§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what external advice she received regarding a duty on her to fund policies and programmes as a result of the requirement for her to have a 30 per cent. improvement in domestic energy efficiency as a principal aim under Part 1 of the Home Energy Conservation Bill; whether this advice suggests it would be within the terms of the Bill to make progress towards improving energy efficiency by(a) introducing new regulations and (b) energy efficiency programmes funded by bodies other than the Government; if she will place the advice in the Library; and if she will make a statement; [71006]
(2) what external advice she has received regarding burdens placed on local authorities by Part I of the Home Energy Conservation Bill; if she will place this advice in the Library; and if she will make a statement; [70950]
(3) what external advice she has received regarding the compatibility of a requirement for her to have a target as a principal aim when making decisions, as included in the Home Energy Conservation Bill and a requirement to meet that target as a statutory duty; if she will place this advice in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [71005]
583W(4) when the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire will receive answers to written parliamentary questions 70950, 71005 and 71006, tabled for answer on 19 July. [74577]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 19 July 2002]The Government has not sought any external advice on these matters. However, I am aware that the Bill's promoters sought legal advice on whether having a 30 per cent. improvement as a principal aim would have conferred a lesser obligation than a statutory duty to achieve this level of improvement, and whether it would have imposed any legal requirements on the Government to fund new obligations on local authorities.
We have received our own advice on the implications of having a 30 per cent. improvement in domestic energy efficiency as a principal aim in this Bill. These implications, including those for the Government and local authorities of any energy efficiency targets that the Secretary of State might set, how targets might be achieved, any constraints this might place on local authorities and the potential role of other energy efficiency programmes, have, of course, been discussed with other Government Departments. The Government is committed to funding fully the cost of any new obligations placed on local authorities, although this is not a legal obligation.
The Department has also received correspondence setting out a wide range of views on this and other aspects of the Bill, including from the Local Government Association, local authorities, trade associations, energy efficiency and fuel poverty groups and members of he public.