Urgent question on feed-in tariffs
1 November 2011 (updated on 1 November 2011)
Minister of State for Climate Change, Department of Energy and Climate Change, Gregory Barker, responded to an urgent question asked by Caroline Flint, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on the Government’s proposals to reform feed-in tariffs (FITs) on Monday 31 October 2011.
Watch the urgent question and the views expressed by MPs on Parliament TV and in Commons Hansard.
- Parliament TV: Urgent question on Feed-in tariffs
- Commons Hansard: Urgent question on Feed-in tariffs
Feed-in tariffs
The feed-in tariffs scheme came into effect in April 2010. It is intended to provide financial incentives for people and businesses to install small-scale electricity-generating technologies such as solar electricity panels and wind turbines.
In February 2011 the Government announced it was bringing forward the review of FITs that was due to be completed by 2013. As part of the review, the Government has set out new proposals to reform FITs for solar photovoltaic installations.
Further information can be found on the Department for Energy and Climate Change website.
- Department for Energy and Climate Change (external website)
House of Commons Library analysis
The House of Commons Library has produced a research paper on feed-in tariffs and the renewable obligation which summarises how both schemes work and Government plans for reviewing their operation and banding from 2013.
Further information
Find current parliamentary material on renewable energy in the Topics section on the Parliament website.
Urgent questions
Urgent questions are asked at the end of Question Time. If something has happened, normally a matter of public importance, which an MP believes requires an immediate answer from a government minister, they may apply to the Speaker to ask an urgent question.
If the Speaker agrees, the question will be asked at the end of Question Time.