GGF Briefs MPs on Green Deal
26th June 2012
 |
The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) attended the Dods Green Deal Dialogue roundtable discussion at the House of Commons last week to brief Members of Parliament on GGF Members’ concerns on the Green Deal.
Being prepared as the Government’s flagship initiative, Green Deal is designed to encourage the take up of energy efficiency measures by UK homes and businesses. Funded by private finance from the likes of supermarkets, home improvement stores and the Green Deal Finance Company, consumers will be advanced loans to pay for improvements such as cavity wall insulation, replacement windows or new boilers.
In the run-up to its implementation there is growing scepticism as to who it will benefit, with fear among SMEs that they will be priced out of the market by financiers and big companies. This issue was central to the debate at the parliamentary roundtable discussion amongst MPs, and members of the Dods’ Green Deal Dialogue.
The event was attended by;
Jess McCabe, Sustainable Housing (chair)
Simon Wright MP, Secretary & Acting Treasurer, All-Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group (room sponsor)
Steve Brine MP
Oliver Colvile MP
Jim Dobbin MP
Julie Elliott MP
John Leech MP
Mark Spencer MP
Dr Alan Whitehead MP
James Lee, Glass & Glazing Federation
Neil Pennell, Land Securities
The meeting started with some reflection on the recent Green Deal Dialogue’s research findings of MPs and their understanding of Green Deal and ECO. The dialogue then progressed and addressed areas such as;
The potential impact and benefits of the green deal for local business including commercial property landlords
The potential impact and benefits of the green deal for local consumers including businesses based in multi-occupancy commercial buildings
New thought, suggestions and recommendations on how to make Green Deal work for all concerned
Within the discussion the Federation raised its Members concerns gleaned from last year’s GGF Green Deal Debates and from the contributions to the Formal Response to the Green Deal Consultation in January 2012. Subjects addressed included;
The impartiality of the Green Deal Assessment
The access for SMEs to Green Deal work and finance
The threat of new entrants to the market place acting as Green Deal Providers
The cash flow issues that many SMEs could face due to the bureaucracy of Green Deal
Conservative MP Steve Brine raised the likelihood of larger market players pricing smaller businesses out of the market, through the provision of extra products and services for free. Something smaller businesses will not be able to compete with.
Labour MP Dr Alan Whitehead said he was hoping secondary legislation would iron out certain elements of the scheme, particularly in ensuring small businesses are not left out of the scheme and thus unable to tender.
In terms of ensuring the consumer benefits from measures in the Green Deal, Liberal Democrat MP John Leech pushed on the need for checks and balances that guarantee service level. He drew on the fact that consumers have been "ripped off" in the past, using the example of loft insulation that has never been installed.
Neil Pennell from Land Securities, said there is a danger that unchecked providers could 'push their own products' into consumer houses that already have a good energy performance.
James Lee, GGF Marketing and Communications Manager who attended the meeting on behalf of the Federation commented, “It was good to convey the GGF’s concerns over Green Deal and ECO and to brief Members of Parliament who have a genuine interest in the long term future of construction, energy efficiency and the environment.”
Members of Parliament who attend the Green Deal Dialogue Briefing
Steve Brine MP (Conservative)
Constituency, Winchester, South East
Member Select Committee on Justice 2011
Member for Winchester since 6 May 2010 general election
Oliver Colvile MP (Conservative)
Constituency: Plymouth, Sutton and Devonshire, South West
Member Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs 2010
Vice-chair, Built Environment Group 2010
Jim Dobbin MP (Labour/Co-operative)
Constituency: Heywood and Middleton, North West
Member Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs 2010
Vice-chair, Built Environment Group 2010
Sponsor: GREEN DEAL AND VAT EDM 2504
Member, All-Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group
John Leech MP (Lib Dem)
Constituency: Manchester, Withington (North West)
Member Select Committee on Transport 2005
Vice-chair, HYPERLINK "http://dodspeople.com/Page.aspx?pageid=454&itemid=20488" Debt, Aid and Trade Group 2011
Member, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Housing
Member, All-Party Parliamentary Housing and Planning Group
Member, All-Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group
Dr Alan Whitehead MP (Labour)
Southampton Test (South East)
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee 2009
Environmental Audit Select Committee 2010
Chair PLP Departmental Group for Energy and Climate Change 2010
Sponsor: GREEN DEAL AND MICROGENERATION, EDM 1637
Member, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Housing
Member, All-Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group
Simon Wright MP (Lib Dem)
Norwich South (Eastern)
PPS to Sarah Teather as Minister of State for Children and Families
Secretary & Acting Treasurer, All-Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group
For more information on Dods Green Dialogue please click here: http://www.epolitix.com/members/member-page/sites/green-deal-dialogue/
For more information on Green Deal please click here; http://www.ggf.org.uk/green-deal-faqs
Dods Green Deal Dialogue will continue on July 20th with a Business Summit in Birmingham. The GGF will be inviting all Members to attend this event.
|
