黑洞社区

Energy secretary Ed Davey has played down fears that the prime minister鈥檚 move to block the so-called 鈥渃onservatory tax鈥� has undermined the Green Deal.

The proposed changes to Part L of the 黑洞社区 Regulations would have made it compulsory for home owners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes when building extensions and were trumpeted by the government as a boost to the Green Deal when they were put out to consultation in January.

However, a media backlash, led by the Daily Mail, led to David Cameron intervening to block the 鈥渃onsequential improvements鈥� requirements last month.

Following the intervention, some firms said they were reconsidering their level of involvement in the early months of the Green Deal because a big stimulus to the scheme had been removed.

But speaking to 黑洞社区 last week, Davey played down the significance of consequential improvements. He said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of a whole range of different things which assist the Green Deal, but it鈥檚 only one. We have a whole long list of other things which we will do to support the Green Deal.鈥�

He repeated that 拢200m had been set aside to support the roll-out of the scheme and said the Green Deal was 鈥渋n many ways unrelated鈥� to the changes to 黑洞社区 Regulations and that press reports conflating the two policies were 鈥渋ncorrect鈥�.

鈥淭here is a link [between consequential improvements and the Green Deal] but the point is the planning for the Green Deal and the impact assessment for the Green Deal didn鈥檛 include that measure. It has been developed without that measure,鈥� he said.

He also sought to calm the fears of investors in government green initiatives, saying: 鈥淲hen we have made a commitment to a project we will always honour it in full.鈥