My Lords, I am pleased to open the debate on the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2014. Before focusing on the details of these regulations, I will take time to provide some background to the scheme, which I shall now refer to as the RHI.

In November 2011, we introduced...

My Lords, I am pleased to open the debate on the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2014. Before focusing on the details of these regulations, I will take time to provide some background to the scheme, which I shall now refer to as the RHI.

In November 2011, we introduced...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for introducing these exciting regulations. This is a real step forward; we have been waiting for it and we are pleased that it has finally arrived.

Perhaps I may first ask some general questions on how we are doing on the RHI. We...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for introducing these exciting regulations. This is a real step forward; we have been waiting for it and we are pleased that it has finally arrived.

Perhaps I may first ask some general questions on how we are doing on the RHI. We...

I thank the noble Baroness for her support. I shall try to answer her questions, but if I miss any, I will go back, read Hansard and write to her. She asked whether we would meet our renewables targets. We have managed to achieve 4% of total energy from renewables...

I thank the noble Baroness for her support. I shall try to answer her questions, but if I miss any, I will go back, read Hansard and write to her. She asked whether we would meet our renewables targets. We have managed to achieve 4% of total energy from renewables...

I thank the noble Baroness for her comprehensive answers. However, if she would write to me on a couple of matters, I would be grateful.

I was specifically interested in how we are doing on the terawatt hour target for the RHI and not only renewables targets overall. A short note...

I thank the noble Baroness for her comprehensive answers. However, if she would write to me on a couple of matters, I would be grateful.

I was specifically interested in how we are doing on the terawatt hour target for the RHI and not only renewables targets overall. A short note...

The noble Baroness asked two questions. On the second question, while new build installations are not supported through the domestic RHI, other than self-build, they will still be counted towards our renewables target through the use of market intelligence from the renewable energy sector based on sales figures.

I am extremely...

The noble Baroness asked two questions. On the second question, while new build installations are not supported through the domestic RHI, other than self-build, they will still be counted towards our renewables target through the use of market intelligence from the renewable energy sector based on sales figures.

I am extremely...

Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, in order to make the best use of parliamentary time there are two instruments for debate today. I have agreed with my noble friend Lord Faulks also to present an instrument which falls within the remit of his department, the Ministry of Justice. I will speak also to...

My Lords, in order to make the best use of parliamentary time there are two instruments for debate today. I have agreed with my noble friend Lord Faulks also to present an instrument which falls within the remit of his department, the Ministry of Justice. I will speak also to...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his explanation and I look forward to hearing the answers to those two excellent questions. I do not propose to ask any questions about the second order, as I accept the Minister’s assurance that it is consequential upon the first. However, I should...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his explanation and I look forward to hearing the answers to those two excellent questions. I do not propose to ask any questions about the second order, as I accept the Minister’s assurance that it is consequential upon the first. However, I should...

I thank my noble friend Lady Scott of Needham Market for her contribution and I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sherlock, for raising these points. Some very good questions have been asked and I shall do my best to answer them.

My noble friend Lady Scott asked whether women getting...

I thank my noble friend Lady Scott of Needham Market for her contribution and I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sherlock, for raising these points. Some very good questions have been asked and I shall do my best to answer them.

My noble friend Lady Scott asked whether women getting...

Before the Minister leaves that point, I understand the Government’s argument that they do not wish to gold-plate anything that comes from Europe. I was pushing him slightly because he gave two different reasons for doing this. One was not to gold-plate; the other was to give the women an

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Before the Minister leaves that point, I understand the Government’s argument that they do not wish to gold-plate anything that comes from Europe. I was pushing him slightly because he gave two different reasons for doing this. One was not to gold-plate; the other was to give the women an

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The answer is that no such assessment was undertaken.

The noble Baroness asked whether this maternity allowance will passport through to other benefits. It is up to each provider of those passported benefits to decide whether to extend their passported benefits to this group. Of course, in the same group of...

The answer is that no such assessment was undertaken.

The noble Baroness asked whether this maternity allowance will passport through to other benefits. It is up to each provider of those passported benefits to decide whether to extend their passported benefits to this group. Of course, in the same group of...

I am happy for the Minister to write to me but I asked about the tax treatment of the allowance and the tax credits position. He may feel free to write if that is easier.

I am happy for the Minister to write to me but I asked about the tax treatment of the allowance and the tax credits position. He may feel free to write if that is easier.

I apologise to the noble Baroness. I will follow that up in writing.

I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken. I thank them for their interest in the debate and take the opportunity to say that I hope we agree that the Social Security (Maternity Allowance) (Participating Wife...

I apologise to the noble Baroness. I will follow that up in writing.

I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken. I thank them for their interest in the debate and take the opportunity to say that I hope we agree that the Social Security (Maternity Allowance) (Participating Wife...

My Lords, I support the social security regulation which we are debating today—not just because it avoids an €11 million fine. I think it is a good thing in its own right. For once, we have a welcome change to the benefits system in that it is beginning genuinely to...

My Lords, I support the social security regulation which we are debating today—not just because it avoids an €11 million fine. I think it is a good thing in its own right. For once, we have a welcome change to the benefits system in that it is beginning genuinely to...

Lords motions to consider agreed to on question.

Lords motions to consider agreed to on question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of take-up rate of free pensioner bus passes in each local authority area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of take-up rate of free pensioner bus passes in each local authority area.

This amendment moves us into somewhat gentler waters. The amendment calls for a strategy to improve take-up of national insurance credits. It is by way of a probing amendment, seeking clarity on what is planned to encourage greater take-up. In a sense, it is a subset of the debate that...

This amendment moves us into somewhat gentler waters. The amendment calls for a strategy to improve take-up of national insurance credits. It is by way of a probing amendment, seeking clarity on what is planned to encourage greater take-up. In a sense, it is a subset of the debate that...

My Lords, Amendments 266B and 266CA concern the father’s entitlement to and use of parental leave. Amendment 266B paves the way, again by means of secondary legislation, for a father quota. Such a quota would provide a father with an independent right to at least four weeks’ parental leave at...

My Lords, Amendments 266B and 266CA concern the father’s entitlement to and use of parental leave. Amendment 266B paves the way, again by means of secondary legislation, for a father quota. Such a quota would provide a father with an independent right to at least four weeks’ parental leave at...