My Lords, the concentration during this Question has been on national finance and national taxation, but the real crisis is in the finance of local authorities of all descriptions in all parts of the country, and under all political control. Do the Government intend to look at the basis of financing local authorities so that we can introduce a robust scheme before the end of this Parliament?

My Lords, the concentration during this Question has been on national finance and national taxation, but the real crisis is in the finance of local authorities of all descriptions in all parts of the country, and under all political control. Do the Government intend to look at the basis of financing local authorities so that we can introduce a robust scheme before the end of this Parliament?

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have a strategy for dealing with trifluoroacetic acid in waterways and the water supply.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have a strategy for dealing with trifluoroacetic acid in waterways and the water supply.

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they plan to offer to enhance energy efficiency in housing, office buildings and public buildings as part of the drive for net zero.

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they plan to offer to enhance energy efficiency in housing, office buildings and public buildings as part of the drive for net zero.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's ability to check the competence of drivers following convictions and, in the case of older drivers, renewing their licences, (2) the rigour with which medical practitioners and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency...

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's ability to check the competence of drivers following convictions and, in the case of older drivers, renewing their licences, (2) the rigour with which medical practitioners and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency...

To ask His Majesty's Government what terms of reference apply to the activities of practitioner-patient consultative groups; and what guidance they give to such groups.

To ask His Majesty's Government what terms of reference apply to the activities of practitioner-patient consultative groups; and what guidance they give to such groups.

My Lords, first, I am sure that the whole House endorses my noble friend’s opening words. It is indeed a moving day.

On my Question, the biggest problem for local authorities is not structure or assessment. This Government and every other Government depend on local authorities’ ability to deliver many of their most important policies and strategies, and yet local government depends on an archaic system of local taxation—both council tax and business tax—and uncertain grants from central government. I hope the assessment that

my noble friend refers to will begin to change that system, but does my noble friend not agree that a fundamental assessment of what local authorities need should be introduced so that we can start to improve the financial position of local authorities before the end of this Parliament?

My Lords, first, I am sure that the whole House endorses my noble friend’s opening words. It is indeed a moving day.

On my Question, the biggest problem for local authorities is not structure or assessment. This Government and every other Government depend on local authorities’ ability to deliver many of their most important policies and strategies, and yet local government depends on an archaic system of local taxation—both council tax and business tax—and uncertain grants from central government. I hope the assessment that

my noble friend refers to will begin to change that system, but does my noble friend not agree that a fundamental assessment of what local authorities need should be introduced so that we can start to improve the financial position of local authorities before the end of this Parliament?

To ask His Majesty’s Government whether, before or alongside changes in local government structure in England, they will undertake a thorough review of the sources of funding, basis, and equity of local government financial resources at all levels, having regard to both the responsibility of individual councils and the balance of responsibility between central and local government.

To ask His Majesty’s Government whether, before or alongside changes in local government structure in England, they will undertake a thorough review of the sources of funding, basis, and equity of local government financial resources at all levels, having regard to both the responsibility of individual councils and the balance of responsibility between central and local government.

My Lords, I commend to the Minister the suggestions from the Consumer Council for Water, a commendable organisation that deserves more support. It has made six suggestions on reducing water bills for vulnerable people, including those in single occupancy premises and those with medical conditions, largely using the WaterSure mechanism. Can she pay particular attention to those suggestions and hopefully put them into effect?

My Lords, I commend to the Minister the suggestions from the Consumer Council for Water, a commendable organisation that deserves more support. It has made six suggestions on reducing water bills for vulnerable people, including those in single occupancy premises and those with medical conditions, largely using the WaterSure mechanism. Can she pay particular attention to those suggestions and hopefully put them into effect?

To ask His Majesty's Government when they anticipate that Ofgem, under its new powers in the Energy Act 2023, will produce regulations for heat networks and district heating.

To ask His Majesty's Government when they anticipate that Ofgem, under its new powers in the Energy Act 2023, will produce regulations for heat networks and district heating.

