§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.
§ Mr. Ian LangMy hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart), the Under-Secretary of State responsible for industry and local government in the Scottish Office, is also responsible for matters concerning energy. As regards energy efficiency, his brief is the same as that of the other members of the ministerial group on energy efficiency which was announced in the White Paper on the Environment on 25 September. The group is chaired by the Secretary of State for Energy. Its aim is to raise the profile of energy efficiency by working with Government Departments, local authorities and organisations representing energy users in all sectors of the economy to stimulate improvements. The group will also monitor the Government's energy efficiency programmes and the new initiatives announced in the White Paper on the environment and assess the need for further action.