§ 34. Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from businesses on the climate change levy. [141869]
§ Mr. TimmsThe Government have developed the climate change levy in an open and consultative way. The levy was developed on the basis of the work of Lord Marshall's Task Force which examined "Economic Instruments and the Business Use of Energy". This was followed by an extensive consultation exercise following the announcement of the levy in Budget 1999. More recently, the Government have consulted on the draft legislation underpinning the levy, on support for energy efficiency measures and on "good quality" Combined Heat and Power.
During this process, the Government have received many representations from business and other interested parties and these views have helped to refine the design of the levy.