Two key parliamentary bodies have written the government to raise concerns over his suggestion that there is not consensus on Net Zero and urge him not to slow measures that will minimise costs to consumers.
The Select Committee on Energy Security and Net Zero wrote to Secretary of State Claire Coutinho MP seek “immediate comment and clarity” on several comments, and the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) wrote directly to the Prime Minister.
The Select Committee said it failed to understand “how the announced delays will actually make anything cheaper for the average person. It would seem that costs are simply being delayed, possibly to a time when those costs will be higher”. The EAC raised concern about the “presentation of the debate over net zero measures as a binary choice between those who oppose net zero policies on the grounds of excessive costs, excessive burdens or rejection of the evidence of climate change, and those who demand change at a pace which is impractical or unaffordable” said, “green policies are a key part of sustainable growth” and expressed concern about the recent dissolution of the Energy Efficiency Taskforce.
Both groups questioned the timing of the speech, the day after the House of Commons rose for the conference recess. The EAC said, “Last week’s raft of policy announcements could have provided a great opportunity for the government to have these policy changes debated by Parliament before the recess,” adding “ good scrutiny makes for good government”, and the Select Committee said that if the Prime Minister had “given his statement to the House, only 24 hours earlier, then he would have achieved his aim of bringing this kind of debate to Parliament”.
Select Committee letter)
EAC letter