Norwich Lib Dems will be at #NorwichPride2019 🏳️🌈
Come and join the Lib Dems at Norwich Pride on the 27th of July!
JH
3 Jul 2019
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
CLEAN AIR BILL - LIB DEMS SECURE A VICTORY
CLEAN AIR BILL Liberal Democrats secured a victory with the Government confirming they are looking at implementing Lib Dem MP, Wera Hobhouse's bill, which would strengthen local authority powers on idling The Environment Minister, and Suffolk Coastal MP, Thérèse Coffey, was asked if the Government would consider implementing the Vehicle Emissions (Idling Penalties) Bill that was presented to the Parliament last week.
3 Jul 2019
MP welcomes news that vital school service in Cumbria is saved
South Lakes MP Tim Farron has today welcomed the news that a service in Cumbria which alerts schools if an incident of domestic violence has taken place at the home of one of their pupils has been saved.
3 Jul 2019
MP to lead Parliamentary debate on Cumbria dental crisis
This Wednesday, South Lakes MP Tim Farron will hold a debate in Parliament to urge the Government to address the dental crisis in Cumbria.
3 Jul 2019
Music in the Meadows in Back for Summer
Free bandstand concerts are coming back to Mill Meadows on the Embankment this summer.
3 Jul 2019
Old Heroes for a New Leader: Lib Dem leadership candidates’ historical heroes
As we have in each of the Liberal Democrat leadership elections other than the first one (which took place in 1988, before the History Group had been formed), in June the Liberal Democrat History Group asked the two candidates for the Liberal Democrat leadership to write a short article on their favourite historical figure or figures - those that they felt had influenced their own political beliefs most, and why they had proved important and relevant. We placed no restrictions on their choices: they could choose anyone they wanted, whether a Liberal or not.
DB
2 Jul 2019
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!”
