Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group

The All-Party Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group, (PRASEG) is an All-Party Parliamentary Group for UK politicians and senior industry stakeholders that exists to promote sustainable energy issues in the UK Parliament and the wider political community.
The PRASEG website states:
:We hold regular events in Westminster to discuss policy barriers to the development of the market for sustainable energy technologies - renewables, energy efficiency and combined heat and power. We have over 126 parliamentary members and 250 industry members.PRASEG About us, Accessed 16/11/09
PRASEG is based in Grosvenor Gardens house (since it inception in 2000) praseg website year 2000 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09, sharing a building with the Combined Heat and Power Association, the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy and other liberal green technology and carbon offsetting groups whose interests they represent.
It was previously an associate parliamentary group until the APG rules were changed in 2015.
==Activities==
According to its website, PRASEG monitors 
:Parliamentary activity and legislation that involves, or has an impact on sustainable energy. This activity includes Parliamentary questions, which can provide useful information from Government departments, Parliamentary debates between Members of Parliament and Early Day Motions which help to show the level of Parliamentary support for particular topics. In addition to this, a number of Select Committees investigate particular sustainable energy policy areas. Their conclusions and recommendations are published in the form of a final report.PRASEG Parliamentary Work, Accessed 16/11/09
:PRASEG holds monthly seminars in Westminster, whilst Parliament is sitting. We normally invite a Government Minister or representative to discuss policy barriers to the development of the market for sustainable energy technologies - renewables, energy efficiency and combined heat and power.
:PRASEG also run annual conferences with ministers (such as the biofuels conference), energy companies and green technologists, and host the 'sustainable energy awards'.PRASEG Events, Accessed 16/11/09
==People==
===Officers, April 2016===
*Matthew Pennycock - Labour - Chair 
*Peter Aldous - Conservative - Deputy chair
*Caroline Lucas - Green Party - Deputy chair 
*Baroness Diana Maddock - Liberal Democrats - Deputy chair 
*Dawn Butler - Labour - Deputy chair 
*Callum McCaig - Scottish National Party - Deputy chair Renewable and Sustainable Energy APPG, Register 28 April 2016, parliament.uk, accessed 11 May 2016 
===Officers November 2015-February 2016=== 
*Alan Whitehead - Labour - Chair & registered contact
*Peter Aldous - Conservative Party - Deputy chair
*Caroline Lucas - Green Party - Deputy chair 
*Baroness Diana Maddock - Liberal Democrats - Deputy chair 
*Dawn Butler - Labour - Deputy chair
*Ian Mearns - Labour - Deputy chair APPG on Renewable and Sustainable Energy, parliament.uk, accessed 9 February 2016 
====Members in 2015 listed on the PRASEG website====
Nigel Adams | Peter Aldous | David Amess | David Anderson | Gavin Barwell | Paul Beresford | Luciana Berger | Kirsty Blackman | Peter Bottomley | Benjamin Bradshaw | Kevin Brennan | Andrew Bridgen | Nicholas Brown | Dawn Butler | Alun Cairns | Greg Clark | Oliver Colvile | David Crausby | Jim Cunningham | Alex Cunningham | Nic Dakin | David Davis | Jackie Doyle-Price | Jack Dromey | Philip Dunne | Mark Durkan | Maria Eagle | Jonathan Edwards | Julie Elliott | Natascha Engel | Bill Esterson | Graham Evans | Caroline Flint | Paul Flynn | George Freeman | Barry Gardiner | David Gauke | Nick Gibb | Pat Glass | Mary Glindon | Helen Goodman | Nia Griffith | David Hanson | John Hayes | Chris Heaton-Harris | Lady Sylvia Hernon | Kelvin Hopkins | Stewart Hosie | Ben Howlett | Huw Irranca-Davies | Susan Elan Jones | Helen Jones | David Jones | Simon Kirby | David Lammy | Ian Lavery | Jeremy Lefroy | Charlotte Leslie | Ian Liddell-Grainger | Tim Loughton | Ian Lucas | Caroline Lucas | Karen Lumley | Stephen McCabe | Kerry McCarthy | John McDonnell | Alan Meale | Ian Mearns | Alun Michael | Anne Milton | Madeleine Moon | David Morris | Ian Murray | Bob Neil | Chi Onwurah | Guy Opperman | Albert Owen | Ian Paisley Jnr | Neil Parish | Matthew Pennycock | Andrew Percy | Toby Perkins | Christopher Pincher | Rebecca Pow | Jonathan Reynolds | Margaret Ritchie | Andrew Rosindell | Jim Shannon | Virenda Sharma | Barry Sheerman | John Spellar | Andrew Stephenson | Graham Stringer | Robin Walker | Charles Walker | Charles Walker | Michael Weir | Chris White | Eilidh Whiteford | Alan Whitehead | Hywel Williams | Mark Williams | Iain Wright | Baroness Barbara Young | Lord Tim Boswell | Lord Ewan Cameron |Bishop Peter Robert Forster | Baroness Susan Miller | Baron Roy Kennedy | Baroness Anne Jenkin | Lord Julian Hunt | Lord Philip Hunt | Lord Christopher Suenson-Taylor | Lord Robert Dixon-Smith | Baroness Elspeth Howe | Lord Martin O'Neill | Lord John Taylor Lord| Robin Teverson | Lord Nicol Stephen | Lord Roger Bootle-Wilbraham | Lord Chris Smith | Lord Rupert Mitford | Lord David Puttnam | Lord Simon Haskel | Lord Ronald Oxburgh | Lord John Laird | Baroness Susan Kramer | Baroness Diana Maddock | Baroness Joyce Quin | Lord Larry Whitty | Lord Alfred Dubs 'Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group Membership', praseg.org, accessed 6 November 2015
==People==
===Officers=== 
*Dr Alan Whitehead Labour MP. Chair
Vice Chairs 2011:
*Malcolm Bruce Lib Dem MP 
*Dr Therese Coffey – Con
Secretary 2011
*Baroness Maddock -LD
Treasurer 2011
*Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
Qualifying Members 2011
*Tim Yeo – Con | Baroness Maddock - LD | Sir Peter Bottomley – Con | Martin Horwood – LD | Lord Redesdale - LD | Zac Goldsmith – Con | Peter Aldous – Con | Robin Walker – Con
 House of Commons, Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Register Of All-Party Groups [as at 28th April 2011], accessed 22 June 2011 
 
Vice Chairs 2009:
*Malcolm Bruce Lib Dem MP | Andrew Robathan Conservative MP | Desmond Turner labour MP | Co-ordinator: Kirsty WaltonPRASEG Contact Us, accessed 18 November 2009 | Co-ordinator Rose Dickinson a non parliamentarian issued with a parliamentary pass. Parliament.uk all party groups, Accessed 16/12/09 House of Commons, Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Register Of All-Party Groups [as at 28th April 2011], accessed 22 June 2011 | Treasurer: Lord Corbett of Castle Vale | Secretary: Andrew Stunell House of Commons website Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group, accessed 18 November 2009
===Past Officers===
Presiding MP's have not varied much over the last 9 years. Key figures are Alan Whitehead, Gareth Thomas and Andrew Robathan.
====2000====
*Chairman-Gareth Thomas MP 
Vice Chairmen: 
*Andrew Stunnell MP | Dr Alan Whitehead MP | Andrew Robathan MP praseg website year 2000 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
Core sponsors in 2000 are listed as AEA Technology plc | BG Group Plc |BG Transco plc | British Wind Energy Association | Combined Heat and Power Association | Energy Saving Trust | Greenpeace | Heat Pump Association | National Windpower | Powergen | Shell Renewables Ltd | WWF. praseg website year 2000 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
====2001====
*Chairman Gareth R Thomas MP 
Vice Chairs
*Sue Doughty MP | Jane Griffiths MP | Andrew Robathan MP praseg website year 2001 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
====2002====
*Chairman Gareth R Thomas MP 
Vice Chairs
*Sue Doughty MP | Jane Griffiths MP | Andrew Robathan MP | Simon Thomas MP praseg website year 2002 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
====2003 til 2005====
Chair 
*Alan Whitehead MP
Vice Chairs 
*Lord Corbett | Sue Doughty MP | Andrew Robathan MP | Simon Thomas MP | Des Turner MP praseg website year 2003 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
====2006 and 2007====
Chair 
*Alan Whitehead MP
Vice Chairs 
*Malcom Bruce | Joan Ruddock MP | Andrew RobathanMP | *Des Turner MP praseg website year 2006 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
===Directors===
* David Green of the UK Business Council For Sustainable Energy is Secretary of the group. He is also listed by companies house as an association director, since 1999.
