A Swindon MP is drawing together a cross-party coalition to toughen up the Climate Change Bill

Anne Snelgrove has drawn up an amendment to the Bill and a new Early Day Motion

Background: Anne’s Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Private Members’ Bill was blocked by Tory MP Christopher Chope. The Bill had Government support – and 275 MPs supported Early Day Motion 673 in support of the Bill, of whom 19 were Parliamentary Private Secretaries.

Anne is therefore intending to table an amendment with the provisions of her Bill at the Report Stage of the Climate Change Bill. The amendment will require all newly procured central Government buildings to have an energy efficiency rating of A or B in accordance with the energy rating system used for Energy Performance Certificates. This will help drive down energy use on the public estate and help the UK to reach its emissions reductions targets.

Anne said: “The amendment has cross-party support, and I am using the recess to twist the arms of colleagues to sign both it and the new Early Day Motion in support of it. This is a great chance to get my Bill on to the statute book.”

“The Government is a world leader on climate change but I think we can improve the climate change bill further.”

Despite having the support of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat front benches and councils up and down the country Anne’s bill has been criticised by the Tories in Swindon: http://www.swindonconservatives.com/news_detail.php?nid=572

Early Day Motion text:

Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill

That this House notes that 273 Hon. Members have signed Early Day Motion No. 673 in support of the Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill brought forward via the Private Members’ Ballot by the Hon Member for Swindon South; notes too that both the Government  and the Opposition were content for the Bill to be given a Second Reading and regrets that this was prevented by one Hon. Member; and so expresses its support for the initiative by the Hon. Member for Swindon South to enact the Bill by attaching it to the Climate Change Bill and calls upon the Government  to support this move.

Proposed amendment

Climate Change Bill

Report Stage

New Clause

Anne Snelgrove

Eliot Morley

Tim Yeo

John Gummer

Martin Horwood

Colin Challen

Andrew Gwynne

Michael Meacher

After clause 2 insert

---  Procurement of public sector buildings