To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider removing the requirement for approval through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, together with product accreditation, for micro-hydro installations under the feed-in tariff regime, in light of the non-standard applications that apply to that technology, as recorded in section 1.3 of Analysis of the Feed-in Tariff responses to the Consultation on Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives 2009. [HL3041]

The microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) is an important component of the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) to ensure consumer protection. The Government have taken account of comments summarised in 1.3 of the analysis of responses to the FITs consultation.

The draft MCS installation standard (MIS 3006) currently being developed by the MCS micro-hydro expert working group was recently published on the MCS website. The consultation closed on 8 March 2010 and responses are being considered. The working group is aware of concerns that installations are non-standard and it is drafting the MCS standards to take account of this. The group will clarify the position on products shortly, when the MCS steering panel consults on the draft MCS product standard through http://www.microgenerationcertification.org.