Webb quizzes O'Brien

4.52.00pm GMT Thu 13th Nov 2008

• [Nov 11]: Steve Webb (Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Energy and Climate Change; Northavon, Liberal Democrat): TO ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the UK's capacity to build integrated solar photovoltaics; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien (Minister of State, Department for Energy and Climate Change; North Warwickshire, Labour): The Department has committed over £41 million to support the photovoltaic industry since 2000 through the Major Demonstration PV programme and field trials. The photovoltaic industry currently benefits from the £86 million Low Carbon Buildings programme and electricity generated is also eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation (RO). In addition, there are wider measures supporting development of Solar PV including grants for R&D through the Technology Programme and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme which sets out product and installation standards for solar PV at the smaller scale. As a result of these programmes and wider measures the UK Solar PV industry has developed strengths in the design and manufacture of building integrated products.

We recently announced that we will implement a feed-in tariff for small-scale generation up to 3 MW alongside the Renewables Obligation for large-scale projects.