Wind Farms — 25 Oct 2004 at 21:50

The No-voters changed the motion for debate from:

This House recognises that climate change is a major challenge for the twenty-first century and that renewable energy can help to cut carbon dioxide emissions; regrets the fact that renewable energy supplies only 2.7 per cent. of Britain's energy needs; deplores the Government's policy of relying exclusively on onshore wind farms to meet its renewable energy targets; condemns changes to the planning system which may lead to the construction of wind farms in inappropriate places against the wishes of local communities; and urges the Government to develop a wider mix of renewable energy technologies including hydro, off-shore wind, wave, tidal, solar, and bio-fuels and bio mass, combined heat and power, microgeneration, and energy efficiency.

to:

This House recognises the passing of the Energy Act 2004 and the positive actions taken by the Government to increase the amount of energy supplied from renewable sources; welcomes the global leadership shown by the Government on climate change and commends actions taken to meet the UK's Kyoto targets; condemns the Official Opposition for opposing the development of renewables while claiming to support them in principle; notes the abject failure of the Official Opposition to provide coherent policy proposals to meet the climate change challenge and its continued opposition to the Climate Change Levy; praises the Government for providing significant resources and support to the development of wind energy, including £117 million for the development of offshore wind energy; further notes that a growing proportion of wind farm developments will occur offshore; supports steps taken by the Government to promote energy efficiency and notes with approval that the planning regime allows for wind farm proposals to be thoroughly considered in terms of their impacts on local communities and environments and their contributions to national energy needs and policies; commends the Government's commitment to diversifying the sources of the UK's energy supply and the related investment in a wide range of renewable technologies including energy crops, £60 million investment for biomass, £31 million towards photovoltaics and £50 million for wave and tidal; and further condemns the Official Opposition's energy policy that would drastically reduce the UK's investment in renewable technologies.

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |