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19 Oct 2005 : Column 1030W—continued

Energy Efficiency (Commercial Sector)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the percentage of energy usage in the commercial and services sector that could be saved through energy efficiency measures. [17410]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.
 
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Estimates from experts vary, depending on assumptions made. In broad terms, it might be possible to achieve savings of around 30 per cent. if all technical measures were implemented, regardless of cost, in the Commercial and Public Services sector. However, the potential for cost-effective measures by 2010 is around 10 per cent.

Energy Prices

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from manufacturing industry about the competitive impact of UK energy prices; and if he will make a statement. [19338]

Malcolm Wicks: DTI Ministers have received numerous letters from individual companies and representative bodies on this issue, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have had frequent meetings with these groups over the past 12 months. In addition, in January 2005, the Department set up the Gas Prices Working Group with the Energy Intensive Users Group and Ofgem to address this issue. The group has now agreed a list of action points for the short to medium term, such as maximising gas supplies, improving the design of the gas market, encouraging demand side response and pursuing energy market liberalisation in the EU.

Gas and Electricity

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what demand modelling he has performed to examine the interplay between gas and electricity generation in the event of a one in 20 cold winter. [18268]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has not undertaken demand modelling to examine the interplay between gas and electricity. This is undertaken by National Grid, as system operator.

National Grid's consideration of the interaction between gas and electricity can be found in Section C of its Winter Outlook Report, published on 5 October:

Hazardous Substances

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether she supports the proposal for the EU to exempt the brominated flame retardant deca-BDE from the ban on hazardous substances in electronics due to enter into force in 2006. [17235]

Alun Michael: The European Commission adopted its Decision to exempt deca-BDE in polymeric applications from the restriction on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) Directive on 13 October 2005. This was published in the EC's Official Journal on 15 October 2005, (OJ no. L271, 15.10.2005, p. 48).

Independent School Fees

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Office of Fair Trading
 
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will publish the results of their inquiry into possible collusion in setting fee levels at certain independent schools. [18596]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The conduct and timing of investigations carried out by the Office of Fair Trading are a matter for that body, which conducts its investigations independently of the Secretary of State and other Government Departments.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the cost of the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into possible fee-setting at certain independent schools. [18597]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The investigation was launched in June 2003.

The OFT does not have figures that differentiate the costs of cases pre-dating the launch of its dedicated time recording systems on 1 April 2004. The figures available show that the direct costs of the schools investigation since this point are approximately:
£
2004–05173,000
Q1 2005–0629,000
Total from 1 April 2004–30 June 2005202,000

The figures for Q2 2005–06 should be available at the end of the month.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will place in the Library the evidence submitted to the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into possible collusion in fee-setting at certain independent schools. [18598]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Evidence gathered by the Office of Fair Trading during the course of its investigations is retained by the Office of Fair Trading, which is independent of the Secretary of State and of other Government Departments. Such evidence is also subject to statutory restrictions on disclosure under part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2002 which would prevent it from being placed in the Libraries of the House.

Liquefied Gas Pipeline

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions he has had with Transco about the proposed routes of the liquefied gas pipelines from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire; [19352]

(2) if he will make a statement on the proposed routes of the Milford Haven liquefied gas pipeline. [19353]

Malcolm Wicks: I have facilitated discussions between the LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) terminal companies, National Grid (formerly National Grid Transco"), and Ofgem, about the need for timely pipeline connections to flow natural gas from the terminals (when commissioned) into the National Transportation System for gas. The choice of route is a commercial matter for National Grid, subject to the necessary regulatory consents.
 
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Meters

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Dynamically Teleswitched Meters there are in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales. [17759]

Malcolm Wicks: There are 228,000 Dynamically Switched Meters in Scotland. No data are available for England and Wales

Miners' Compensation

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many disabled miners or their widows have received compensation for lung disease and vibration white finger in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [17947]

Malcolm Wicks: The figures requested are set out in the following tables. Such statistics are available by constituency or postcode boundaries, so figures for South Tyneside and Tyne and Wear cannot be produced individually. Payments include those to miners' estates as well as miners and widows.
COPD

JarrowSouth Tyneside(18)UK
1997000
19982121,147
1999110643
200021964,427
20013018210,820
20028352631,995
200313083648,504
20041871,23159,004
20053211,96993,733
Total7754,862250,273

VWF

JarrowSouth Tyneside(18)UK
199714748
19980191,182
1999392525,343
2000392337,488
20015142717,543
20027647922,446
200312066430,796
20049253825,028
20055433515,924
Total4722,951126,498


(18)Consists of South Shields, Gateshead East and Washington West, Sunderland North, Sunderland South and Jarrow constituencies.
Note:
To ensure that a claimant is only reported once, where a claimant has received a payment in separate years they are only reported on the latest payment (e.g. if a claimant receives an interim payment in 2001 and a full and final payment in 2002, they will be reported in 2002 only).



Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much compensation has been paid forlung disease and vibration white finger to disabled miners or their widows in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [17948]


 
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Malcolm Wicks: The figures requested are set out in the following tables. Such statistics are available by constituency or postcode boundaries, so figures for South Tyneside and Tyne and Wear cannot be produced individually. Payments include those to miners' estates as well as miners and widows.
COPD

JarrowSouth Tyneside(19)UK
1997
199844,000298,00021,183,214
199958,622426,31221,802,087
2000222,1281,291,18360,840,464
2001293,7622,297,737134,749,625
2002544,6345,260,846295,410,803
20031,064,1647,944,173413,921,531
20041,116,4728,375,901340,768,003
20051,400,9608,606,947325,688,955
Total4,744,74334,501,0991,614,364,682

VWF

JarrowSouth Tyneside(19)UK
19971,4508,230879,351
199817,000136,8843,680,980
1999479,8473,352,53351,431,960
20001,016,5716,742,373149,170,029
2001899,0376,895,903231,872,092
2002845,0495,519,821226,824,141
2003998,6785,950,994245,242,056
2004774,6714,801,760174,635,529
2005459,7903,060,55797,678,630
Total5,492,09236,469,0551,181,414,766


(19)Consists of South Shields, Gateshead East and Washington West, Sunderland North, Sunderland South and Jarrow constituencies.
Note:
Total damages paid represents all payments made, i.e. includes both interims and full & final payments.




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