§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to use the building regulations to raise the standard required for new and replacement boilers to the level of the most efficient boilers; and if he will set a target of installing five million condensing boilers by 2010. [123747]
§ Phil HopeThe Energy White Paper published on 24 February 2003 made clear the Government's intention to use the building regulations to raise the standard required for new and replacement boilers to the level of the most efficient boiler types—A and B rated condensing boilers. The White Paper illustrated how the installation of five million such boilers by 2010 could achieve savings of 0.6 million tonnes of carbon per year. This is not a specific target however, and nor is it the upper limit that could be practical as part of the next major revision of the building regulations which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister aim to bring into effect in 2005.
§ Sir Sydney ChapmanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what revisions to the building regulations are planned by his Department to achieve the energy efficiency savings by 2010, as outlined in the Energy White Paper. [124080]
§ Phil HopeThe Energy White Paper, published on 24 February 2003, announced that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would start work immediately on the next major revision of the building regulations with the aim of bringing it into effect in 2005. The revision work will, for instance, examine what improvements can be made to the performance standards for building fabric and heating, cooling and lighting systems, and what further work on existing buildings could be brought under control, whilst ensuring the regulations remain technically sound, proportionate, cost-effective and sufficiently flexible for designers.