Whilst all select committees earn the moniker ‘influential’ in the media, the reputation of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee reputation is gaining within Westminster, as it investigates a host of issues, whilst keeping ministers and officials on their toes. They have been quizzed regularly by the Committee, chaired by Tim Yeo, most recently on March 15th with regard to the EMR.
The Committee has been active in their publications, having released reports on emissions performance, national policy statements, as well as deepwater drilling in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a report that included a probing session with former BP CEO Tony Hayward.
Under Tim Yeo’s chairmanship, the Committee has real momentum and with a new batch of MPs, it combines a wide variety of interests and experience. Yeo and his Vice-chair Dr Alan Whitehead are both experienced and deeply knowledgeable of the energy sector, as well as being very pro-renewable, a category the former DEFRA and DTI minister Barry Gardiner also falls within.
The sole Liberal Democrat representative is Sir Robert Smith. Labour MPs Albert Owen and John Robertson share interests in nuclear, with the latter being Chair of the Party Group for Nuclear, although both have been strong advocates of renewables.
The rest of the committee is made up from newly elected Conservatives, all of whom have already impressed in the committee. Security of the UK’s energy supply is a constant thread running through the questioning from Dan Byles, Dr Phillip Lee, Christopher Pincher and Laura Sandys.
With Committee reports on the Electricity Market Reform, energy security and shale gas due to be released, and with a wide ranging Energy Bill expected later this year, the Committee certainly has the opportunity to be genuinely considered influential in 2011.
