John Redwood (Wok, Con):
I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. Did he notice that the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) would not give way? She was arguing—the typical position of her party—that it knew all the answers before the consultation, yet it still wanted a very long, drawn-out consultation to avoid doing the answers.
Andrew Bowie, (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Nuclear and Networks):
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I also noticed that—
Andrew Bowie
We cannot respond to a consultation that has not been launched yet. We are in the process right now of working with the community energy contact group. In fact, it has already met. Work is under way right now to develop the consultation, identify what the barriers to market are, and get out there and support the community energy sector, as the Government are determined to do.
Comment
Lib Dem’s specialise in expensive consultations which they then ignore if they do not agree with the public views sent in. Hobhouse said they knew the answers so why propose a consultation? Why would we trust them to accept the replies when they have made up their minds?
October 21, 2023
Who needs a consultation to realise that the under capacity of the grid is a result of increasing overpopulation?
October 23, 2023
The grid handled 400TWh in a year at its peak. Since then, deindustrialisation and reduced consumer demand for reasons of demand destruction through high prices and greater efficiency of some appliances and lighting has seen delivery reduced below 300TWh. However, we have closed many power stations close to centres of demand, replacing them by distant wind farms that don’t always generate, so alternatively the grid needs to redistribute power imported on interconnectors. The result is we need much more grid, despite the lower demand – and that will multiply as we move towards net zero. National Grid already have plans to spend over ÂŁ200bn by 2035.
October 21, 2023
“[the Minister replied] We cannot respond to a consultation that has not been launched yet. We are in the process right now of working with the community energy contact group.”
More Whitehall doublespeak.
Q: When is consultation not a Consultation?
A: Before the Consultation has been officially launched, having first been per-judged during a period when there were unofficial consultations (to identify) what Ministers are to be told has been found by the the Consultation!
“Why would we trust [the LibDem’s] to accept the replies when they have made up their minds?”
Your own Party is just as bad Sir John, the real problem being Civil Service methodology, what Lifelogic might call “Group-think”, why have a Civil Service if decisions are made by Minister, or heavens-forbid mere plebs.
October 21, 2023
Nothing unusual in this. ‘Consultations’ are an expensive sham, same as most ‘inquiries’ are an expensive whitewash. These things always take far too long and people usually forget what it is all about by the time those in authority do what they wanted anyway. Just more lucrative employment for those in the know.
October 21, 2023
Yes, we have that problem with the LibDem administration here in Wokingham.
October 21, 2023
The approach advocated by the Lib Dems illustrates how well-versed they are in the ways of the Evil Empire. It is no wonder they would have the U.K. rejoin.
October 22, 2023
”China Restricts Exports of Graphite, Key Mineral Used for Making EV Batteries”
https://www.investopedia.com/china-restricts-exports-of-graphite-a-key-mineral-used-for-making-ev-batteries-8364318
Energy security my arrrrse
October 23, 2023
The comments by the incoming Chair of OFGEM about poor morale, poor levels of technical knowledge, high staff turnover, low morale and loss of Institutional memory are rather alarming, especially since Parliament has rashly decided to make OFGEM the agent for attempting to deliver net zero. Zero is about what they will deliver.
The recent appointment of a number of non execs to the OFGEM board supposedly to bolster consumer protection fails to inspire much confidence, since Parliament has effectively removed the last vestiges of OFGEM obligation to consumers in favour of prime duty to net zero. Preventing some excesses in billing and metering practices is no defence against the ever increasing costs and bad decisions in pursuit of net zero at the operating level. It takes a proper understanding to realise how these threaten bills, and to fight against them.
OFGEM should be broken up, with a proper consumer interest body established, and a technical element ensuring that the industry doesn’t take advantage of the ignorant. The consumer body should be tasked with advising government of the flaws in its energy policy.