Archived press release

Government Blocks Renewable Heat Bill

4 February 2005

The Government today blocked a new law aimed at cutting emissions of carbon dioxide - the main gas responsible for climate change. The Renewable Heat Bill had been introduced by Mike Weir MP to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by increasing the use of renewable fuels such as wood, straw, solar power and ground heat.

Friends of the Earth Climate Campaigner Katie Elliott said:

"We are bitterly disappointed that the Bill was not able to make further progress - the Government is way behind its targets for reducing carbon dioxide and needs to start implementing ideas like this, not opposing them if it is to live up to the rhetoric of so many ministerial and even Prime Ministerial speeches on climate change.

"The one hopeful sign is that despite the Bill being blockedtoday, the Minister responsible for this policy area, Mr Mike O'Brien MP, has now offered to meet Mr Weir to discuss the Bill further. We will take up the Government on this offer, and continue to make the case for this policy to be implemented."

The Bill was not debated in the House today as debates and votes on an earlier Bill used up all the available time. But the Bill could still have made progress to a Committeeit not been objected to it at 2.30pm.

Nearly 200 MPs have expressed support for the Renewable Heat Bill which would give Ministers powers to require a proportion of heating fuel sold in the UK to be sourced from renewable resources, meaning less fossil fuels, such as coal, would be used for heat. The Bill could have played a significant role in helping the UK to combat climate change.

The Bill would also have helped UK companies develop a home market for new green technologies, and open up new markets in fuel crops for hard pressed farmers. This week Margaret Beckett told the climate change conference in Exeter that "businesses can and must play an absolutely central role in delivering a low carbon economy. To do so industry and investors need the long-term signals to incentivise investment in new technology."

Full list of MPs supporting the Bill:

