Speeches by Hobhouse.

“I return to the exchange of questions in the Chamber yesterday. First of all, I welcome the local power plan; community energy is a fantastic way of getting communities and people on board. What is still missing is a clear definition of what community energy actually is. Now is, in some ways, a good opportunity to come…”

“Should we not be a little more honest with the public about the up-front cost of the energy transition? Yes, it is going to be a substantial cost, but energy will become cheaper in the future. Is that not a more honest way of looking at it—that the cost now is high, but it will be lower in the future? Is that not the n…”

“T5. The environmental impact assessment for the Rosebank oil field shows that its emissions will be enormous—equivalent to 70% of the UK’s annual total emissions. However, the developer claims that the environmental impact is not significant. The Minister may not wish to comment on Rosebank specifically, but will he se…”

“I welcome the publication of the local power plan and I honestly recognise the Government’s commitment to community energy. However, I think there is still a piece missing—namely that properties in the vicinity of a community energy generator can ultimately benefit by being directly supplied, rather than being supplied…”

“Around one in eight women were victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse and stalking in the year to March 2025. Victim Support is concerned that there is not enough focus in the strategy and, in particular, that funding is not matching increasing demand. What assurances can the Minister give victims of stalking in Bat…”

“Nearly four years on from the outbreak of the war, our Ukrainian friends have formed ever closer bonds with our communities. Last week I was at the opening ceremony of Bath’s Ukrainian education hub, which is part of a global network of 84 such hubs. The hubs are places for classes and courses, but they also provide sp…”

“Should the Government be more proactive in linking it to climate change, rather than saying, “There’s a heatwave, so please do something”? We need to protect people’s health, but is there also a political message to say, “If we don’t do anything about climate change, these risks increase”? Should the Government, the NH…”

“Should some specific health metrics become mandatory and be published by the Government or the NHS, to highlight the risks?”

“You mentioned sectors and groups that are particularly exposed. What about regions, or is the data not specific enough?”

“We now come to the climate impacts on workforce health and productivity. Dr Romanello, how exposed is the UK population to climate-related health and productivity risks?”

“Could you spell out the most notable health co-benefits of transitioning to low-carbon technologies?”

“Should the Government be more proactive in linking it to climate change, rather than saying, “There’s a heatwave, so please do something”? We need to protect people’s health, but is there also a political message to say, “If we don’t do anything about climate change, these risks increase”? Should the Government, the NH…”

“Should some specific health metrics become mandatory and be published by the Government or the NHS, to highlight the risks?”

“You mentioned sectors and groups that are particularly exposed. What about regions, or is the data not specific enough?”

“We now come to the climate impacts on workforce health and productivity. Dr Romanello, how exposed is the UK population to climate-related health and productivity risks?”

“Could you spell out the most notable health co-benefits of transitioning to low-carbon technologies?”

“I recently brought together domestic abuse charities in Bath, such as Developing Health and Independence, Voices, and the Nelson Trust, which provide services including how to navigate the complicated justice system. They all agree it is critical that they all work together and that there are joined-up local services, …”

“Are there any other insights?”

“You did.”

“We are edging towards the next question and that is about simplifying the supply framework. I also think that, following the discussion, we are still in this space where we have not been quite clear about the difference between community energy and local supply. That is what we are trying to get our head round too. The…”