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6 May 2003 : Column 546W—continued

Child Support

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cumulative amount is of unpaid child support owed to parents with care. [107560]

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Selous, dated 6 May 2003:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You ask what the total cumulative amount is of unpaid child support owed to parents with care.

The Agency accounts to 31 March 2002 show a total cumulative debt of £1.447 billion arising on full maintenance assessments which the Agency has made (Page 74 para 6.1 of the Child Support Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2001/02). I am unable to indicate what part of this may be due to the parent with care and what part to the Secretary of State.

Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of the Child Support Agency's Enforcement Guide in the Library. [104241]

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Doug Smith to Liz Blackman, dated 6 May 2003:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You ask if we will place a copy of the Child Support Agency's Enforcement Guide in the Library.

I am happy to confirm that a copy of the Agency's Enforcement Guide, which is currently being produced and is expected to be published late summer, will be placed in the Library.

Crabbe Yard, Wadborough

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ask the Health and Safety Executive to examine the operation of Crabbe Yard, Wadborough, Worcestershire. [109858]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The HSE has procedures to investigate specific concerns about work related health and safety matters in proportion to the seriousness of the issue.

The HSE visited the site at Crabbe Yard, Wadborough, on two occasions during 2000. Following the visits an improvement notice was issued and subsequently complied with.

HSE has not visited the site since 3 August 2000.

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If the hon. Member has new concerns about Crabbe Yard he should raise them, in the first instance, with the HSE, an independent government agency.

Disability Discrimination

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received about the Disability Discrimination (Blind and Partially Sighted Persons) Regulations. [109956]

Maria Eagle: Copies of the draft Regulations were circulated to a number of organisations for comment prior to being laid. Responses were received from the Disability Rights Commission, the Royal National

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Institute for the Blind, and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, all of whom welcomed the Regulations.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement, in relation to his Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years. [108860]

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the table.

	Energy consumption (GWh/y)	Energy expenditure (£M/y)	Energy/m2(KWh/m2/y)	Savings over 1997–8 (Per cent.)	Energy efficiency spend (£k/y)
1997–98	739.40	7.94	314.94	—	—
1998–99	667.56	7.39	300.44	10	—
1999–2000	705.41	7.18	310.96	5	—
2000–01	665.86	6.29	277.53	10	—
2001–02	694.31	6.82	289.14	6	—

Notes:

Energy Consumption: this is weather-corrected in the usual manner, using annual degree days relative to the 20 year average for 1990–91. The figures are those reported on for the Central Government Estate campaign, and generally include each department's main estate plus all agencies, but not NDPBs.

Energy Expenditure: this is actual spend, and from April 2001, includes the Climate Change Levy.

Energy/m2: this variable allows for changes in both weather and estate size on energy consumption. So annual changes will generally reflect efficiency changes.

Savings over 1997–98: These have been expressed as percentage savings relative to the first year quoted here, and are based on the figures in the preceding column.

Energy efficiency spend: Investment in energy efficiency measures is made by the Departments Estates Partners; as such we are unable to include details of expenditure for commercial reasons. A number of investment scheme projects were initiated during 2002, which are currently being rolled out across the whole estate.

The Energy White Paper, Our Energy Future-Creating a Low Carbon Economy made clear the importance the Government attach to improving energy efficiency in their own estate. This is reflected in several targets. There is currently an interim target of a 1 per cent. pa ongoing reduction in weather-corrected carbon emissions, pending the development of new indicators and targets based on benchmaking the performance of each Department's largest buildings. These new targets are planned to be in place later this year. New targets for Government Departmnets' use of CHP generated electricity will also be established during 2003.

In addition, the review of Government procurement has identified areas where procurement could reinforce the achievement of these targets, and arrangements are being made centrally for Departments to purchase goods with high energy efficiency standards and which provide good value for money.

On the purchase of renewable electricity, ministers agreed the following target in May 2001:

"All departments will ensure that by 31 March 2003, at least 5 per cent. of their electricity comes from renewable sources that are exempt from the Climate Change Levy or from self generation, provided this does not entail excessive cost. This will rise to at least 10 per cent. supply from such sources by 31 March 2008, but will be reviewed after 31 March 2003 to take account of market conditions following the introduction of the renewables obligation. The review of 2003 will include consideration of increasing or bringing forward the target".

DWP currently has 17.5 per cent. of its total electricity supplied from renewable resources.

Hazardous Installations Directorate

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Health and Safety inspectors are being transferred from the Field Operations Directorate to the Hazardous Installations Directorate. [110618]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 1 May 2003]: Three Health and Safety Inspectors transferred on 1 April 2003 with a further 13 to transfer in the near future.

Health and Safety Executive

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many businesses recorded contacts carried out by the Health and Safety Executive since 1997 were made (a) on site and (b) through telephone calls. [110619]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 1 May 2003]: The total number of regulatory contacts since 1997–98 is shown in the table. HSE does not record separately the numbers of contacts made (a) on site and (b) through telephone calls.

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Regulatory contacts

1997–98	186,000
1998–99	183,000
1999–2000	185,496
2000–01	192,693
2001–02	195,695

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contacts the Health and Safety Executive has had with businesses each year since 1997; what proportion of visits were made by fully qualified warrant-carrying health and safety inspectors; and how many were carried out by workplace contact officers. [110620]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 1 May 2003]: The total number of regulatory contacts since 1997–98 is shown in the table. It is not possible without disproportionate effort to distinguish between contacts made by fully qualified warrant-carrying health and safety inspectors and those made by workplace contact officers.

Regulatory contacts

1997–98	186,000
1998–99	183,000
1999–2000	185,496
2000–01	192,693
2001–02	195,695

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workplace contact officers were employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1997. [110621]

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Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 1 May 2003]: In each of the years 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01 the Health and Safety Executive's Field Operations Directorate (FOD) deployed approximately 24 staff-years/year to workplace contact officer (WCO) work. In 2001–02 and 2002–03 respectively an additional six and eight Railway Inspectorate Contact Officers (RICOs) were deployed in HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI), making a total for HSE in those years of around 30 and 32 staff-years.

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will instruct the Health and Safety Executive to take early steps to ensure that contractors and sub-contractors have employer's liability insurance. [110799]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 1 May 2003]: Yes. Employers (with some exceptions such as public organisations and family businesses) are required by law to insure against injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment.

The Health and Safety Executive has enforcement responsibility for employer's liability insurance and will carry out their duties in line with current procedures.

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