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Energy Bill

had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 22: 22: After Clause 80, insert the following new Clause— ““Energy Assistance Packages (1) The Secretary of State may make regulation prescribing that domestic gas or electricity suppliers (““the suppliers””) or both or each gas and electricity supplier of a specified description, shall make available energy assistance packages to such gas and electricity customers as are prescribed by the Secretary of State. (2) The regulations shall— (a) set out group or groups of gas and electricity customers who are eligible for energy assistance packages; and (b) Supply gas or electricity or both at a reduced rate lower than any other rate available to other customers of that supplier until such time as their home has been brought up to the energy efficiency standard of Sap 81 or such other standard that the Secretary of State may reasonably consider will significantly protect vulnerable consumers from fuel poverty.”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, I have been informed by the House authorities that this amendment may well not be in order in terms of the Long Title of the Bill. I shall therefore not move it, and I will make my remarks very short. I accept that ruling, but I do not understand it. Furthermore, I do not think that the outside world will understand why, with energy prices and fuel poverty being what they are, an amendment which attempts to combine the improvement of energy efficiency in our housing stock with the rate at which the fuel poor are charged for that energy is not included in an energy Bill. I give notice that if the Government themselves do not find a way of squeezing this kind of amendment into the Bill in time for Third Reading, I will propose a Private Member’s Bill in the next Session of Parliament and seek support for it in another place, something that I suspect will have widespread support from all parties in this House. I regret that we cannot debate this today, but I accept the ruling. [Amendment No. 22 not moved.] Clause 81 [Power to amend licence conditions etc: smart meters]: