Letter: Chance to help environment

Sir: This Friday, 20 January, is the first day in this parliamentary session set aside for consideration of a Private Members' Bill. It is due to be devoted to the Home Energy Conservation Bill, sponsored by the Liberal Democrat MP Diana Maddock.

This Bill could greatly assist the United Kingdom in meeting its declared environmental targets, and soften the impact of VAT on domestic fuel. It would require local authorities to gather information about the energy efficiency of the UK housing stock. That information is crucial in assessing how reductions in carbon emissions can best be achieved.

Last year Mrs Maddock's colleague Alan Beith introduced a similar Bill. Despite the overt support of well over half the members of the House of Commons, some 700 local councils, and a wide range of social welfare, environmental and consumer organisations, that Bill did not progress beyond its final report stage. It was filibustered by the tabling of no fewer than 216 last- minute amendments. The few constructive proposals among these have been incorporated into the 1995 version.

The Government has an outstanding opportunity to act positively this Friday, and to demonstrate that it is seriously commited to improving Britain's environment. It can do so by allowing Mrs Maddock's Bill to progress, and not consigning it to the same fate as its predecessor.

Yours faithfully, Andrew Warren (Association for the Conservation of Energy), Sally Greengross (Age Concern), Sally Cavanagh (Climate Action Network UK), Charles Secret (Friends of the Earth), Mervyn Kohler (Help the Aged), Chris Rose (Greenpeace), RobinPellew (World Wide Fund for Nature)

London, W1

18 January