Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill

House of Commons

Session 1999-2000
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Other Bills before Parliament

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill

This is the text of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill, as amended in Committee in the House of Commons and printed on 12th April 2000.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill

ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES

Clause

1. Strategy relating to fuel poverty.

2. Expenses.

3. Short title, commencement and extent.

A
B I L L
[AS AMENDED IN STANDING COMMITTEE C]
TO
Require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a strategy for reducing fuel poverty; to require the setting of targets for the implementation of that strategy; and for connected purposes.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Strategy relating to fuel poverty.     1. - (1) It shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to prepare and publish, before the end of the period of twelve months beginning with the relevant commencement, a strategy setting out the authority's policies for ensuring, by means including the taking of measures to ensure the efficient use of energy, that as far as reasonably practicable the homes of all households on lower incomes can be kept warm at reasonable cost.

    (2) The strategy must-

(a) describe the households to which it applies,

(b) specify measures for ensuring the efficient use of energy, such as the installation of appropriate equipment or insulation,

(c) specify interim objectives to be achieved and target dates for achieving them, and

(d) specify a target date for achieving the objective of ensuring that as far as reasonably practicable the homes of all households on lower incomes can be kept warm at reasonable cost.

    (3) In preparing the strategy or any revision of the strategy, the appropriate authority shall consult-

(a) the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council, and

(b) such other persons as the appropriate authority thinks fit.

    (4) The appropriate authority shall take such steps as are in its opinion necessary to implement the strategy.

    (5) The appropriate authority shall-

(a) from time to time assess the impact of steps taken under subsection (4) and the progress made in achieving the objectives and meeting the target dates,

(b) make any revision of the strategy which the authority considers appropriate in consequence of the assessment,

(c) from time to time publish reports on such assessments.

    (6) If the appropriate authority revises the strategy, it shall publish the strategy as revised.

    (7) Any strategy complying with this section which was published by the Secretary of State within six months before the passing of this Act shall be taken to have been published under this section.

    (8) In this section-

"the appropriate authority" means-

(a) as respects England, the Secretary of State, and

(b) as respects Wales, the National Assembly for Wales;

"the relevant commencement" means-

(a) as respects England, the day on which this Act is passed, and

(b) as respects Wales, the day on which this section comes into force as respects Wales.

    (9) In relation to any time before the commencement of section 3(1) of the Utilities Act 2000, the reference in subsection (3)(a) to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council shall have effect as a reference to the Director General of Gas Supply and the Director General of Electricity Supply.'.

Expenses.     2. There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament-

(a) any expenses of the Secretary of State under this Act; and

(b) any increase attributable to this Act in the sums payable under any other Act.

Short title, commencement and extent.     3. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000.

    (2) Section 1 shall not come into force as respects Wales until such day as the National Assembly for Wales may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.

    (3) This Act extends to England and Wales only.

© Parliamentary copyright 2000
Prepared 13 April 2000