§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the advantages of increasing grants towards upgrading the energy saving standards of existing buildings; and if he will make a statement. [3192]
§ Mr. ClappisonEarlier this year, we published a consultation paper about our successful and well-regarded home energy efficiency scheme, which pays grants towards basic insulation of homes. Since 1991, this scheme has upgraded energy efficiency in almost 10 per cent. of the housing stock, and given average potential savings of around £40 annually to householders. Our proposals included making the scheme more responsive to the energy standards of individual homes by widening the range of energy efficiency measures available. We have taken account of the comments we received on our proposals, and hope to announce our plans for the scheme soon.