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As amended in the Standing Committee, further considered.

I am sorry, but I am losing my voice; I trust that it is contagious. Amendment No. 75 lists a number of bodies that the Secretary of State would have to consult when exercising his duty to promote community energy schemes. As part of the normal course of exercising any duty, the Secretary of State would consult relevant bodies. In the case of the promotion of community energy, such bodies would include local authorities, the energy industry and the Health and Safety Executive. I do not see the need to have a specific list in the Bill. Amendment No. 76 would be consequential on the incorporation of amendment No. 75 in the Bill. Amendments Nos. 58 and 59 relate to the capacity limits that form part of the definition of a community energy project. I accept that limits of 20MW for electricity and 100MW for thermal energy may appear relatively large, but this is just one aspect of the definition. The key parts of the definition are those that ensure the schemes are for community purposes. The capacity limits were deliberately set high to ensure that the definition encompasses future community schemes that may be larger than existing schemes. I am content with the definition as it stands. Amendment No. 15 and Government amendments Nos. 47 to 49 refer to clause 17. I tabled that clause in Committee in response to a similar clause drafted by the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker). All levels of local government have a role to play in tackling climate change and alleviating fuel poverty. The right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) shakes his head, but I beg to differ. Clause 17 enables parish and community councils to play their part in encouraging or promoting energy-saving measures in a variety of ways. The measures listed are perhaps only a starting point, since the clause allows for further energy saving initiatives to be added in the future as new techniques become available. There are of course differences between parish councils in terms of their relative population sizes, their resources, and the services that they offer. Notwithstanding that, offering advice and assistance on local energy-saving measures sits well alongside the initiatives that the Government are promoting on neighbourhoods and the existing advisory and information-giving roles of parish councils. I remain of the opinion that the clause should be part of the Bill. Indeed, I think that there is an especial connection between parishes and microgeneration. Government amendments Nos. 47 and 48 make it clear that a parish or community council may on application provide information about goods or services offered or provided by other persons within their area for the purposes of clause 17. The intention of the amendment is to supplement the existing power under section 142 of the Local Government Act 1972, which deals generally with the provision of information by local authorities. During the discussion on the clause in Committee, I suggested that I would return on Report to the question of whether parish or community councils could make small grants or loans to assist with measures for saving energy in their areas. I hope that hon. Members, particularly the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle, who spoke so eloquently on the issue, will be pleased to see that amendment No. 49 removes the restrictions in subsections (3) and (4) on the giving of grants or loans for local energy-saving measures. Amendment No. 49 would allow parish or community councils to give financial assistance, when appropriate, to those whom they think would benefit from it. It would be for them to determine any conditions that they may wish to attach to it . I therefore ask hon. Members to support amendments Nos. 47, 48 and 49 but, for the reasons that I have given, to oppose amendments Nos. 75, 76, 58, 59 and 15.