On infrastructure of national scale, in order to keep people on side, is it not also vital that such projects are in the right place—unlike the Sunnica development near my constituency—so that those of us who care about the agenda can support it wholeheartedly and ensure that the Conservative values...

On infrastructure of national scale, in order to keep people on side, is it not also vital that such projects are in the right place—unlike the Sunnica development near my constituency—so that those of us who care about the agenda can support it wholeheartedly and ensure that the Conservative values...

I welcome this smart set of measures. We must retain fiscal discipline; otherwise the problem will get worse rather than better. On monetary policy, the Chancellor mentioned the independence of the Bank of England decision, which has just been announced, but there is some chatter about working in tandem with...

I welcome this smart set of measures. We must retain fiscal discipline; otherwise the problem will get worse rather than better. On monetary policy, the Chancellor mentioned the independence of the Bank of England decision, which has just been announced, but there is some chatter about working in tandem with...

Clauses 28 to 37 agreed to, with clauses 30, 32, 33, and 35 agreed to as amended. Clause 28 discussed with new clause 14 (Digital broadcasting and protection of listed sporting events) and new clause 17 (PSB prominence). Amendment 101 to clause 33 negatived on division (7 votes to 9). Clause 38 under consideration. Written evidence reported to the House.

Clauses 28 to 37 agreed to, with clauses 30, 32, 33, and 35 agreed to as amended. Clause 28 discussed with new clause 14 (Digital broadcasting and protection of listed sporting events) and new clause 17 (PSB prominence). Amendment 101 to clause 33 negatived on division (7 votes to 9)....

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average industrial electricity price is in the (a) UK and (b) US.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average industrial electricity price is in the (a) UK and (b) US.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 14 January 2015, Official Report, column 931, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the number of independent suppliers has trebled to 19...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 14 January 2015, Official Report, column 931, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the number of independent suppliers has trebled to 19...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 14 January 2015, Official Report, column 931, on energy prices, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the market share of independent suppliers...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 14 January 2015, Official Report, column 931, on energy prices, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the market share of independent suppliers...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department has taken with Ofgem to achieve a Price Average Reference (PAR) of 1MWh in future Capacity Market auctions; and when he expects that PAR to be implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department has taken with Ofgem to achieve a Price Average Reference (PAR) of 1MWh in future Capacity Market auctions; and when he expects that PAR to be implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the Price Average Reference to 1MWh by 2018 on the cost of running future Capacity Market auctions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the Price Average Reference to 1MWh by 2018 on the cost of running future Capacity Market auctions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on consumers' electricity bills of reducing the Price Average Reference to 1MWh by 2018.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on consumers' electricity bills of reducing the Price Average Reference to 1MWh by 2018.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the average cost to domestic consumers per kWh of electricity in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) each English region in each year since 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the average cost to domestic consumers per kWh of electricity in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) each English region in each year since 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many electricity customers switched to an independent supplier in each month of 2014.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many electricity customers switched to an independent supplier in each month of 2014.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of regional differences in the cost of electricity to domestic consumers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of regional differences in the cost of electricity to domestic consumers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he plans to publish an update to the sub-national total final electricity consumption statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he plans to publish an update to the sub-national total final electricity consumption statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of elecricity meters and (b) the mean annual electricity consumption per meter in each local authority for each year since 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of elecricity meters and (b) the mean annual electricity consumption per meter in each local authority for each year since 2010.

We have doubled the amount of renewable energy from 6.8% of electricity in 2010 to more than 14% of electricity generation.

We have doubled the amount of renewable energy from 6.8% of electricity in 2010 to more than 14% of electricity generation.

A high proportion of electricity is from onshore wind, but there is also solar—one million people now live in households with solar panels on their roofs—and offshore wind, which plays an important role. We will continue to have a strong energy mix, with a strong performance from renewables, to ensure that we deliver on our pledge, which we are committed to and are fulfilling, to be the greenest Government ever.

A high proportion of electricity is from onshore wind, but there is also solar—one million people now live in households with solar panels on their roofs—and offshore wind, which plays an important role. We will continue to have a strong energy mix, with a strong performance from renewables, to ensure that we deliver on our pledge, which we are committed to and are fulfilling, to be the greenest Government ever.

The hon. Gentleman is normally quite sensible, and I normally agree with him, but subversive elements are certainly not part of the current Government, as we can tell from our record. The proportion of electricity generated from renewables has doubled under this Government. We are committed to ensuring that renewables play a big part of the mix in the most cost-effective way that they can.

The hon. Gentleman is normally quite sensible, and I normally agree with him, but subversive elements are certainly not part of the current Government, as we can tell from our record. The proportion of electricity generated from renewables has doubled under this Government. We are committed to ensuring that renewables play a big part of the mix in the most cost-effective way that they can.

I know my hon. Friend has a concern about solar panels being put in inappropriate places. There are appropriate places for solar to go, especially on roofs and in brownfield sites. That is, of course, a matter for a strong planning system, in which those local decisions are rightly made, but that does not take away from the fact that we have so much more renewable energy than we did just five short years ago.

I know my hon. Friend has a concern about solar panels being put in inappropriate places. There are appropriate places for solar to go, especially on roofs and in brownfield sites. That is, of course, a matter for a strong planning system, in which those local decisions are rightly made, but that does not take away from the fact that we have so much more renewable energy than we did just five short years ago.

I admire the hon. Gentleman’s ability to get a question on coal into one on the Order Paper about renewables. I come from coal mining stock, and I have delivered support to the three remaining deep pits so far to make sure they stay open on a commercial basis, and to ensure, as far as possible within the constraints of affordability and value for money, the continuation of this mining. There is nobody who has done more than me in the past six months to make this happen. I will continue to work with all parties, including the National Union of Mineworkers, to get there.

I admire the hon. Gentleman’s ability to get a question on coal into one on the Order Paper about renewables. I come from coal mining stock, and I have delivered support to the three remaining deep pits so far to make sure they stay open on a commercial basis, and to ensure, as far as possible within the constraints of affordability and value for money, the continuation of this mining. There is nobody who has done more than me in the past six months to make this happen. I will continue to work with all parties, including the National Union of Mineworkers, to get there.

If I may say so, that was a rather better question than the previous one. This is an important issue. We are working with our colleagues in Northern Ireland at an official level and throughout the Government to deliver on the commitments made, and it is important that we continue to do so.

If I may say so, that was a rather better question than the previous one. This is an important issue. We are working with our colleagues in Northern Ireland at an official level and throughout the Government to deliver on the commitments made, and it is important that we continue to do so.