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Flooding (Vale of York)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding she will make available for a flood elevation scheme in Rawcliffe, York. [4435]
Mr. Morley: Emergency works by the Environment Agency have reduced the risk of defences being outflanked at Rawcliffe. An application from the Environment Agency for grant on a flood alleviation scheme at Rawcliffe will be considered against the normal technical, economic and environmental criteria and priority score arrangements. The current rate of grant for such schemes is 65 per cent., but the Environment Agency grant rates are reviewed on an annual basis.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received requesting a comprehensive review of the flood management system in the Vale of York, with particular reference to a flood elevation scheme at Rawcliffe, as part of flood defences. [4436]
Mr. Morley: Following the severe flooding in late 2000, the Department has been made aware of the concerns of a number of communities in the Vale of York through both correspondence and the Adjournment debate which the hon. Member secured on 7 November 2000. I also met her and representatives of Rawcliffe on 30 April 2001. Operational responsibility for flood management systems rests with the local operating authorities (the Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards). Inter alia, the agency has reassessed its flood warning arrangements and is undertaking a strategic study for the River Ouse catchment.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made to repair damage to the flood defences in the Yorkshire and Humber region during the November 2000 floods. [4437]
Mr. Morley: The Department is making contributions towards the exceptional costs incurred by the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards on emergency response and repairs following the flooding in late 2000. I understand that the agency inspected all of its flood defence assets as soon as possible after the flooding and has undertaken major emergency works inter alia at Gowdall, Selby, Barlby, Wressle, Rawcliffe and the Foss Barrier. The agency has also undertaken local repairs elsewhere as part of its maintenance programme.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans she has to prevent flooding in the Vale of York on a scale similar to that experienced in November 2000. [4432]
Mr. Morley: The Government announced increased funding for flood and coastal defence capital works last November as part of their response to the severe flooding. It is now for the operating authorities to consider the need for schemes and develop proposals within an overall strategy for catchment areas. The Government also announced exceptional funding for emergency repairs and response and the authorities are undertaking emergency
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works; for example the Environment Agency has undertaken works to reduce the risk of defences being outflanked at Rawcliffe.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress has been made in the co-ordination of functions and tasks by the relevant agencies to prevent flooding in the Vale of York; [4433]
- (2) what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Environment Agency, (b) Kyle and Upper Ouse Internal Drainage Board, (c) City of York Council, (d) Yorkshire Water and (e) other agencies and on floods management since November 2000. [4434]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency's "Lessons Learned" report on the floods has helped to further clarify the roles of the different agencies. In addition to the regular meetings with the organisations responsible for emergency response, I understand the Agency has held several meetings with the City of York council, Rawcliffe parish council, Kyle and Upper Ouse Internal Drainage Board and Yorkshire Water to discuss and plan flood management issues. The Department's Regional Engineer is liaising with the operating authorities with regard to plans for capital flood defence works and associated studies.
Kyoto Protocol
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Environment Committee of the Council of Europe on the Kyoto Protocol. [4780]
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her Department has taken since 14 March to tackle delays experienced by householders under the home energy efficiency scheme. [4768]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 July 2001]: The delays in the installation and repair of central heating systems under the home energy efficiency scheme are due to the national shortage of qualified gas heating engineers. The Department continues to encourage the two scheme managers—the Eaga Partnership Ltd. and Eastern HEES Ltd.—in their efforts to recruit additional installers as an interim measure. These efforts have led to substantial improvements in the rate of work with over 2,800 boiler installations in June 2001, compared to 590 in January.
But the longer-term solution to the problem is to increase the pool of trained engineers. Over the next 12 months my Department is funding training courses that will provide 800 additional qualified engineers to work under the scheme. The first batch will join the scheme in November. This is currently the largest gas engineer training programme in the UK.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boiler repairs and replacements have so far been completed
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under the home energy efficiency scheme in Dorset; and what the current average time clients have to wait for the installation and repair of heating systems is. [4769]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 July 2001]: The table identifies the number of boiler repairs and replacements completed since June 2000 in Dorset. Following the completion of works installers typically take between 6–8 weeks to submit an invoice for payment. It is likely that work has already been completed in some of these households. The time taken should significantly decrease following the recent appointment of nine further heating companies taking the total number for Dorset to 12:
| Number fitted and invoiced | Number with installers | Average time taken in months(24) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler repairs | 230 | 80 | 3.3 |
| Boiler replacements | 19 | 109 | 9 |
| New boilers | 60 | 223 | 9 |
(24) Boilers are only replaced once an attempt to repair has failed. The average time shown therefore includes the period taken to attempt a repair.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the applications by (a) Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths of Burton, Dorset, (b) Mrs. Donovan of Ferndown, Dorset and (c) Mrs. Deary of St. Leonard's, Dorset, under the home energy efficiency scheme in June 2000 to be actioned; and if she will make a statement. [4763]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 July 2001]: The home energy efficiency scheme is managed in the south-west of England by the Eaga Partnership Ltd. I have asked it to report on these three applications and will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to examine the progress of EAGA in delivering the Government's home heating policy. [4577]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 July 2001]: The Department maintains a close watch for the performance of both the home energy efficiency scheme managers—Eaga Partnership Ltd. and Eastern HEES Ltd. This includes both regular management reports and the use of an external contractor—White Young and Green—to audit the systems operated by the two scheme managers to ensure their effectiveness. This audit includes physical inspections of work as well as sample surveys of HEES clients and is designed to identify measures to improve the quality of service to householders applying to the scheme.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people in each of the four areas of England established for the purpose of administering the home energy efficiency scheme have had (a) new boilers fitted and (b) boilers repaired since June 2000; and how many are waiting for (i) boiler repairs and (ii) new boilers. [4765]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 July 2001]: The table sets out the number of households that have had work completed and those where orders have been placed.
(25) Following the completion of works installers typically take between 6–8 weeks to submit an invoice for payment. it is likely that work has already been completed in some of these households.
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Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the total value of work carried out since June 2000 by contractors in each of the four areas of England established for the purposes of administering the home energy efficiency scheme. [4764]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 July 2001]: The table identifies the total value of work completed and invoiced in each of the four lot areas (described in the table) in England. Following the completion of works installers typically take between 6–8 weeks to submit an invoice for payment. It is likely that the value of works is higher than the figures identified. The figure excludes the material value of new gas central heating systems, which are paid for by a separate lease agreement:
| Scheme manager | Total value of work from 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2001 |
|---|---|
| Lot 1—London and South East | 6.81 |
| Lot 2—Eastern, East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber | 17.70 |
| Lot 3—South West and West Midlands | 14.96 |
| Lot 4—North West and North East | 22.84 |
| Total | 62.31 |
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