Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change – 19 November

UKParliament

The following questions were asked to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change today.

You can watch the question in full on Parliament TV.

Renewable energy
What steps she is taking to ensure that the UK meets its EU renewable energy target by 2020.

What steps her Department has taken to encourage schools to invest in solar energy; what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Education on the effect of borrowing restrictions on investment by schools in solar energy; and if she will make a statement.

What assessment she has made of the effect of proposed changes to feed-in tariffs on solar power companies in the UK.


Wholesale energy prices
What assessment she has made of the effect of recent trends in wholesale energy prices on household bills.


Energy subsidies
What assessment her Department has made of the likely effect of changes to subsidies on the predicted deployment rates of renewable energy by 2020.


Energy efficiency schemes
What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's spending on energy efficiency schemes in reducing fuel poverty.


Paris Climate Conference
Whether she will support proposals for a global goal on adaptation at the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on preparations for the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015.


Environmental agenda
What contribution her Department is making to cross-departmental work on the Government's environmental agenda.


Nuclear power
What steps she is taking to encourage the building of further new nuclear reactors.

D_M_E

I could be wrong - and I haven't read the articles, no time until tomorrow - but why no mention of anything like the proposed Swansea Lagoon or a barrage from South Wales to Devon, or a barrage across both ends of the Menai Straits, or across the Wash etc etc.

There is also the fact that the wind does not continually blow strongly enough to turn wind turbines and in times of low or no wind I think they draw power from the Grid to keep them turning so the bearings don't seize up - why else do they spin in low/no wind conditions?