MP and Minister praise Local Council's energy strategy

During oral questions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Braintree MP Brooks Newmark called for a statement from the Minister on household energy efficiency During oral questions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Braintree MP Brooks Newmark called for a statement from the Minister on household energy efficiency before going on to say:

"Councillor Roger Walters on Braintree District Council has recently introduced an innovative Council Tax rebate scheme which rewards home-owners who choose to improve their own household energy efficiency by installing cavity wall insulation.

How can the minister justify lowering the standards of energy efficiency regulation promised since the 2003 Energy White Paper, when on matters of promoting energy efficiency, Local Government is already paving the way?"

Elliot Morley, the Minster of State for Climate Change and Environment, replied by congratulating Braintree District Council for the valuable contribution made by its scheme to the encouragement of energy efficiency.

Mr. Newmark has also signed Early Day Motion 214 which calls for householders who install energy efficiency measures in their home to be given a stamp duty rebate. A lower rate of stamp duty for house buyers who install energy saving measures is seen as being an important way of achieving the installation of more energy efficiency products, particularly cavity wall and solid wall insulation.

Mr. Newmark, a member of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, said:

"I am delighted that Braintree District Council has already been working with British Gas for some time to offer a Council Tax rebate scheme to local residents who install cavity wall insulation. The scheme continues to be successful and I hope that it will prompt the Government to take more action.

"The need for urgent action to cut our carbon emissions is greater than ever. We need to do much more to improve the energy efficiency of our homes if we are to meet even the current modest targets of a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010. I fully support a Stamp Duty rebate for householders improving the energy efficiency of their homes. The sooner the Government introduces such a measure, the better.