Responding to the latest ONS insolvency statistics, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Sarah Olney MP said:
The UK has been given its worst ever score in the corruption index produced by Transparency International. It scored 73 out of 100 placing it 18th in the list, its lowest score since records began in 1995. According to an article in the Daily Mail this can be attributed to the number of scandals from public spending to lobbying. These together with revelations of ministerial misconduct have highlighted woeful inadequacies in the country's political integrity systems.
On the floor of the House of Commons yesterday, South Lakes MP Tim Farron made the case for tackling the crisis in dentistry during the debate on the Government's plans to improve the NHS.
Shetland’s MP Alistair Carmichael and MSP Beatrice Wishart, met yesterday (Monday 30th January) with OVO representatives to discuss meter issues facing islanders.
The Health Secretary has agreed to meet with Shropshire’s MPs to address the county’s emergency care crisis after being challenged by Helen Morgan in Parliament.
Bedford Borough Council is giving away 5,000 trees to local residents, businesses, schools and community groups to collect and plant locally. This giveaway will be held on Wednesday 15 February and Saturday 18 February, from 10am to 3pm at Oasis Beach Pool car park.
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!”
