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7 Nov 2005 : Column 55W—continued
Wholesale Gas Prices
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the likely variability of wholesale gas prices during winter 2005–06. [24058]
Malcolm Wicks: Variability, or volatility, is a normal part of the working of a well-functioning commodity market. Current UK wholesale spot gas prices are determined by the price of oil and the day-to-day balance between demand and supply in the UK gas market.
When the market is tight small changes in demand and supply will have a bigger impact on price volatility than if the market were over-supplied. The balance of demand and supply, and thus the volatility of prices, will depend on many external factors, including the weather and the availability of storage facilities or import infrastructure on a day-to-day basis. In view of the unpredictability of many of these factors it is not possible to make accurate estimates of future price volatility.
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the practice of straddling, whereby a domestic retail supplier sells gas at a fixed price and buys gas at a variable wholesale price. [24059]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government have not undertaken an assessment of this practice.
Pricing decisions in the retails gas market are a commercial matter for suppliers.
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Wind Energy
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what capital grants have been allocated to (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind projects in each of the last five years. [23013]
Malcolm Wicks: The following table gives a breakdown of capital grants that have been allocated to offshore wind projects in each of the last five years. The information is based on the contract offer letter issued by the DTI.
The Big Lottery funded the capital grant for Burbo. No capital grants have been allocated to onshore wind projects.
Wind Turbines
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the merits of the construction of wind turbines on electricity pylons. [25722]
Malcolm Wicks: No consideration has been given by the Department to the construction of wind turbines on electricity pylons. This would be a question for transmission operators/National Grid and project developers to consider.
World Trade Organisation
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure full account is taken of the interests of developing countries during the World Trade Organisation negotiations on agriculture. [24440]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 3 November 2005]: Yes. The Government continues to work for an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the World Trade Organisation negotiations, including on agriculture.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the European Commissioner for External Trade regarding (a) the forthcoming World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong in December and (b) economic partnership agreements with developing nations. [24234]
Ian Pearson:
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State and I have discussed progress in both the World Trade Organisation negotiations and the economic partnership agreements with Trade Commissioner Peter
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Mandelson on a regular basis and will continue work with him to secure an ambitious, pro-development outcome to these negotiations.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of discussions held on 19 and 20 October with World Trade ministers on the preparations for the World Trade summit in Hong Kong on 13 December. [25174]
Ian Pearson: Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) gave a report to the General Council Meeting of 19 and 20 October on the progress in Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations. He stated that positions were still far apart on agriculture, and identified an urgent need for progress on NAMA, services and rules. He said that he hoped to circulate draft texts for the Hong Kong ministerial by mid-November.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will support at the World Trade summit measures to allow developing countries the right to set their own level of tariff reductions in accordance with their own development needs. [25175]
Ian Pearson: Yes. The Government believe that it is for developing countries to make their own decisions on the timing, pace, sequencing and product coverage of any market opening in line with their own national development plans and poverty reduction strategies.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prisoners
13. Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes have been committed by people who have been released from prison before the end of their sentence in each of the last eight years. [24802]
Mr. Charles Clarke: In the year ending 31 March 2005, 3,794 prisoners were released on parole licence and 265 prisoners were charged with a further offence.
In the same period, 18,799 prisoners were placed on the home detention curfew scheme and 965 prisoners were charged with a further offence.
I have placed information relating to the period 1997–98 to 2003–04 in the Library.
Mr. Goodwill : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department What projections he has made of the prison population in the next 12 months; and what steps he is taking to ensure projected numbers are accommodated. [24804]
Fiona Mactaggart: The most recent published update to the prison population projections was in July 2005. It indicated a range of estimates for 10 scenarios up to 2011.
Current population levels are higher than the projected estimates. The situation is being closely monitored. We are managing the population by increasing the operational capacity of the prison estate
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by bringing accommodation back into use more quickly from refurbishment and through additional places built at existing prisons.
Terrorism Bill
14. Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with ethnic minorities on the Terrorism Bill. [24803]
Paul Goggins: Following the events of the 7 July and 21 July, Home Office Ministers and officials have been involved in ongoing discussions with a range of communities, and in particular with the Muslim communities through the Preventing Extremism Together workgroups. Draft clauses of the Terrorism Bill were made public on 15 September and further revised clauses were made available on 6 October so that everyone with an interest had an opportunity to comment.
Domestic Violence
16. Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that measures in place to protect children and mothers from domestic violence and abuse are effective. [24805]
Fiona Mactaggart: The National Plan for Domestic Violence includes a set of measures to ensure that domestic violence victims and their children are identified, protected and supported. These include, screening within health and social care settings and training for professionals within these sectors and the criminal justice system. The additional measures in the CJS ensure more effective case management of perpetrators giving greater protection for victims.
These measures are also being managed on a quarterly basis by the Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence.
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