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29 Apr 2003 : Column 369W—continued
Wind Turbines
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he plans to amend planning policy guidance so that the five kilometre distance recommended between offshore wind turbines and people's homes is applied to onshore turbines also. [109827]
Mr. McNulty: The annex on Wind Energy in Policy Planning Guidance Note 22 (PPG22) already contains guidelines about various factors which should be taken into consideration in relation to wind turbine location, including suggestions about turbine separation distances from residential dwellings, specifically in relation to noise. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to consult on a revision to the planningguidance later this year.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the method used by his Department to assess the likely noise impact on local residents of a planned onshore wind turbine. [109835]
Mr. McNulty: Paragraphs 39–47 within the annex on Wind Energy in Policy Planning Guidance Note 22 contain guidelines about noise levels in relation to wind turbines. The guidelines include a table comparing the noise in decibels generated by a windfarm at 350 metres to that generated by other everyday activities.
29 Apr 2003 : Column 370W
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Age Discrimination
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Department is taking to address the issue of age discrimination. [109446]
Ms Rosie Winterton: My Department is committed to creating an inclusive employment environment that will attract and retain staff of all ages. Following the recommendations in the Performance and Innovation Unit Report, "Winning the Generation Game" in 2000, my Department has integrated age into its equal opportunities policies.
A wide range of flexible work options to support changing lifestyle needs is available to all staff and the feasibility of extending the current retirement age is being explored. The issues facing older people in the work place were addressed on the mandatory Diversity Awareness Training programme for all staff in 2002, and age thresholds have been removed from the job selection process to ensure that all staff are promoted on merit.
My Department began to gather information on staff by age in 2002 and publishes figures annually as part of its Equality and Diversity Annual Report. 29.7 per cent. of staff in my Department are currently over the age of 50 and 18.8 per cent. of staff are under 29.