Candy Atherton MP Falmouth and Camborne
Roger Berry MP Kingswood
Colin Breed MP Cornwall South East
Annette Brooke MP Dorset Mid and Poole North
Brian Cotter MP Weston-Super-Mare
Valerie Davey MP Bristol West
David Drew MP Stroud
Don Foster MP Bath
Andrew George MP St. Ives
Nick Harvey MP Devon North
David Laws MP Yeovil
Diana Organ MP Forest of Dean
Adrian Sanders MP Torbay
Matthew Taylor MP Truro and St Austell
Paul Tyler MP Cornwall North
Robert Walter MP Dorset North
Richard Younger-Ross MP Teignbridge
David Atkinson MP Bournemouth East
Peter Ainsworth MP Surrey East
Norman Baker MP Lewes
Peter Bottomley MP Worthing West
David Chidgey MP Eastleigh
Sue Doughty MP Guildford
> Michael Fallon MP Sevenoaks
Sandra Gidley MP Romsey
Mike Hancock MP Portsmouth South
Andrew Hunter MP Basingstoke
Boris Johnson MP Henley
Andrew Mckay MP Bracknell
Robert Marshall-Andrews MP Medway
Michael Mates MP Hampshire East
Laura Moffat MP Crawley
Mark Oaten MP Winchester
David Rendel MP Newbury
Desmond Turner MP Brighton Kemptown
Derek Wyatt MP Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Robert Jackson MP Wantage
Evan Harris MP Oxford West and Abingdon
Brian White MP Milton Keynes North East
Anne Begg MP Aberdeen South
Malcolm Bruce MP Gordon
Alistair Carmichael MP Orkney and Shetland
Tom Clarke MP Coatbridge and Chryston
Frank Doran MP Aberdeen Central
George Foulkes MP Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
George Galloway MP Glasgow Kelvin
Michael Moore MP Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
Alan Reid MP Argyll and Bute
Robertson Angus MP Moray
Alex Salmond MP Banff and Buchan
Malcolm Savidge MP Aberdeen North
Robert Smith MP Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine
Gavin Strang MP Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
John Thurso MP Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Michael Weir MP Angus
Peter Wishart MP Tayside North
Menzies Campbell MP Fife North East
Gregory Campbell MP Londonderry East
Nigel Dodds MP Belfast North
Martin Smyth MP Belfast South
Kevin Barron MP Rother Valley
John Battle MP Leeds West
Harold Best MP Leeds North West
Collin Challen MP Morley and Rothwell
Michael Clapham MP Barnsley West and Penistone
Ann Cryer MP Keighley
Helen Jackson MP Sheffield Hillsborough
Christine McCafferty MP Calder Valley
Austin Mitchell MP Great Grimsby
Barry Sheerman MP Huddersfield <
Jon Trickett MP Hemsworth
Paul Thruswell MP Pudsey
Alice Mahon MP Halifax
Marsha Singh MP Bradford West
Fabian Hamilton MP Leeds North East
Richard Burden MP Birmingham Northfield
Janet Dean MP Burton
Paul Farrelly MP Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Mark Fisher MP Stoke-on Trent Central
Roger Godsiff MP Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath
Matthew Green MP Ludlow
Brian Jenkins MP Tamworth
Lynne Jones MP Selly Oak
Paul Keetch MP Hereford
David Kidney MP Stafford
Andy King MP Rugby and Kenilworth
Robert Marris MP Wolverhampton South West
Paul Marsden MP Shrewsbury and Atcham
Bill Olner MP Nuneaton
Richard Shepherd MP Aldridge-Brownhills
Clare Short MP Birmingham Ladywood
John Taylor MP Solihull
Richard Taylor MP Wyre Forest
Joan Walley MP Stoke-on-Trent North
Hew Edwards MP Monmouth
Hywel Francis MP Aberavon
Win Griffiths MP Bridgend
Martyn Jones MP Clwyd South
Elfyn Llwyd MP Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Lembit Opik MP Montgomeryshire
Adam Price MP Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Simon Thomas MP Ceredigion
Betty Williams MP Conwy;
Roger Williams MP Brecon and Radnorshire
Tony Clarke MP Northampton South
Quentin Davies MP Grantham and Stamford
Stephan Dorrell MP Charnwood
Edward Garnier MP Harborough
Paul Holmes MP Chesterfield
Alan Meale MP Mansfield
Andrew Reed MP Loughborough
Alan Simpson MP Nottingham South
Dennis Skinner MP Bolsover
David Taylor MP Leicestershire North West
Paddy Tipping MP Sherwood
Keith Vaz MP Leicester East
David Amess MP Southend West
Simon Burns MP Chelmsford West
Anne Campbell MP Cambridge
James Clappison MP Hertsmere
Helen Clark MP Peterborough
Barbara Follet MP Stevenage
Ian Gibson MP Norwich North
John Gummer MP Suffolk Coast
Patrick Hall MP Bedford
Alan Hurst MP Braintree
Norman Lamb MP Norfolk North
Chris Mole MP Ipswich
Marion Roe MP Broxbourne
Bob Russell MP Colchester
Jonathan Sayeed MP Bedfordshire Mid
Gillian Shephard MP Norfolk South West
Robert Spink MP Castle Point
Teddy Taylor MP Rochford and Southend East
Kelvin Hopkins MP Luton North
Diane Abbott MP Hackney North and Stoke Newington
John Austin MP Erith and Thamesmead
Tom Brake MP Carshalton and Wallington
Paul Burstow MP Sutton and Cheam
Sydney Chapman MP Chipping Barnet
Harry Cohen MP Leyton and Wanstead
Iain Coleman MP Hammersmith and Fulham
Tony Colman MP Putney
Tom Cox MP Tooting
Edward Davey MP Kingston and Surbiton
Andrew Dismore MP Hendon
Jim Dowd MP Lewisham West
John Horam MP Orpington
Simon Hughes MP Southwark North and Bermondsey
Glenda Jackson MP Hampstead and Highgate
John McDonnell MP Hayes and Harlington
John Randall MP Uxbridge
Joan Ruddock MP Lewisham Deptford
Brian Sedgemore MP Hackney South and Shoreditch
Chris Smith MP Islington South and FInsbury
Sarah Teather MP Brent East
Jenny Tonge MP Richmond Park
Rudi Vis MP Finchley and Golders Green
Linda Perham MP Ilford North
John Wilkinson MP Ruislip Northwood
Neil Gerrard MP Walthamstow
Piara Khabra MP Ealing South
Jeremy Corbyn MP Islington North
Stephen Pound MP Ealing North
Kate Hoey MP Vauxhall
Alan Beith MP Berwick-upon-Tweed <
Ronnie Campbell MP Blyth Valley
Jim Cousins MP Newcastle Upon Tyne Central
Bill Etherington MP Sunderland North
John McWilliam MP Blaydon
Frank Cook MP Stockton North
Keith Bradley MP Manchester Withington
Patsy Calton MP Cheadle
David Chaytor MP Bury North
Jim Dobbin MP Heywood and Middleton
Frank Field MP Birkenhead
Gerald Kaufman MP Manchester Gorton
Tony Lloyd MP Manchester Central
Peter Pike MP Burnley
Gordon Prentice MP Pendle
John Pugh MP Southport
Geraldine Smith MP Morecombe and Lunesdale
Andrew Stunell MP Hazel Grove
Ann Winterton MP Congleton
Nicholas Winterton MP Macclesfield
David Heath MP Somerton and Frome
Phil Willis MP Harrogate and Knaresborough
Ian Davidson MP Glasgow Pollock
Menzies Campbell MP North East Fife
Paul Stinchcombe MP Wellingborough
Paul Flynn MP Newport West
Michael Connarty MP Falkirk East
Greg Pope MP Hyndburn
Mark Lazarowicz MP Edinburgh North Leith
Julie Kirkbride MP Bromsgrove
Debra Shipley MP Stourbridge
Iain Luke MP Dundee East
Jeremy Corbyn MP Islington North

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