Angus MacNeil MP has been elected unopposed by his party colleagues to chair the influential House of Commons’ Energy and Climate Change Committee.

MacNeil is the Scottish National Party representative for Na h-Eileanan an Iar in the Western Isles – which suffers from the highest levels of fuel poverty in Britain.

He said when making the announcement: “The committee has an important role to play in holding the Westminster government to account, and pressing the UK‘s commitments on internationally agreed renewables targets.

“One of the most important targets the Government now faces is achieving 15 per cent of our energy from renewables by 2020.

“The outcomes of the International Climate Change Talks in Paris in 2015 will also be vital in shaping the work of the committee, as well as the current position from the Department for Energy and Climate Change regarding onshore wind which needs further scrutiny.’’

Community Awareness

The new position also means the MP will have a place on the Parliamentary liaison committee and the chance to cross examine David Cameron at least three times each year, according to the Press and Journal.

Nicholas Gubbins, chief executive of Community Energy Scotland, a registered charity that provides practical help for communities on green energy development and energy conservation, welcomed the announcement.

“Angus is acutely aware of the issues facing communities and householders across Scotland,” he said.

“He has seen at first-hand what local initiatives can achieve.  On Barra, local people have developed a community-owned commercial scale wind turbine in one of the most productive wind sites in Europe.  They did this with assistance from Community Energy Scotland and the wider community energy network.”

Voting Record

MacNeil voted to require the the UK Green Investment Bank to explicitly act in support of the target of reducing UK carbon emissions to 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2050, according to the They Work for You website. 

He also voted to require the setting of a target range for the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit of electricity generated. 

MacNeil replaces Tim Yeo as chairman of the committee. Yeo was widely celebrated as being the most astute Conservative MP in relation to the issues of climate change and the environment.

However, he was forced to briefly step down when the Sunday Times used a sting operation to film him apparently admitting coaching a businessman from the renewables industry in how to deal with Parliamentary scrutiny. Yeo was not selected to stand as MP before the last election. 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons