Archived press release

Home Energy Conservation Bill Returns to House of Commons

19 January 1995

A test of the Government's environmental policies and an opportunity to end the choice between eating and heating.

The Government's commitment to international carbon stabilisation targets will be on the line on Friday 20th January. On this day the Energy Conservation Bill, slightly amended and renamed the Home Energy Conservation Bill, returns to the House of Commons. Despite Government attempts to kill the Bill, with 216 amendments in the last Session of Parliament, environmental and fuel poverty campaigners (1) have brought it back, this time sponsored by Diana Maddock MP and an all-party group of MPs (2).

The Bill will require local authorities to assess how to achieve energy savings of 30 per cent in residential accommodation in their area, a step which would have enormous social and environmental benefits. Councils are also required to include a policy for giving priority to premises occupied by people suffering from financial hardship, thus giving them a better chance to live in warm homes. The Secretary of State is required to set a national timetable for implementation.

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director, Charles Secrett, said;

"At this year's Berlin Conference the Government has to report on specific actions taken to meet targets set at the Earth Summit. This Bill is a litmus test of their sincerity - energy conservation is the easiest, cheapest and most popular way to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. The Government has absolutely no excuse for not supporting this Bill."

Help the Aged Public Affairs Director, Mervyn Kohler, added;

"This is another excellent opportunity for the Government to send the strongest signal that it is determined to end the choice between eating and heating that so many elderly and other people still face. We call upon the Government to back this Bill on 20th January."

Director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE), Andrew Warren, concluded with a direct appeal to Energy Conservation Minister, Robert Jones MP, by pointing out that;

"In the last Session of Parliament Robert Jones was actually a sponsor of the Energy Conservation Bill. I call upon him now to support this Bill on 20th January."

ENDS

CONTACTS:

0622 739946 (H) RON BAILEY, ACE 071 935 1495 (W)

081 698 3682 (H) MERVYN KOHLER, Help the Aged 071 253 0253 (W)

071 354 0273 (H)

NOTES TO EDITORS: (1) Organisations supporting the Bill include: Friends of the Earth, ACE, Help the Aged, Age Concern, Greenpeace, National Right to Fuel Campaign, Council for the Protection of Rural England, UNISON, WWF-UK, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, MENCAP, SCOPE, RADAR, The Construction Industry Council, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers, and many more.

(2) The full list of sponsoring MPs is Diana Maddock andDavid Rendell (Liberal Democrats); Tim Yeo, Gary Waller, Peter Bottomley, Peter Temple-Morris and Sir Richard Body (Conservative); Cynog Dafis (Plaid Cymru/Green); Alan Simpson, Malcolm Wicks and John McAllion (Labour); and Cecil Walker (Ulster Unionist).

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust