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Energy Bill

It is important that any legislation on energy should be tested for energy efficiency, but the Long Title does not suggest that there is much scope for that. The amendments tabled by my noble friend Lord Whitty require some explanation in so far as Clause 80 makes a number of references to reports, and it would be useful if we could get a lay person’s guide to that clause in the Minister’s response. I think it is fair to say that pretty well from the word go in this Committee noble Lords have been asking for reports and have been redirected to other reports. If they had done a wee bit of work they would probably have found that out, or the Library would have guided them. Without wishing to be unduly if not characteristically churlish, I shall move on from that point. The purpose of the legislation is clear: to pave the way for nuclear, provide better facilities in relation to gas storage, and tie up one or two loose ends. We will be experiencing for months and probably years ever increasing energy bills, so it is incumbent on the Government that greater attention is paid to energy efficiency. The cuts in Defra’s budget, which I know are not the responsibility of my noble friend, mean that the finance for other shortcomings—the warm zones budget, for example—will be cut in real terms next year. That is one of the most effective ways of securing energy efficiency in poorer areas where houses are not so well insulated and people are less able to pay or take better care of their electricity consumption. It is important to touch on this issue. I know that it is not wholly relevant. My experience in the other place was that the Clerks and Chairs used to be rather more savage in their reluctance to accept such amendments, or to allow debate. I do not want to stray too far from what I consider to be in order as the purpose of the Bill is not to deal with energy efficiency in the way in which the amendments suggest, but I would like to think that the message could go to those who make these decisions in government. With all due respect to my noble friend, I realise that it is not always within his say-so, but it would be useful to have comprehensive legislation to deal with energy efficiency and fuel-poverty matters before too long. Technical, structural amendments to existing legislation would facilitate better consideration of these matters than they are currently receiving in the legislative programme of this Government.