HL Deb 02 November 1987 vol 489 cc780-1

2.46 p.m.

Viscount Hanworth

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will in part follow the Danish initiative and require a statement on the insulation and efficiency of energy use for all new housing when sold.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I understand that the Danish scheme imposes a legal requirement on the home owner to provide prospective purchasers with a home energy survey. In the view of Her Majesty's Government this scheme does not provide an appropriate model for the United Kingdom. It involves an unacceptable element of compulsion and its achievements in Denmark have been largely due to a massive programme of government subsidies for the recommended improvements and formerly for the audits themselves. Instead Her Majesty's Government are promoting energy efficiency in new dwellings through the building regulations and in existing dwellings through a range of other measures.

Viscount Hanworth

My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount for that reply. Does he agree with me that the building regulations provide a good and useful place for minimum insulation but that if the Government are as keen as they say they are to increase energy efficiency and insulation then it must be up to the private sector to provide even better standards? Is he aware that it will not do so unless the public are interested and become increasingly interested in doing so? What I have suggested is one method of achieving this.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, the noble Viscount might find it helpful if I tell him that, so far as concerns the new building regulations, the Department of the Environment hopes to issue draft approved documents for public consultation early next year with a view to laying the new regulations, which will include improved standards of energy efficiency, by the end of the year. These should provide a sound base to build on in the future.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, will the Minister cast his mind back to previous questions on this subject late in the last parliamentary Session? Does he not agree that we have still a long way to go in achieving a sensible energy saving policy, bearing in mind that among our contemporaries we come out very badly indeed? Is he aware that though we welcome the measures that he has highlighted the biggest area of concern is not new building but existing building? As a matter of urgency will the Government keep the matter under review?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, as the noble Lord knows, the Government have announced plans to phase out the non-means tested 66 per cent. grant under the homes insulation scheme and to extend the more generous 90 per cent. grant to all householders on housing benefit or supplementary benefit. This remains the Government's intention and a further announcement will be made in due course.