§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions his Department has had concerning the current 489W treatment of third party finance, where it is supplied for the purposes of energy saving schemes, in the calculation of public sector borrowing; what has been the outcome of such discussions; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the current treatment of third-party finance for the future contribution of such schemes to energy efficiency improvements.
§ Mr. David HuntThe provision of external finance for energy efficiency measures is one element of the service offered by contract energy management companies. Contract energy management is an important option available to enable public sector organisations to improve energy efficiency, and the Energy Efficiency Office has already produced some guidelines on how it can be introduced in local authorities. It is currently considering with the Treasury what further guidance could be provided to clarify the use and assessment of contract energy management in the whole of the public sector.