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Roadside Lighting

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the reduction in (a) electricity use and (b) carbon dioxide emissions if all roadside lighting in the UK were to switch to LED illuminations. [202069]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

The light output and efficiency of high intensity light emitting diodes (LEDs) can now equal or better that of incandescent lamps. However, the light output is still significantly less than the gas discharge light sources used for street lighting, for example high pressure sodium. At present both electricity consumption and carbon dioxide emissions would increase if the UK switched to LEDs for street lighting.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total (a) electricity use and (b) carbon dioxide emissions produced by (i) roadside street lighting and (ii) other public illumination of roadside signage in the last year for which figures are available. [202070]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

Street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities in respect of local roads and the Highways Agency in respect of the trunk road network. The electricity supply for public lighting is not normally metered, but is based on notional lamp wattages and hours of use. The actual electricity consumption is therefore unknown. It is for local highway authorities to decide whence to source their electricity supply so, even if the power consumption could be established, calculations about the carbon dioxide emissions produced by street lighting would be impossible without knowing what proportion of authorities have contracted for "green" energy sources.

Rural Funding

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how rural funding under the single farm payment will be implemented. [200418]

Alun Michael: The CAP reform package agreed in June 2003 allows modulated funds to be compulsorily transferred from farming subsidies to agri-environment and other rural development schemes in all EU member states. A 3 per cent. rate of compulsory EU modulation will apply to subsidy payments in 2005 rising to 5 per cent. from 2007. In addition the UK
 
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secured agreement to allow an additional voluntary modulation rate to be levied over and above the EU rate.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for rural areas of the new rural funding scheme, with particular reference to North Yorkshire. [200419]

Alun Michael: As part of the Rural Strategy 2004 we announced a simplified funding framework which will be clearly focused on the key targets set out by the Secretary of State, particularly deprivation or social exclusion in rural areas and underperforming rural economies. Delivery will be devolved as much as possible. As a result of our work on the rural database, Defra funding will be better targeted at priorities, with greater regional partnership working and prioritisation. Customers and the public will face a less confusing situation and will receive better information and support in their dealings with our delivery agencies.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which body will be the delivery body for the new rural funding scheme. [200420]

Alun Michael: The new rural funding framework we announced in Rural Strategy 2004 will have three core funds designed to support three departmental priorities. They are: sustainable rural communities; sustainable farming and food; and natural resource protection. Each will have a grant funding and a core (organisational capacity) funding element. In this framework, Regional Development Agencies will take the lead on regeneration and socio-economic funding, support for the rural voluntary and community sector will rest primarily with Rural Community Councils and their partners, supported by Government Offices, while
 
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the new Integrated Agency (also announced in Rural Strategy 2004) will deliver natural resource protection and environmental land-management funding.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for parish plans of the streamlining process for rural funding. [200421]

Alun Michael: In Rural Strategy 2004 we announced that we would simplify our funding framework with delivery devolved as much as possible with parish and town councils playing an important role at the local level. The value of parish plans has been enhanced by the attention and support given to the work of parish and town councils by Ministers and officials at ODPM and Defra, not least through the qualification of clerks and the QUALITY Parish and Town Councils scheme. Having been promoted through pilot schemes on our behalf by the Countryside Agency, we are now working to "mainstream" the parish plan approach and to support further development through the future funding framework.

Training Courses

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) cost to the Department, (b) title and (c) location was of each training course organised by her Department for its staff in each financial year since 1997–98. [200392]

Alun Michael: The responses to parts (a) , (b) and (c) of this question for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 are contained in the summary table.

These details relate only to the core corporate courses delivered by external training providers.

Defra is fully committed to providing access to training for its staff to enable them to deliver Defra's business and to develop them to their full potential.

