is not one of the major contributing factors the level of tax which the Government are adding to the cost of fuel? If the Government are so committed to this policy, why...

My Lords, I am sorry. Did I get that wrong? I am proud to have been involved in drawing up the 2007 Energy White Paper that looked to address many of the energy issues before noble Lords today. Before turning to the Bill, it is worth dwelling on the wider...

My Lords, I am sorry. Did I get that wrong? I am proud to have been involved in drawing up the 2007 Energy White Paper that looked to address many of the energy issues before noble Lords today. Before turning to the Bill, it is worth dwelling on the wider...

My Lords, most speakers hitherto have ranged a little wider than the provisions of the Bill—quite properly because, as everyone has said, the Bill deals only with some of the matters which we need as a country to address. The Bill as it stands is a mixed bag and so...

My Lords, most speakers hitherto have ranged a little wider than the provisions of the Bill—quite properly because, as everyone has said, the Bill deals only with some of the matters which we need as a country to address. The Bill as it stands is a mixed bag and so...

My Lords, I have been following the noble Lord’s novel argument with some interest. My only concern is that the proposal that he is referring to will have to be the subject of a fairly rigorous competitive process, organised by the NDA at least, following on from what the NDA...

My Lords, I have been following the noble Lord’s novel argument with some interest. My only concern is that the proposal that he is referring to will have to be the subject of a fairly rigorous competitive process, organised by the NDA at least, following on from what the NDA...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy of Lour, most of whose points I agree with strongly. I declare an interest as a professor of climate modelling at University College and a member of the EDF energy stakeholder advisory group. The Government have moved...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy of Lour, most of whose points I agree with strongly. I declare an interest as a professor of climate modelling at University College and a member of the EDF energy stakeholder advisory group. The Government have moved...

My Lords, the noble Lord has just referred to a post-oil economy. When, in anticipation of a strike, the Grangemouth refinery was shut down recently, motorists in my part of the world realised for a brief moment the importance of security of fuel supply. People on the whole did not...

My Lords, the noble Lord has just referred to a post-oil economy. When, in anticipation of a strike, the Grangemouth refinery was shut down recently, motorists in my part of the world realised for a brief moment the importance of security of fuel supply. People on the whole did not...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, as I have had to do on other occasions. It is rather daunting to hear his great scope of expertise, everything from icebergs in the north down to small generators in Somerset. I am...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, as I have had to do on other occasions. It is rather daunting to hear his great scope of expertise, everything from icebergs in the north down to small generators in Somerset. I am...

My Lords, energy policy is a sensitive subject and a difficult one, too, because it is not easy to foresee what the future will bring, although the actual decisions in the policy areas are generally long term in nature. A key plank of government policy for many years now has...

My Lords, energy policy is a sensitive subject and a difficult one, too, because it is not easy to foresee what the future will bring, although the actual decisions in the policy areas are generally long term in nature. A key plank of government policy for many years now has...

My Lords, the noble Lord makes a very sound point, but as I think we will see when we get the White Paper on waste, which we have been promised before the end of this month, it is a very long-term programme. It will be a long time before we...

My Lords, the noble Lord makes a very sound point, but as I think we will see when we get the White Paper on waste, which we have been promised before the end of this month, it is a very long-term programme. It will be a long time before we...

My Lords, I should like to make the most of the time available to me by simply supporting everything—everything—the noble Lord, Lord Oxburgh, has just said in a very compelling speech. I intend energetically to follow the arguments he has set out to what I hope and anticipate will be...

My Lords, I should like to make the most of the time available to me by simply supporting everything—everything—the noble Lord, Lord Oxburgh, has just said in a very compelling speech. I intend energetically to follow the arguments he has set out to what I hope and anticipate will be...