Energy Bill

No, as I want to give the Minister more than equal time to respond. This is not a bad Bill. It does many things that are necessary, and we will support those steps. However, it is inadequate. The hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown said that it was feeble, so he probably will not be on the Committee. The Bill leaves out many of the things that an energy Bill should include. It fails to take advantage of too many of the new opportunities available today. It overlooks vital elements relating to nuclear power, where clarity is essential if new investment is to take place. We will not vote against the Bill tonight, but there is much work to be done to improve it in Committee. The Government do not seem to recognise the seriousness of the energy challenges that we face. The wrong decisions now, or simply a failure to take decisions, will mean that the lights will start to go out in a few years. The Government need to do much more than they are proposing to do. We will work with them to make this an Energy Bill that is fit for purpose.