Course title	Number	Cost (£)	Location of courses
Administrative Grades Development	26	81,344	Surrey, Bournemouth, Preston, York
Advanced Presentation Skills	5	9,950	London
Advanced Writing Skills	14	18,200	York, London
Assertiveness, Pressure and Time Management	18	19,800	London, York, Worcester
Basic Guide to the European Union	6	5,400	York, London
Be a Better Manager	42	745,919	Derby, London, York, Worcester, Bristol
Bespoke Administrative Skills	19	43,700	York, London, Reading, Crewe
Bespoke Change Skills	34	78,200	London, York, Bournemouth, Workington, Cambridge
Bespoke European Union	26	23,400	London, York
Bespoke Writing for Ministers	17	28,900	York, London, Bristol, Weybridge
Bespoke Skills	26	88,400	York, Workington, London, Taunton
Bespoke Writing at Work	32	41,600	London, York, Workington
Bite Size Learning	24	60,000	Workington, Reading, Exeter, London, Crewe, Nottingham, York
Buddying	15	75,000	London
Chairing a Meeting	17	10,200	London, York, Worcester
Competence Based Interviewing	41	82,000	London, Polwhele
Diversity and Equality for Specialists/SCS	21	66,499	Cambridge, London, York, Worcester
Diversity and Equality Workshops	173	138,400	London, York, Cambridge, Leeds, Reading, Leicester, Alnwick, Taunton, Exeter, Bristol, Carlisle
Effective and Rapid Reading	7	18,021	London, York
Diversity for Grades 3 to 6	3	4,614	London
European Union Negotiating	1	3,326	London
Getting Your Message Across	7	10,276	London, Worcester
How to get the most from your email	10	7,830	Cambridge, Crewe, York, Exeter, London
Introduction to Agriculture	1	619	London
Influencing Skills	19	29,640	York, London
Interpersonal Skills	24	52,412	London, York, Leeds, Cambridge
Introduction to the European Union	9	81,000	London, York
Minutes of Meetings	25	15,000	London, York, Worcester, Leeds, Cambridge
Managing and Making Change Happen	50	479,500	York, Worcester, Derby, Bournemouth, Harrogate, London
New Entrant Induction	103	280,689	London, York, Guildford, Worcester, Reading, Bristol, Taunton, Exeter, Leicester, Derby
New Managers	97	535,573	Worcester, Bournemouth, London, York, Derby, Guildford, Bristol, Exeter, Leicester
Performance Appraisal Management	812	544,382	London, York, Worcester, Leicester, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Reading, Bristol, Derby, Exeter
Personal Development for EOs	4	31,248	Preston, Bournemouth, Guildford, Midlands, London
Performance Appraisal Training	350	267,943	All Defra locations
Presentation Skills	12	29,940	London, Worcester,
Principled Practical Leadership	20	828,843	Oxford, London
Project Awareness	9	55,800	London
Project Management	9	18,000	London, York
Promotion Board Interviewing Skills	1	2,000	London
Senior Civil Service Interviewing Skills	2	4,000	London
Selection Board Interviewing Skills	8	48,000	Weybridge, London, Worcester
Staff Reporting and Appraisal	5	6,000	London, Cambridge
Strategic Leadership	1	4,500	London
Stress Awareness	11	15,400	York, Worcester, London
Supervisory Skills for AOs	21	84,000	Leeds, Worcester, London, York
Women Managers Development	13	31,514	York, London
Writing at Work	23	27,600	Leeds, York, London, Cambridge
Writing for Ministers	23	18,400	Cambridge, York, London
Total	2,236	5,152,982	—

 
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Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial penalties were paid in each financial year since 1997–98 to training providers by the Department for training courses prepared for its staff which were subsequently cancelled at the Department's request. [200412]

Alun Michael: The total financial penalties paid equates to 1.4 per cent. of the £5,152,982 total spent on core corporate learning and development in Defra during financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04.

	Cost (£)
2000–01	14,577.28
2001–02	(1)46,148.75
2002–03	727.66
2003–04	11,147.75
Total	72,601.44

⁽¹⁾ The increased penalties paid in financial year 2001–02 can largely be attributed to the disruption to staff caused by the foot and mouth crisis.

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