Orkney's MSP, Liam McArthur, has today (Wednesday) raised concerns in parliament on behalf of the farming community in Orkney about the fall in suckler cow number in the islands.
Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has urged the new Business Secretary to introduce a price cap on heating oil to protect off-grid homes from spiralling prices this winter.
Following investigation by the Councils Environment Crime Team another culprit has been identified this week and have been issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) £400 for illegally dumping rubbish on the street. This is just one of 17 Fixed Penalty Notices issued this month to people caught fly-tipping.
This is a sad day for all of us. Throughout my life we have simply known her as 'The Queen' and mention of her has immediately brought forward a sense of pride, of stability, respect and gratitude."
Local Lib Dems demand Government offer mortgage grants to families who risk losing their homes New analysis by the Liberal Democrats has shown that people buying houses in Esher and Walton this month will face £713 more in monthly mortgage repayments than in early September.
The Tories are pressing ahead with a law that will require all voters to show photographic identification to cast a vote, beginning with local elections in England next May. The scheme will cost a potential £180 million.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
