Shetland MSP calls for rethink on protected marine areas
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament's first debate on highly protected marine areas, Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart said:
2 May 2023
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Rennie responds to £46m cut to university and college funding
Responding to a letter sent by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth to university principals which states that, “due to new pressures in the education and skills government portfolio since the 2023-24 budget announcement the additional £46m uplift for colleg
2 May 2023
McArthur urges Transport Minister to address Pentland Firth ferry capacity
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur today praised the ‘calm professionalism’ of those involved in the rescue of passengers aboard MV Pentalina on Saturday evening and the ‘generosity’ of the local community who looked after them once ashore.
2 May 2023
Cole-Hamilton: Over 400,000 operations lost since Covid shows need for new NHS Recovery Plan
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called on the Health Secretary to devise a new NHS Recovery Plan because “continuity won’t cut it,” after new Liberal Democrat analysis revealed that 401,992 operati
2 May 2023
Bedford Borough local elections - Have Your Say
Local Election Day is Thursday 4 May, when elections will be held for the Mayor of Bedford Borough, Borough Councillors, and Parish and Town Councillors where areas have parish/town councils that are contested (ie. more candidates than seats on the Council).
2 May 2023
Alistair Carmichael - Westminster
Carmichael highlights need for community engagement in Marine Protected Areas debate
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, intervened in a parliamentary debate on Marine Protected Areas in England to highlight the importance of bringing coastal and island communities along with the development of changes to marine management.
2 May 2023
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!”
