Shadow Energy Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MP used a point of order in the Commons yesterday to draw attention to the increasingly shambolic nature of the Government’s feed-in tariff review. The Shadow Minister highlighted the contradictory timelines for the review set out in the Commons written statement of 7th February and in the draft carbon plan signed off by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, pointing out that many thousands of jobs were dependent on feed-in tariff certainty and clarity from the Government. The full intervention is printed below.

Points of Order

3.33 pm
Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Today the Government have published their draft carbon plan, which we all welcome. There is a commitment in the plan to reviewing feed-in tariffs for microgeneration in 2012-13, as originally set out by the previous Government. However, in just the past few weeks the Government have announced that a fast-track review of those solar feed-in tariffs is to take place by this July. Thousands of jobs in this country are dependent on the certainty and clarity of knowing what will happen with the feed-in tariff review and when it will happen. Today’s document is co-signed not only by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, but by the deputy leader of the coalition and the Prime Minister himself. Have you had a request, Mr Speaker, for any Government spokesman or the Prime Minister to come and clarify whether the review will take place now or in 2012-13, so that we can end the uncertainty that is jeopardising thousands upon thousands of jobs?

Mr Speaker: The short answer to the question is that sadly I have not. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me notice of his intention to raise this matter; however, it does not constitute a point of order on which I can rule. There will be—and I think he knows there will be—other opportunities to pursue the matter in other ways, and I have a suspicion that he will use them.