New Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department a welcome nod to joined up government says HPA President.

Commenting on Teresa May’s new cabinet, Mike Nankivell, President of the Heat Pump Association (HPA) said. "Few could have predicted the political upheaval that resulted from the BREXIT vote, or that we would now have a new Prime Minister and a radically restructured cabinet.

 

The HPA is pleased to congratulate Teresa May on her appointment as Prime Minister. Mrs May is the HPA’s local MP, as her constituency includes Hare Hatch near Reading, where we are based. She has always been very receptive to our communications and appeared to support strong action on climate change. In 2014, she readily agreed to be the keynote speaker at the 30^th Anniversary of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA), under whose umbrella the HPA operates.

 

The HPA has always worked closely with government departments - in particular - the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), and we were initially somewhat alarmed at the news reports that DECC would be amalgamated with another government department. We have had occasion to be concerned in the past that critical synergies on environmental matters could not be effectively achieved because of communication difficulties between the separate departments such as DECC, DCLG, DEFRA and BIS.  With this in mind, we are of the view that the new Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department could in fact be an extremely positive and welcome step towards greater joined up thinking on stimulating the take up of heat pumps, renewable heating and carbon reduction in general and hence the UK can play a meaningful part in tackling climate change."

Mike Nankivell concluded. "We look forward to forming a close working relationship with the new department and hope to arrange a meeting with the ministerial team as soon as practicable."

20-07-2016