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Finance (No. 2) Bill

This has been an interesting debate. It seems that the on-off relationship between the Tories and the Liberals in respect of environmental policies—that elusive cross-party consensus—may be on again. I think that the areas of agreement between the Government and my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Alan Simpson) are much greater than the areas of disagreement. We agree about the importance of energy efficiency and water conservation, and about the potential of microgeneration. We agree too with the assessment that the UK market for the available technologies is in its infancy, and that fiscal and other economic measures may have a role to play, along with regulation, public spending and, in some cases, information campaigns. The differences between the Government and my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South result from the specific details of new clause 9. I hope that my hon. Friend will take account of what my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) said in that regard. Much of this ground was covered in the debates on the private Member’s Bill successfully introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mark Lazarowicz). My hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Joan Walley) made a number of telling points, and she is one of the most assiduous and consistent campaigners on the environment in the House. My hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe also made some telling points when he talked about the progress that has been made on the environment since 1999, and the important measures that the Government have introduced in that time. He played a pivotal part in that process, during his time as a Minister with responsibility for the environment. He rightly said that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has an excellent record on the environment, and that he has used fiscal and other economic instruments to good effect. My hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe was also right in what he said about the climate change levy. The Opposition opposed it when it was introduced, and still do so now. The measure contributes almost one fifth of our emissions savings, as we pursue our climate change objectives. I must advise the Opposition that it is fine to will the ends but, in the end, they must back the means and the measures that will deliver those ends. We also recognise the importance of household energy efficiency, as my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South and other hon. Friends urged. It is central to reducing further—