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Energy Efficiency

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the processes and initiatives by which the Government are encouraging the take-up of energy efficient techniques in industry. [7316]

Mr. Meacher: The climate change levy, a major component of the UK's climate change programme, was introduced on 1 April 2001 to encourage energy efficiency in industry. Climate change agreements with

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the most energy intensive sectors set challenging targets for reductions in energy consumption in return for an 80 per cent. reduction in the levy. The proceeds of the levy will be recycled to industry through a 0.3 percentage point reduction in national insurance contributions, and also through the provision of funds for the Carbon Trust.

The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit organisation, set up by the Government and the devolved Administrations to develop a clear framework to encourage the use of low-carbon technologies in the industry sector. The trust will take over management of the Government's Energy Efficiency Best Practice that has been running since 1989 as the UK's main source of energy efficiency information, providing best practice advice and support to organisations in the public and private sectors. The trust will also manage the enhanced capital allowance scheme that gives 100 per cent. first year capital allowances for businesses investing in approved energy saving equipment. Additionally the Carbon Trust will develop a low carbon innovation programme that will support new and emerging low- carbon technologies.

Combined heat and power is another vital component of the Government's strategy to enhance the energy efficiency of the UK economy. The CHP quality assurance programme assesses "Good Quality" CHP production that is energy efficient in operation. This provides a passport to climate change levy exemptions and other benefits which encourage the take-up of CHP and contribute to the Government's 2010 target of 10,000 megawatts of installed Good Quality CHP.

Vulnerable Household

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in England wil as a result of long-term sickness or disability, be living in vulnerable households in (a) private accomodation and (b) public sector housing; and what sources of data have been used to calculate these figures.[26426]

Mr. Wilson: I have been asked to reply.

The latest source of data for the numbers in fuel poverty is taken from the 1998 Energy Follow Up Survey (EFUS) to the 1996 English House Condition Survey (EHCS), but information is not separately available from the 1998 EFUS split by long-term sickness and disability. However, the latest available information (relating to 1996) on figures for households where the head of household is long-term sick or disabled, is available from the Libraries of the House.

TREASURY

Premature Death

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many adults died prematurely broken down by region, expressed as (a) a percentage and (b) the total number, ranked in descending order according to percentage for the latest year for which figures are available. [30579]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

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Letter from Len Cook to Chris Ruane, dated 30 January 2002:



Premature deaths(19) of adults(20) by Government office region,
England(21), 2000(22) Number and percentage

Government office regionNumber of deathsPercentage of all deaths at ages 15 and over
North-east11,28540.1
North-west28,54438.7
London22,17237.9
West Midlands20,11037.3
Yorkshire and the Humber18,95436.6
East Midlands15,24236.1
East17,54133.1
South-east25,49332.0
South-west16,85330.5

(19) Premature deaths were classified as those occurring below age 75

(20) Adults were classified as those aged 15 and over

(21) Residents only

(22) Data are for occurrences of death per calendar year

Source:

Office for National Statistics


Mortality Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) infant mortality rates and (b) child mortality rates were in descending order by (i) health authority and (ii) local authority in 2000–01. [30474]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Chris Ruane, dated 30 January 2002:



Manufacturing Industry

Mr. Randall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons were employed in the manufacturing industry in the UK in each of the last five years. [31365]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Randall, dated 30 January 2002:



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Mr. Randall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundancies there were in the manufacturing sector in (a) the UK and (b) the Uxbridge constituency in each of the past seven years. [31364]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Randall, dated 30 January 2002:




Redundancies in the manufacturing sector(23): United Kingdom
autumn (September to November) quarters 1997–2001(24)

AutumnRedundancy level (Thousand)Redundancy rate (per 1,000 employees)(25)
1997418.7
19986713.8
19994910.4
20005211.6
20017116.3

(23) Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 1992 Division D: Manufacturing.

(24) Not seasonally adjusted.

(25) The redundancy rate is based on the ratio of the redundancy level for the given quarter to the number of employees in the previous quarter, multiplied by 1,000.

Source:

ONS Labour Force Survey


Paid Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many adults aged over 25 years were seeking paid work by region expressed as (a) a percentage and (b) the total number, ranked in descending order according to percentages for the latest date for which figures are available. [30591]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Chris Ruane, dated 30 January 2002:




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ILO unemployed people(26) aged 25 and over by Government Office Region, autumn (September to November) 2001(27)

PercentageThousand
UK2.4953
London3.5172
North East3.153
Scotland3.0104
Northern Ireland2.830
North West2.4113
Yorkshire and Humberside2.481
West Midlands2.383
Wales2.142
East Midlands2.160
Eastern1.869
South East1.794
South West1.552

(26) ILO unemployed people aged 25 and over as a percentage of all persons aged 25 and over.

(27) Not seasonally adjusted.

Source:

Labour Force Survey



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