My Lords, further to the question of the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, I speak as a former non-executive director of Ofwat for a few months, and as a former non-executive director of the Environment Agency for a few years. Ofwat was always feeble. The Environment Agency has been rendered feeble by a cut in resources and asking the companies to report on their own homework. What is needed is a new and powerful single regulator for the water sector. Do the Government have plans, at least in the medium term, to move to that?

My Lords, further to the question of the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, I speak as a former non-executive director of Ofwat for a few months, and as a former non-executive director of the Environment Agency for a few years. Ofwat was always feeble. The Environment Agency has been rendered feeble by a cut in resources and asking the companies to report on their own homework. What is needed is a new and powerful single regulator for the water sector. Do the Government have plans, at least in the medium term, to move to that?

Further to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, is the Minister at all confident that the standards for insulation are being met for all new build? Likewise, is he confident that they are being met where planning permission provides for refit? Because anecdotal evidence suggests that both are very low in achievement.

Further to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, is the Minister at all confident that the standards for insulation are being met for all new build? Likewise, is he confident that they are being met where planning permission provides for refit? Because anecdotal evidence suggests that both are very low in achievement.

My Lords, in previous Questions the Minister and the Government have indicated that all strategic decisions on the use of hydrogen will be taken in 2026. Clearly, the decision on home heating has already been taken. Does the Minister intend to bring forward decisions on the strategic use of hydrogen in industrial and transport applications? If not, are we going to wait another couple of years and have things dribbled out, rather than take a strategic approach to the use of hydrogen, which the Government previously implied would be there in 2026?

My Lords, in previous Questions the Minister and the Government have indicated that all strategic decisions on the use of hydrogen will be taken in 2026. Clearly, the decision on home heating has already been taken. Does the Minister intend to bring forward decisions on the strategic use of hydrogen in industrial and transport applications? If not, are we going to wait another couple of years and have things dribbled out, rather than take a strategic approach to the use of hydrogen, which the Government previously implied would be there in 2026?

My Lords, 20 years ago, when I had some responsibility for the insulation programme, health issues were just as important, if not more so, than fuel poverty as such, or climate change. I made

some attempt to get the Department of Health to recognise the preventive nature of this programme. I failed totally, but would the Minister care to comment on his ability to persuade the current Department of Health that a preventive insulation programme is very much in its interests and the long-term interests of the health service?

My Lords, 20 years ago, when I had some responsibility for the insulation programme, health issues were just as important, if not more so, than fuel poverty as such, or climate change. I made

some attempt to get the Department of Health to recognise the preventive nature of this programme. I failed totally, but would the Minister care to comment on his ability to persuade the current Department of Health that a preventive insulation programme is very much in its interests and the long-term interests of the health service?

My Lords, while we are on nuclear, what do the Government make of the reports last week of a major breakthrough in fusion technology, and what support are they giving to British technology in this field?

My Lords, while we are on nuclear, what do the Government make of the reports last week of a major breakthrough in fusion technology, and what support are they giving to British technology in this field?

My Lords, is this not just one aspect of the Government’s failure to enforce the standards to which they are theoretically committed, whether environmental, accessibility or others? Are they trying to trade off the standards against numbers because of their pathetic failure to meet the 300,000 homes a year ambition, which was stated time and again?

My Lords, is this not just one aspect of the Government’s failure to enforce the standards to which they are theoretically committed, whether environmental, accessibility or others? Are they trying to trade off the standards against numbers because of their pathetic failure to meet the 300,000 homes a year ambition, which was stated time and again?

My Lords, I think it was only two Prime Ministers ago who promised before the last general election that they would fix social care. The problems that we have talked about today apply to the whole of the social care sector. In effect, those who pay for care—whether for elderly parents or local authorities for children and others, who are very vulnerable people—are subsidising private equity companies’ profits. When are the Government going to get round to fixing it and have a whole new policy for social care that improves the conditions for everybody?

My Lords, I think it was only two Prime Ministers ago who promised before the last general election that they would fix social care. The problems that we have talked about today apply to the whole of the social care sector. In effect, those who pay for care—whether for elderly parents or local authorities for children and others, who are very vulnerable people—are subsidising private equity companies’ profits. When are the Government going to get round to fixing it and have a whole new policy for social care that improves the conditions for everybody?