*as is David Porter of Association of Electricity Producers and the Energy Industries Club.Registered Directors at Companies House, December 2009 (though neither of these people are mentioned on PRASEG websites).
===Qualifying members===
As of 18th Nov 2009 the House of commons website names 20 qualifying MPs covering each political party:Register of All-Party Groups: Section 2: Subject Groups, UK Parliament website, accessed 18 Nov 2009
====Labour====
*Bill Olner | Frank Cook | Bridget Prentice | Martyn Jones | Bob Blizzard | Mark Lazarowicz | Austin Mitchell | David Drew | Colin Challen | David Chaytor
====Conservative====
*Tim Boswell | Nigel Evans | John Gummer | Tim Yeo | Oliver Letwin | Tim Loughton
====Lib Dem====
*Tom Brake | Michael Moore | Dr Evan Harris 
====Scottish National Party====
*Mike Weir
==Parliamentary or business-led?==
PRASEG is both an All-Party Parliamentary Group and a company registered at Companies House, where it lists directors who are non-parliamentary industry representatives. Although there is nothing in the rules for all party groups which specifically mentions double registering groups, or groups which are a company offshoot, the Parliamentary Commission for Standards calls it 'very unusual' and can give no other examples of all party groups which are also registered companies (there are several which are charities - such as the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS)).Phonecall with Phillipa Wainwright, Assistant Registrar at Parliamentary Commission for Standards. 13/01/10
There are a number of discrepancies between the PRASEG company website and the official register of the group on the Parliamentary web pages which make it difficult to tell to what extent the group is politically or business led and suggest that PRASEG is largely an industry interest group which dictates policy to parliament.
The PRASEG website PRASEG Contact Us, Accessed 16/12/09 gives contact details as coordinator Rose Dickinson based at Grosvenor Gardens House, while the official parliamentary register Parliament.uk all party groups, Accessed 16/12/09 gives Dr Alan Whitehead MP (the Labour party chair of the group) and an address and phone number at the House of Commons. 
Rules for all party groups state that the contact person must be one of the officers (a member of the Lords or Commons), and all correspondence must go through this person. It is suggested that PRASEG may be in breach of this rule parliament.uk Rules for all party groups Accessed 16/12/09 as though on the parliamentary register everything appears above board, inquiries are likely to be directed straight to the company and not the 'official' parliamentary group. 
Both websites fail to mention the existence of any 'directors' of PRASEG. But in fact PRASEG is registered as a company at companies House and 'directors' include David Green and David Porter, both of who work for organisations which support PRASEG, and in David Green's case (the UK Business Council For Sustainable Energy) is also based in the same building in Grosvenor Gardens. The author cannot find any evidence that this contravenes the rule for all party groups. parliament.uk Rules for all party groups Accessed 16/12/09
 
The website (www.praseg.org.uk) itself is today generally sparse, with only 6 pages (though older versions contained much news, meeting reports and links praseg website year 2006 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09) and does not link to any of PRASEG's multiple reports, awards, conferences, updates or other events which can be found on mainstream search engines (for example those mentioned below). It does contain a members only area which is password protected.
The group also runs another, almost identical website at http://tialush.com/blog/ which lists Kirsty Walton as a contact, at Grosvenor Gardens House. The front page of this site appears to be in Latin and contains more password protected areas.
==Events==
PRASEG holds a number of conferences, and fringe events at party political conferences. The 2008 Biofuels Conference included speeches from Jim Fitzpatrick MP Department for Transport PRASEG Biofuels conference 2008 speech accessed 16/12/09.
