§ Mr. Andrew BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will increase capital investment in home energy efficiency.
§ Mr. YeoThe Government make substantial capital sums available for home energy efficiency. Provisional figures indicate local authorities spent over £120 million on insulation works, and some £110 million on other energy conservation measures, on the council house stock in 1990–91. They are spending an extra £60 million on energy efficiency over three years under the green house programme. An additional £24 million has been made available for spending on public and private sector insulation under the home energy efficiency scheme in 1991–92. Further smaller sums are spent on these measures through house renovation grants and the Housing Corporation. We have also recently launched a major publicity campaign called "Helping the Earth Begins At 409W Home", to encourage householders to adopt energy efficiency measures in response to global warming. The campaign emphasises that many measures have short payback periods and are therefore cost-effective for householders to finance themselves.