Energy efficiency lobby's blues over Brown's Green Budget

The energy saving lobby has reacted with disappointment to the Chancellor's pre-Budget statement on 25 November. A cut in VAT on energy-saving materials will be limited to official schemes aimed at poorer households - and any resulting fall in carbon dioxide emissions is likely to be offset by increased payments to help pensioners with their fuel bills. The Chancellor offered no new green tax measures - although his proposed code of fiscal stability may be influential in integrating environmental concerns into future tax policies.