PRASEG were also key sponsors of the 2006 Renewable Energy Exhibition. [www.fuelcellmarkets.com/content/images/articles/Leaflet%20-%20final.pdf Renewable Energy Exhibition leaflet. Sponsors] Accessed 13/01/10 
==PRASEG's position on sustainable energy==
As PRASEG claims of itself;
:In its 25 years, PRASEG has remained a key information source for parliamentarians and stake-holders, enabling clear dissemination of information on innovative technologies and pioneering policy initiatives. [www.fuelcellmarkets.com/content/images/articles/Leaflet%20-%20final.pdf Renewable Energy Exhibition leaflet. Sponsors] Accessed 13/01/10 
With around 150 parliamentarians and 250 industry groups represented this makes it a powerful and reputable body and generator of opinion. However PRASEG's final reports are not accessible to the public and it is hard to establish what kind of opinion they might be forming within parliament. The large energy company membership as well as PRASEG company directors who represent them (David Porter and David Green) suggests that their view will represent large energy interests, which predominantly push for low cost technology, carbon trading and other measures which support business as usual energy production. This is likely to include nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, bio-fuels and liberal carbon trading mechanisms.
==Awards==
Recipients of PRASEG's fairly prestigious annual awards for efforts in lobbying Westminster on 'sustainable' energy (known as the Sustainable Oscars) include;
2009:
*Peter Ainsworth Conservative MP. Dec 2009 The House of Commons Award, Redhill And Reigate Life. 'MP picks up second environmental award' December 8, 2009. .
*Tim Scott founder of Ener-G received Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Energy in 2009. ENER-G website news and media accessed 16/12/09
*House of Lords Award: Lord Ronald Oxburgh 
*NGO Sustainable Energy Award: Forum for the Future
*Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Energy Award: Andrew Warren of Association for the Conservation of Energy.
*Special Lifetime Achievement Award- Alan Whitehead MP - Chair of PRASEG.
*Special award to Colin Challen MP,(also an award winner in 2005)-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group ENER-G website news and media accessed 16/12/09
The 2009 awards was judged by David Green and awards presented by Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Hunt. ENER-G website news and media accessed 16/12/09
2007:
* David Green 2007 Individual Achievement Award (he is also a director of the group).
The 2007 and 2008 awards were hosted by Malcolm Wicks MP, Minister of State for Energy, and held in The Commonwealth Club, London. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Ministerial Speeches 2008accessed 16/12/09
2005:
*Colin Challen MP received 2005 House of Commons Award. Morley Today. 'MP Colin is the Commons environmental champion'. February 17, 2005
*Baroness Miller House of Lords, 2005. Morley Today. 'MP Colin is the Commons environmental champion'. February 17, 2005
*The NGO Sustainable Energy Award went to the Centre for Alternative Technology
*The Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Energy Award went to Lord Ezra
The 2005 awards ceremony was sponsored by E.ON and Scottish Power. Morley Today. 'MP Colin is the Commons environmental champion'. February 17, 2005 and awards were presented by Lord Whitty, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
PRASEG in turn won the Advocate Award at the 2007 Renewable Energy Awards at the Savoy Hotel, London. Alan-Whitehead.org PRASEG wins Green Oscaraccessed 16/12/09
==Funding and corporate members==
===Supporting members===
