PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
THERMAL EFFICIENCY (6 March 1998)

That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to maximising the use of so-called brownfield sites and the attractions of existing urban areas as places to live thereby minimising the need for future greenfield development; notes that 38 per cent of the housing stock has inadequate thermal efficiency according to the Government's own standard assessment procedure; recognises budgetary constraints on new building, particularly for the adequate provision of social housing; and calls on the Government to consider the realignment of the rate of VAT on domestic properties, currently zero on newbuild and 17.5 per cent on conversions and renovations, and the extension of financial incentives and publicity afforded to other energy-efficiency measures to include external wall insulation which is predominant in newbuild in France and Germany, can enhance the appearance of old buildings and is particularly suitable for larger-scale social housing such as tower blocks, typically achieves energy savings of around 25 per cent annually, yields the highest annual saving in fuel bills compared to all other energy saving measures, and can reduce CO2 emissions by about one tonne per square metre of insulation over the life of a building.

Sponsored by:
Mrs Helen Clark (Labour)