Speeches by Hobhouse.

“Coming back to specialist status, would that also allow for reserving grid capacity? How would that make the project development more efficient? Would you agree that that would happen?”

“Would specialist status help community groups through the process?”

“Throughout today’s very lively session, we get one thing. We need a definition. There are several definitions. That would help to create something like as a specialist status for community energy. We can then take it from there. What I also hear and would like to repeat loud and clear is that community groups need some…”

“I have just one more question about GB Energy. Could GB Energy assist community projects in this way? Another question that I have is connected to that. I talked to the Energy Saving Trust this morning, which said that, under GB Energy, there should be something such as a community energy support scheme or service. GB …”

“It would, therefore, avoid the delays that we have been talking about.”

“That is fair enough. Can you quickly explain how grid allocation would work technically? How would that be done?”

“I do not want to have another discussion about the definitions of what community energy is. I was just trying to understand what is needed. If we are talking about grid allocation, it is a different thing depending on whether it is on the transmission network or on the local grid network. Is that correct?”

“That is interesting to clarify: so the shared ownership model then suddenly changes the game, but most community energy projects are the small things that are ultimately just serving the local area and therefore do not need the big transmission grids.”

“We have already heard quite a lot about designation and the question whether there should be grid space designated for community energy. My first question is whether community energy projects all need the big transmission network, or whether they can stay local. That is for me also somewhat the essence of community ene…”

“So far, I can only buy a battery with solar panels, but I am wondering whether technically I could just have the battery because I do not have a roof. I could, but you say it is a cost—”

“I have a very quick question. I now have solar panels and a battery, so my battery can actually store something. I could run my washing machine in the middle of the night, because I have five kilowatts in my battery. Could consumers not simply buy a battery and get the electricity during the day and then run their wash…”

“Bath college offers more than 1,000 courses up to degree level and is home to 10,000 learners. Its alumni include gold medal winner Jason Gardener and drum and bass producer Danny Byrd. I heard the Secretary of State speaking this morning about the vital importance of vocational training. What can the Government do to …”

“I thank the right hon. Member for giving me an opportunity to say sorry to the shadow Minister for misunderstanding, when I intervened earlier, why he thought it was so important to mention the Chagos islands. I hope he will accept my apology.”

“Less than 1% of the high seas are fully protected; there could not be a more important time for this treaty. It is the world’s only viable pathway to meet the global biodiversity goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s ocean before 2030. Along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues, I welcome the fact that the Gove…”

“A couple of weeks ago, I spent a fabulous day at the races at Bath racecourse. For centuries, horseracing has been part of our national sporting history, and it is part of our DNA, yet across the industry people are deeply concerned about the threat that harmonising tax rates will have on the sustainability of the spor…”

“I am just wondering whether the hon. Member finds himself in the wrong debate?”

“The right hon. Member has rightly pointed out Lord Mandelson’s murky attitude towards money, but does this not also shine a terrible light on his attitude towards women, which, by contrast, does not look good for the Government?”

“Voices—a domestic abuse charity in Bath—has created a guide to family court proceedings to support survivors to navigate the family courts without legal representation. The pilot was rolled out in the south-west and in Yorkshire. Will the Government work with Voices to roll it out nationally?”

“I too welcome the Leader of the House to his place. Just three days ago, the BBC revealed how effortlessly an illegal vape laced with Spice can be purchased through Snapchat. One in six confiscated vapes in schools now contains Spice, which is described as a zombie drug—a prison drug. That is potentially condemning you…”

“One of my constituents wrote to me this week about the difficulties she is facing rebooking her driving test. The nearest slot that she could find was in Swansea, two hours away from Bath. When she tried the 6 am rush, she faced a queue of 22,000, and when she finally reached the front, the site failed. Alongside test …”