ABB Ltd | AECOM Ltd | Airvolution Energy | Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE) | The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) | Baxi Group | Bosch Thermotechnology Ltd | BP International | BRE | British Sugar | Camborne Capital Ltd | Capita | Carillion | Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) | CIBSE | City of London Corporation | Cornwall Energy | Cynergin | Daikin UK | DONG Energy | Durham Energy Institute | DRAX | DWF LLP | EDF Energy | EIC | Electricity Storage Network | Elexon | ENA | Ener-G | Energy Technologies Institute | Energy UK | Enertek | EUA | Forewind UK | Good Energy | HG Capital | Hill & Knowlton | Honeywell Control Systems Ltd | HVCA (building & engineering services | Ice Energy | IDHEE | IET | Intelligent Energy | IT Power | Keepomat | Kreab Gavin Anderson | Land Use Consultants | LDA Design | Low Carbon Contracts Company | MHP Communications | Mineral Products Association (MPA) | NAPIT | National Energy Foundation | NEA | Northern Powergrid Ltd | Nuclear Industry Association | Ofgem | Over Arup & Partners | OST Energy | Parsons Brinckerhoff | Partnership for Renewables | Peel Energy | Plant, Engineering and Carbon Capture - University of Edinburgh | Primrose Solar Management | Quatro | The Remarkable Group | RES - Renewable Energy Company | REA | Riverstone | Ricardo - AEA Technology | Royal Haskoningdhv | Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Birds (RSPB) | Solar Trade Association | Scottish Power | Shell | Siemens | SmartestEnergy | SummitSkills | Taylor Keogh | The Crown Estate (PO) | The Environment Exchange | UK Energy Research Centre | UK Power Networks | University of Southampton | Vattenfall | Viessman | Warwick Energy Ltd | Which? | WWF UK 'Membership of Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group', praseg.org, accessed 18 February 2016 
===Funding===
It was registered on 29 February 2016 that PRASEG had paid (in bands of £1,500) £22,501-£24,000 in its secretariat capacity to the group. 
Though the PRASEG website states supporting members as above, the House of Commons website stated that as of June 2010 it received benefits from the following sources outside Parliament:
:£2,500 received from each of the following: BG Group, Carbon Trust, Centrica, Conoco Phillips, E.ON UK, National Grid, NPower Renewables, Renewable UK, Sharp, Solar Century (registered June 2010). House of Commons, Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Register Of All-Party Groups [as at 28th April 2011], accessed 22 June 2011 
Previously it stated that as of 18 November 2009:Register of All-Party Groups, Section 2: Subject Groups, UK Parliament website, accessed 17 Nov 2009
'The group's activities are funded and administered wholly by PRASEG Ltd. (and) 
*Baxi Group £10,000, 
*BG Group £2500, 
*British Wind Energy Association £2850, 
*Centrica £2950, 
*ConocoPhillips UK (Ltd) £2500, 
*E.ON UK £2725, 
*Energy Saving Trust £5500, 
*National Grid £2800, 
*npower Renewables £10,500, 
*Shell £2500, 
*Synnogy £1000, 
*The Carbon Trust £2500, 
*Tufton Oceanic £1065 ' House of commons website PRASEG, Accessed 18/11/09
In 2004 the registered company PRASEG Ltd, derived income from subscription fees (£500); money raised from ticket sales to events organised as part of the group's work; and sponsorship. praseg website year 2004 Internet Archiveaccessed 16/12/09
In 2007 the House of Commons website states funding from:
*'Arup Ltd £1795, 
*BWEA £3337, 
*Carbon Trust £11,162, 
*Centrica £2937, 
*Conoco Philips UK Ltd £2937, 
*Defra £1551, 
*E.ON UK £31,137, 
*RES Group Ltd £1762, 
*RSPB £1175, 
*Scottish & Southern, £11,750 
*VAT Control £1254 (registered September 2007). 
*Npower renewables £10,000. 
and: One ticket, for group's administrator, for Newbury races and RWE corporate sponsor's box (registered October 2007).' House of Commons. All party parlientary groups 2007. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group Internet Archiveaccessed 09/02/10
===Ordinary members===
Covers a range of large industries and energy companies, and a few NGOs and environmental groups. PRASEG Ordinary members, Accessed 16/11/09
==Contact==
The public enquiry point for the group is Scott Reid. 
Address: PRASEG Ltd, 6th Floor, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0D
Tel: 020 7222 2546 
Email: info@praseg.org.uk
==Notes==
Category:ClimateCategory:Energy Category:All-Party Parliamentary Group Category:Climate: Government Policy Category:Climate: Front Groups Category:Climate: Energy Industry Category:Climate Change Category:Climate: Industry Lobby Groups Category:Climate: Energy