My Lords, I welcome the Minister to his post, but he will need, in his brief, to learn from history. The 1990s Conservative Government, with Peter Bottomley as Road Safety Minister, produced a road safety strategy, and they cut deaths by 40% during that period. The first Blair Government had a Road Safety Minister—whom modesty forbids me to mention—and we also had a 10-year road strategy, and again cut deaths by 40%. Progress since then has slowed. We need to integrate road design, vehicle design, driver behaviour and many other aspects in a clear strategy that is pursued for a length of time. Will the Minister please take that back and ask his officials to again draw up such a strategy?

My Lords, I welcome the Minister to his post, but he will need, in his brief, to learn from history. The 1990s Conservative Government, with Peter Bottomley as Road Safety Minister, produced a road safety strategy, and they cut deaths by 40% during that period. The first Blair Government had a Road Safety Minister—whom modesty forbids me to mention—and we also had a 10-year road strategy, and again cut deaths by 40%. Progress since then has slowed. We need to integrate road design, vehicle design, driver behaviour and many other aspects in a clear strategy that is pursued for a length of time. Will the Minister please take that back and ask his officials to again draw up such a strategy?

My Lords, I join with the Minister in accepting that the current draft is a darn sight better than the dreadful draft presented two days ago, but it is still, sadly, deficient. In the run-up to the COP, we not only saw the petrostates and fossil-fuel companies trying to derail any reference to fossil fuels in the agreement; we also saw the IPCC and the scientists warning us that we were well off the Paris trajectory towards 1.5 degrees, to which we are all supposed to be signed up. Perhaps we also ought to acknowledge that any improvement due to the UK Government’s intervention was down to our own Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Benyon, with the actual leader of the British delegation being called back from saving the world to saving the Prime Minister. Is not this Government’s moral authority to persuade smaller, more vulnerable

and poorer nations to adopt a net-zero policy sadly undermined by our continued licensing of oil and gas extraction in the North Sea and other retreats from our green policies? Can the Minister give us a date for abandoning those polices?

My Lords, I join with the Minister in accepting that the current draft is a darn sight better than the dreadful draft presented two days ago, but it is still, sadly, deficient. In the run-up to the COP, we not only saw the petrostates and fossil-fuel companies trying to derail any reference to fossil fuels in the agreement; we also saw the IPCC and the scientists warning us that we were well off the Paris trajectory towards 1.5 degrees, to which we are all supposed to be signed up. Perhaps we also ought to acknowledge that any improvement due to the UK Government’s intervention was down to our own Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Benyon, with the actual leader of the British delegation being called back from saving the world to saving the Prime Minister. Is not this Government’s moral authority to persuade smaller, more vulnerable

and poorer nations to adopt a net-zero policy sadly undermined by our continued licensing of oil and gas extraction in the North Sea and other retreats from our green policies? Can the Minister give us a date for abandoning those polices?

To ask His Majesty’s Government whether (1) the position of the OPEC states, and (2) the lobbying of fossil fuel companies, at the Dubai COP 28 have made it more difficult to achieve the goal of limiting global temperature increase by 2050 to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

To ask His Majesty’s Government whether (1) the position of the OPEC states, and (2) the lobbying of fossil fuel companies, at the Dubai COP 28 have made it more difficult to achieve the goal of limiting global temperature increase by 2050 to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

My Lords, given the growing case against using hydrogen as the main source of domestic and office heating, are the Minister or Ofgem about to stop supplier companies offering so-called “hydrogen-ready” boilers to those who need a boiler replacement? Is the Minister any further ahead on the kind of technology that is going to be used for district heating schemes?

My Lords, given the growing case against using hydrogen as the main source of domestic and office heating, are the Minister or Ofgem about to stop supplier companies offering so-called “hydrogen-ready” boilers to those who need a boiler replacement? Is the Minister any further ahead on the kind of technology that is going to be used for district heating schemes?