Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Katie White and Florence Eshalomi

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green) (Lab/Co-op)]

13. What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Climate Change Committee’s 2025 report entitled “Progress in reducing emissions”.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Katie White)]

I thank my hon. Friend for repeatedly raising these issues in the House—I know that climate change is of huge concern to her and her constituents. I am proud that Britain has led the way with our independent Committee on Climate Change, established under the Climate Change Act 2008, which has worked effectively for nearly two decades, under leadership from Labour and the Conservatives—I sincerely hope that we can re-establish that consensus. We are grateful to the Committee for its scientific recommendations to the Department. Obviously, it is for the Department now to consider them, and we will report back on our decisions at the end of the month.

[Florence Eshalomi]

I welcome the Minister to her place—it is good to see her among the line of men on the Treasury Bench. I have just finished chairing a meeting of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. One issue that we discussed was decent home standards. Emissions from homes is another key area that we need to bear down on, given the Government’s priority of improving minimum energy performance certificate standards by 2030. I appreciate that the Minister has been in post for only a few weeks, but what discussions has she had with colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that the private rented sector database will contain information on EPC ratings, so that all our residents can live in warm, secure and safe homes?

[Katie White]

Homes and home standards are absolutely key to decarbonisation for a variety of reasons, including the health benefits for residents. We will consult on the warm homes plan, and the Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, my hon. Friend the Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey), spoke about the warm home discount earlier. We are working with MHCLG on bringing forward the future home standard.