§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what response has been offered to the European Community proposals to set out energy survey standards for domestic electricity appliances; and to what extent this response fulfils the aspirations and plans which Her Majesty's Government put forward at the recent world climate conference in Geneva.
§ Dr. Kim HowellsTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if the Government have any plans to implement legislation requiring energy labelling on electrical goods to enable consumers to be aware of the relative amounts of energy different brands of appliances consume;
(2) if the Government have any plans to introduce legislation requiring minimum energy efficiency standards for all new domestic appliances as part of the programme to combat global warming.
§ Mr. BaldryAs set out in chapter 5 and annex C of the White Paper on the environment "This Common340W Inheritance"—Cm 1200—energy efficiency is an important part of the Government's strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
On appliances, we are pressing for agreements on energy efficiency labelling and standards within the European Community. Our own plans for a voluntary labelling scheme which will lead to improved efficiency were outlined at a consultative workshop held by the European Commission earlier this month. We believe that effective voluntary measures can make legislation unnecessary and bring about far swifter improvements in energy efficiency.