Gas Act 1986 (c. 44) 1The Gas Act 1986 (c.44) is amended as provided in paragraphs 2 and 3. 2(1)Section 33BC (promotion of the efficient use by consumers of gas) is amended as follows. (2)For the sidenote substitute “Promotion of reductions in carbon emissions: gas transporters and gas suppliers”. (3)In subsection (3), for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”. (4)In subsection (5)— (a)for “energy efficiency obligations”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”, (b)in paragraph (b), for “an energy efficiency target” substitute “a carbon emissions reduction target”,

1The Gas Act 1986 (c.44) is amended as provided in paragraphs 2 and 3.

2(1)Section 33BC (promotion of the efficient use by consumers of gas) is amended as follows.

(2)For the sidenote substitute “Promotion of reductions in carbon emissions: gas transporters and gas suppliers”.

(3)In subsection (3), for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”.

(4)In subsection (5)—

(a)for “energy efficiency obligations”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”,

(c)in paragraph (c), after “efficiency” insert “, increases in the amount of electricity generated, or heat produced, by microgeneration or otherwise using low-emissions sources or technologies or reductions in energy consumption”,

(d)in paragraphs (d) and (f), for “energy efficiency obligations” substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”, and

(e)in paragraph (e)—

(i)in sub-paragraph (i), for “energy efficiency target” substitute “carbon emissions reduction target”, and

(ii)in sub-paragraph (ii), after “efficiency” insert “, increase in the amount of electricity generated, or heat produced, by microgeneration or otherwise using low-emissions sources or technologies or reduction in energy consumption”.

(5)In subsection (6), for “energy efficiency obligation” substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligation”.

(6)In subsection (7), for “energy efficiency target” in each of paragraphs (a), (b), (d) and (e) substitute “carbon emissions reduction target”.

3In section 33DA(1)(a)(ii) (publication of statistical information relating to performance in respect of energy efficiency obligations), for “energy efficiency obligations” substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”.

Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29) 4The Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29) is amended as provided in paragraphs 5 and 6. 5(1)Section 41A (promotion of the efficient use by consumers of electricity) is amended as follows. (2)For the sidenote substitute “Promotion of reductions in carbon emissions: electricity distributors and electricity suppliers”. (3)In subsection (3), for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”. (4)In subsection (5)— (a)for “energy efficiency obligations”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”, (b)in paragraph (b), for “an energy efficiency target” substitute “a carbon emissions reduction target”,

4The Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29) is amended as provided in paragraphs 5 and 6.

5(1)Section 41A (promotion of the efficient use by consumers of electricity) is amended as follows.

(2)For the sidenote substitute “Promotion of reductions in carbon emissions: electricity distributors and electricity suppliers”.

(3)In subsection (3), for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”.

(4)In subsection (5)—

(a)for “energy efficiency obligations”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”,

(c)in paragraph (c), after “efficiency” insert “, increases in the amount of electricity generated, or heat produced, by microgeneration or otherwise using low-emissions sources or technologies or reductions in energy consumption”,

(d)in paragraphs (d) and (f), for “energy efficiency obligations” substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”, and

(e)in paragraph (e)—

(i)in sub-paragraph (i), for “energy efficiency target” substitute “carbon emissions reduction target”, and

(ii)in sub-paragraph (ii), after “efficiency” insert “, increase in the amount of electricity generated, or heat produced, by microgeneration or otherwise using low-emissions sources or technologies or reduction in energy consumption”.

(5)In subsection (6), for “energy efficiency obligation” substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligation”.

(6)In subsection (7), for “energy efficiency target” in each of paragraphs (a), (b), (d) and (e) substitute “carbon emissions reduction target”.

6In section 42AA(1)(a)(ii) (publication of statistical information relating to performance in respect of energy efficiency obligations), for “energy efficiency obligations” substitute “carbon emissions reduction obligations”.

Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27) 7(1)Section 103 of the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27) (overall energy efficiency targets) is amended as follows. (2)In the sidenote, for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”. (3)In subsection (1)— (a)in each of paragraphs (a) and (b), for “energy efficiency requirements for” substitute “promotion of reductions in carbon emissions:”, and (b)for “improvements in energy efficiency” substitute “the measures mentioned in subsection (2) of each of those sections”.

7(1)Section 103 of the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27) (overall energy efficiency targets) is amended as follows.

(2)In the sidenote, for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”.

(3)In subsection (1)—

(a)in each of paragraphs (a) and (b), for “energy efficiency requirements for” substitute “promotion of reductions in carbon emissions:”, and

(4)In subsection (3), for “energy efficiency targets” substitute “carbon emissions reduction targets”.’. —[Malcolm Wicks.]

Brought up, and read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.

Amendments made: No. 14, in line 3, leave out

‘introduction of a renewable heat obligation’

and insert

‘use of heat produced from renewable sources’.

No. 15, in line 3, after ‘obligation’ insert

‘and the adjustment of transmission charges for electricity’.

No. 37, in line 3, after ‘obligation’ insert

‘, the renewables obligation relating to the generation and supply of electricity’.—[Malcolm Wicks.]

Question proposed, That the Chairman do report the Bill, as amended, to the House.

I thank you, Mr. Benton, for the clear stewardship that you have offered to this Committee. Our proceedings have been largely convivial. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith and colleagues on putting together a useful Bill. We have had some constructive debates which will, of course, continue later on Report. Thank you for your hard but successful work, Mr. Benton, in drawing the Committee to a conclusion.

May I also thank you, Mr. Benton? I am particularly grateful for your kind stewardship, as this has been the first time that I have spoken for the Opposition from the Front Bench in Committee. I have sat mute as a Whip on the Back Benches, but it is quite another thing to navigate one’s way through reams of paper and complexity. Therefore, I am grateful to you.

May I also say how grateful I am to the Clerk for his help and advice in tabling my amendments? They were greatly appreciated. We in Parliament are lucky in the expertise and professionalism on which we are able to draw.

I am also extremely grateful to all the NGOs that advised me. I have been incredibly well served, and I could not have begun to do what I have done without them. They have been excellent, and I cannot thank them enough.

I also congratulate the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith. The Bill has not been quite what we hoped for. Nevertheless, there is a clear direction of travel, and it is a very great thing for a Back Bencher to get this far in legislative scrutiny. We shall still have some issues with the Government on Report, when we shall want to see the Bill tightened up further—I hope consensually, if possible. Nevertheless, we have made progress, if not quite as much as we had hoped for—but it is progress.

I congratulate and thank all Members from all parties in the Committee. There are Members present who have track records that are far longer and knowledge of this subject that is far greater than mine.   They have brought their wisdom and expertise to bear in the debates, and they have been extremely generous in their observations about my contributions.

Finally, I thank the police, and all those who have helped us in Committee, sitting silently. It is much appreciated, and we look forward to Report.

Thank you for your chairmanship, Mr. Benton. On behalf of my colleagues in the House, I am delighted that we have a Bill to consider on Report. It has its weaknesses but it certainly has its strengths, and I congratulate the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith on bringing us to this stage. The Minister and the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle must take a small measure of credit, but much must go to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith, and I congratulate him on his work.

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove for those comments, and I am grateful for the comments made by the Minister and by the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle. Mr. Benton, I thank you for the way in which you have chaired the Committee. I appreciate it, because as a Back Bencher promoting a private Member’s Bill, one is somewhat isolated, although I have had much support from various people in Committee and outside. There have been times when your chairmanship has rescued me from one or two difficult moments, and I appreciate that.

Without wishing to go through a long list of thanks resembling an Oscars ceremony, I endorse the comments from all those who have spoken about the contributions made by all parties. I am also grateful for the support of the Officers of the House, the DTI and the various NGOs that have been involved in the exercise.

We have completed the Committee stage, but we are only so far along the road. I hope that Members will support the Bill during its remaining stages, as I am sure they will, and that they will do what they can so that all their colleagues give it their full support to ensure that it succeeds in its passage to the other place, where I hope that, with cross-party support, it will become legislation later this year.

I thank the Minister, Opposition spokesmen and all members of the Committee for the courtesy that they have extended to the Chair throughout our proceedings. I am very grateful. I ought to thank the learned Clerk. As you probably all discerned, I would have been flummoxed all the more without his presence. I thank also the Official Report and everybody connected with the Committee.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.

Committee rose at twenty-one minutes to Seven o’clock.