Green party

Queen's speech: Green Party response

06 November 2007

Green Party Principal Speaker Caroline Lucas today responded to the measures outlined in the Queen's Speech:

  • On the Energy bill, which includes plans to allow private companies to build a new generation of nuclear power stations:
"Government support for nuclear power is disastrous, and means committing the UK to a dirty, dangerous and astronomically expensive future.

"Going down the nuclear route also means exposing Britain, and the world, to greater risk of terrorist attacks and nuclear war, as it increases the volume of nuclear materials available.

"It also ignores the advice of its own Sustainable Development Commission, established to advise the Government on environmental issues. The SDC concluded last year that there is no need for new nuclear power stations - saying the dangers and costs outweigh any potential benefits in terms of combating climate change or guaranteeing future energy security."

  • On the Climate Change Bill:
Caroline went on to criticise the 60 per cent by 2050 targets cited in the revised Climate Change Bill

"It's criminally irresponsible to adopt a target that not only flies in the face of science, but also undermines the UK's commitment to making a fair contribution to limiting average global temperatureincreases to no more than 2 degrees - scientists say anything higher will have catastrophic consequences.

"Whilst I welcome proposals to create a legal framework to reduce the UK's carbon dioxide emissions, low level targets that we are not likely to meet do not constitute radical action on climate change."

  • On the Planning Reform Bill
"The current proposals for a separate planning system for major infrastructure projects mean undermining democracy in favour of an increasingly centralised and authoritarian government.

"The Green Party believes that a healthy democracy should encourage public participation in decision making.

"Consulting with local people for disruptive, polluting projects like airports is essential, and any attempt to 'streamline' these processes to save money, or to hand them over to appointed yes-men is a scandalous affront to the rights of ordinary people in the UK."

  • On the Housing and Regeneration Bill:
"The government's chief aim for housing must be ensuring a greater supply of social housing. In recent years, this sector has gone into rapid decline but affordable housing is a right. In1990, 13,000 local authority dwellings were completed. In 2004 /2005, this figure was just 100.

"Brown needs to ensure that any new build has as a staring point housing provision for those who need it most. What proportion of eco- town homes will go to the 100,000 homeless households currently living in temporary accommodation?

"The Green Party would give priority to the maintenance and improvement of existing properties before building 3 million new homes."

ENDS