§ 9. Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the budget of the Energy Efficiency Office for the current year; what is its role in relation to the coordination of energy conservation policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. David HuntThe Energy Efficiency Office's budget for 1984–85 is £18.6 million. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set up the office to spearhead the drive for greater energy efficiency in industry, commerce and the home. Considerable progress has already been made.
§ Mr. CoxIn view of that reply, will the Minister give an assurance that the Government's financial policies, including those on rate capping and so on, will not harm energy conservation programmes throughout the country? In view of the urgency of the matter, why is there still a division of responsibility as between the Department of Energy and the Department of the Environment? Why cannot everything come under one Department —preferably the Department of Energy?
§ Mr. HuntI assure the hon. Gentleman that every possible incentive is being given to local authorities—I have recently met a number of them—to spearhead the energy efficiency drive. It is a sign of confidence that the Government have increased the budget of the Energy Efficiency Office within the Department by 34 per cent. over the past year.
§ Mr. BoyesHow can the Minister talk about confidence in the Government when Cape Insulation in my constituency gave notice on 4 December to 360 or 370 men that the company would close on 21 December? Is it not a futile use of Government money to spend it on glossy 10 brochures and leaflets when the Government are not allowing local authorities the finance to use those products and thus to keep people in work?
§ Mr. HuntI sympathise with the hon. Gentleman about the very serious redundancies caused by the closure of Cape Industries in Washington, but for some time there has been over-capacity in that area of the market. With the increased advance in advertising and the "lift a finger" campaign already showing signs of tremendous success, I very much hope that we shall see an upsurge of activity in that sphere.
§ Mr. WallaceHow many local authorities have written to the Secretary of State in the past 12 months saying that they are having difficulty in planning and implementing energy conservation measures because of capital restrictions that are imposed on them by the Department of the Environment?
§ Mr. HuntThere has been a tremendous amount of interest in the energy efficiency campaign on the part of local authorities. More than 250 local authorities have sought advice from the Energy Efficiency Office and are participating in the crescendo that we are now reaching in this important campaign.