To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what (a) initiatives have been launched and (b) documents have been published on micro-generation by his Department in the last month. (209970)

The Government announced on 30 May 2008 that £3 million of the low carbon buildings programme would be directed towards a pilot fuel poverty stream to demonstrate the potential of microgeneration technologies to fuel poor communities. The pilot projects will be undertaken in Wales, East Anglia, north-east England and Yorkshire and Humberside, and will also be supported by the Welsh Assembly and the local regional development agencies. The delivery bodies for the projects will also offer a range of other activities to assist fuel poor households.

I have also spoken at a number of events including at Building Research Establishment to publicise the low carbon buildings programme and award the first certificate to a product under the microgeneration certification scheme and at the Micropower Council annual conference.

The following document on microgeneration was published by the Department on 2 June 2008:

08/912—‘The growth potential for microgeneration in England, Wales and Scotland’.

Report on findings from research investigating microgeneration technologies and consumer behaviour. Looks at the impact of various policy options on demand, models future uptake of microgeneration to 2050 and considers the likely impact of targets on uptake.

No longer available in hard copy—web version only

http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/sustainable/microgeneration/research/page38208.html

2 June 2008.