Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Ian C. Lucas

Main Page: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)

Oral Answers to Questions

Ian C. Lucas Excerpts
Thursday 17th September 2015

(8 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Andrea Leadsom Portrait Andrea Leadsom
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The Government are actively seeking EU state aid approval to ensure that we can treat remote island wind as a separate technology to onshore and offshore wind, as they operate in high wind areas with very challenging conditions. We are awaiting that approval, and, as the hon. Lady knows, we will be making announcements about CfD rounds later this year.

Ian C. Lucas Portrait Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)
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T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

Amber Rudd Portrait The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Amber Rudd)
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Since we last met, the Competition and Markets Authority has reported. We have concentrated, as always, on keeping our focus on consumer bills. We have engaged with it, and we will continue to ensure that we give it all the support we can to ensure that the focus stays on consumer bills.

Ian C. Lucas Portrait Ian C. Lucas
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This Government have form in chaotic solar consultations. They lost litigation in 2011-12. Will the Government please tell us how much they are paying in damages to solar companies as a result of their incompetence, and will they learn their lesson?

Amber Rudd Portrait Amber Rudd
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The Government have form in excelling at supporting solar and ensuring that the costs to the bill payer are kept down. I do recall that, in 2011, the reduction in the tariff was opposed by the Opposition, which is extraordinary and could have cost an additional £2.5 billion a year.