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Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Bill

That is a valid point. I was brought up in villages until I was 18, and controversial issues always arise when the big farmer puts in place a big new plant or whatever. As I understand it, the Bill calls for a review of the system, in order to prevent matters that need not be part of the planning process from having to go through it, so that more things will be allowed automatically. However, large developments that are controversial and intrusive would still have to go through the planning process, so I do not think that there is a disagreement between the Minister and me. I absolutely believe that what the hon. Member for Nottingham, South said is true: when people understand the benefit to them personally and to their communities, the objections to the wind farm or whatever suddenly disappear almost completely. People say, "Look, it's ours—it's harnessing our environment and it's part of our community." Often such projects also have some beauty, character and style and they add something. I therefore hope that there is no disagreement between the Minister and me. I shall be very brief with my other points, because I do not want to delay either this Bill or those that follow it. Let me make clear my one objection and ask the hon. Member for East Surrey to think about it in Committee. My one concern is about the definition of "green jobs", which are described in clause 1 as""jobs associated with producing or promoting green energy"." I do not have a problem with that, in the sense that those jobs are clearly green jobs, but I want us to be clear that defining "green jobs" is not uncomplicated. I have here—the Minister may know what I am about to say—a parliamentary answer from his hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to my question to the Secretary of State about what the Government's definition of a green job is. It states:""There is no single definition of a 'green job' because we do not believe that some jobs should be green and others not."—[Official Report, 26 March 2009; Vol. 490, c. 707W.]" That is probably a wiser position. We sort of know what we understand by "green jobs", but let us not limit it. In fact, the UN has a much better definition, which I can offer the hon. Member for East Surrey:""Green jobs are defined as positions in agriculture, manufacturing, R and D, administrative, and service activities aimed at alleviating the myriad environmental threats faced by humanity."" If we are going to have a definition, let us have a broad one, not a narrow one.