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1645 Oral Answers<br />
6 JUNE 2013<br />
Oral Answers<br />
1646<br />
came to office t<strong>here</strong> were 14 major participants in the<br />
energy sector; when they left office, the number had<br />
shrunk to six. We believe our radical energy market<br />
reforms that are going through the House are the way to<br />
bring in real competition.<br />
Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con):<br />
Does the Minister agree that making bills simpler and<br />
easier to understand is a big step towards empowering<br />
consumers to allow them to make the best choices and<br />
get the best deals?<br />
Gregory Barker: Absolutely. My hon. Friend is, as<br />
ever, spot on. We have been working very closely with<br />
Ofgem to ensure that consumers are not baffled by the<br />
information on their bills and that they can make<br />
informed choices. Our market reforms will make it even<br />
easier for them to get the best deal.<br />
12. [158087] Mr Iain McKenzie (Inverclyde) (Lab): This<br />
House was told that the green deal would be the biggest<br />
home improvement scheme since the second world war,<br />
creating thousands of jobs and hundreds of new<br />
businesses. If that were true, why does Enact Energy,<br />
which has been in the insulation business for 20 years,<br />
cite late payments from the green deal as having put it<br />
into administration, resulting in the laying off of all its<br />
staff?<br />
Gregory Barker: Obviously, we are very sorry when<br />
any business goes into administration, but I think the<br />
hon. Gentleman is being a little hasty. It is very early<br />
days for the green deal and for one business that, sadly,<br />
has gone into receivership t<strong>here</strong> are dozens, if not<br />
hundreds, of new small and medium-sized enterprises<br />
that are starting up to come into the new competitive<br />
marketplace that we are creating.<br />
John Pugh (Southport) (LD): What steps are being<br />
taken to stop profiteering by the National Grid, which<br />
can charge a fortune to move or change a domestic<br />
meter?<br />
Gregory Barker: If my hon. Friend has real evidence<br />
of profiteering, we would love to see it. If he shares it<br />
with us, we will take steps to crack down on it.<br />
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Does<br />
the Minister agree that smart metering gives the<br />
consumer—the householder—real information on how<br />
much energy they are using? How quickly can we get<br />
smart metering into every home in Britain, hopefully<br />
along with a carbon monoxide detector that will save<br />
people’s lives?<br />
Gregory Barker: First, on carbon monoxide detectors,<br />
the hon. Gentleman is the champion in this House of<br />
that very important technology and I thank him for his<br />
engagement with my Department. We are working closely<br />
to ensure that the green deal will push through the<br />
roll-out of carbon monoxide detectors.<br />
On smart meters, we now have what we believe to be<br />
the most ambitious programme in Europe, beginning in<br />
earnest in 2014 and completing by 2019. It is very<br />
exciting and very radical.<br />
Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab): On 12 occasions<br />
the Prime Minister has promised to force the energy<br />
companies by law to put everyone on to the cheapest<br />
tariff, but clause 121 of the Energy Bill clearly states<br />
that the power to require an energy company to change<br />
a customer’s tariff applies only to people on closed<br />
tariffs. T<strong>here</strong> are 25.5 million households in Britain.<br />
How many are on closed tariffs?<br />
Gregory Barker: I cannot give the right hon. Lady the<br />
exact figure off the top of my head, so I will write to her<br />
on that. The Labour party is in complete denial. The<br />
Prime Minister pledged radical action to put everyone<br />
on to the cheapest tariffs for them. We have come<br />
forward with a solution and we have put it into law; the<br />
Opposition had 13 years to do that and did nothing for<br />
consumers. We are taking radical action to cut through<br />
the swathe of tariffs that they left consumers when they<br />
left office.<br />
Caroline Flint: I have tabled written questions, I have<br />
asked Ofgem and now I have asked the Minister, and<br />
nobody can tell me how many people will find themselves<br />
on a better deal, let alone save money.<br />
Let us look at another promise. On Tuesday, the<br />
Secretary of State told the House that the Energy Bill<br />
would give Ofgem the power to force energy companies<br />
to compensate consumers, something I called for in<br />
October 2011. Ofgem is undertaking 15 formal<br />
investigations with another 12 cases at informal review<br />
stage. Will the Minister confirm that even after the<br />
Energy Bill has received Royal Assent and even if t<strong>here</strong><br />
is evidence of wrongdoing in any of those cases, Ofgem<br />
will have no powers to force the companies to pay a<br />
single penny in compensation to their customers?<br />
Gregory Barker: It is a big pity that the right hon.<br />
Lady first started taking an interest in these matters in<br />
2011 and not during the 13 years for which Labour was<br />
in government when it did nothing to address those<br />
issues for the consumer. I am happy to say that our<br />
Energy Bill takes those issues into account and Ofgem<br />
will be able to take them into account as the investigations<br />
go through. This Government are putting the consumer<br />
first after 13 years of inaction from Labour.<br />
Mr Speaker: Mr Edward Leigh, not <strong>here</strong>.<br />
Decarbonisation Target<br />
4. Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab):<br />
What his assessment is of the potential effect on the UK<br />
wind industry of not setting a target to decarbonise the<br />
power sector by 2030. [158077]<br />
7. Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab): What<br />
representations he has received on setting a target to<br />
decarbonise the power sector by 2030. [158081]<br />
13. Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View) (Lab):<br />
What representations he has received on setting a target<br />
to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. [158089]<br />
15. Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab):<br />
What representations he has received on setting a target<br />
to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. [158091]