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9 Jan 2006 : Column 289W—continued
Jubilee Sailing Trust
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the financial position of the Jubilee Sailing Trust. [40385]
Alun Michael: I am not aware of any representations about the financial position of the Jubilee Sailing Trust. The company of that name filed its accounts to 31 March 2005 on 12 December 2005. These are available for public inspection. The Jubilee Sailing Trust is also a registered charity so information about it may be available from the Charities Commission.
Miners' Compensation Claims
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to solicitors acting on behalf of the Department for advising on mineworkers' compensation claims in each year since 1998. [39331]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Department has paid solicitors the following sums for advice relating to mineworkers' compensation schemes:
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| Amount paid (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 3.9 |
| 2003 | 6.6 |
| 2004 | 6.6 |
| 2005 | 4.8 |
Note:
Figures before 2002 are not readily available.
Non-Fossil Fuel and Renewables Obligations
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sums of money have been transferred in the last 12 months by Ofgem to the Consolidated Fund from the non-fossil fuel obligation fund in respect of section 7 of the Sustainable Energy Act 2003; what the date was of each transfer; who made the decision to make each transfer; on what date; what legal advice was taken by the Government before transferring the money to ascertain that this transfer was legal; and if he will place a copy of the legal advice received in the Library. [38570]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 19 December 2005]: Ofgem have not transferred any money in the last 12 months to the Consolidated Fund, from the non-fossil fuel obligation fund, in respect of Section 7 of the Sustainable Energy Act 2003. However, Ofgem transferred £60 million to the Consolidated Fund, from the non-fossil fuel obligation fund, in respect of Section 7 of the Sustainable Energy Act 2003 on 14 July 2004.
The power and the legal basis to transfer £60 million to the Consolidated Fund, from the non-fossil fuel obligation fund, are set out in Section 7 of the Sustainable Energy Act 2003. A copy of the Sustainable Energy Act 2003 is available from the Libraries of the House.
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been transferred from the surplus funds of the (a) Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation and (b) Renewables Obligation to the Consolidated Fund since 1997; what estimate he has made of transfers in each case over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [39463]
Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for the administration of funds for the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) and the Renewables Obligation (RO). However, we understand that since 2 May 1997 Ofgem have made two payments from the surplus revenue arising from the NFFO, to the Consolidated fund, totalling £210 million. £60 million of which was used for the support of renewable energy projects. The RO does not have surplus revenue, as the money is recycled to electricity suppliers on presentation of Renewable Obligation Certificates.
Any additional payments from the NFFO, to the Consolidated Fund, over the next 3 years will depend on the surplus revenue collected by the Non Fossil Fuel Purchasing Agency.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the impact of nuclear power on climate change. [40545]
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Malcolm Wicks: The Department has made no recent assessment of the impact that nuclear power would have on climate change.
The 2003 Energy White Paper published the results of extensive modelling of the costs of different options for reducing carbon dioxide emissions over the period to 2050. The analysis is available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/phase2.pdf
In November 2005 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that there would be a review of energy policy which would report in summer 2006. This will involve further analysis of the costs of different options for meeting the Government's long-term targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Pay Gap
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the pay gap between men and women; and what the pay gap was in 1975. [39186]
Meg Munn: The median full-time gender pay gap has reduced from 14.5 per cent. in 2004 to 13.0 per cent. in 2005.
The full-time pay gap in 1975 was 30 per cent. using the mean 1 (as no figures are available using the median). This compares with the mean full-time gender pay gay of 17.0 per cent. in 2005 2 .
Although progress has been made, there still remains a gap between men and women's pay and the Women and Work Commission was set up specifically to look at this issue. I look forward to their final report early in the new year, and to taking action on their findings and recommendations to reduce the gender pay gap further.
2 Based on the Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings
Power Stations
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on integrated gasification combined cycle power stations. [34798]
Malcolm Wicks: Decisions as to the choice of technology for new electricity generating capacity are for private sector investors.
Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment. [36689]
Alan Johnson:
Information about the political activity of appointees is recorded and publicised in accordance with the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice. This shows that no former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have since been appointed to public bodies sponsored by the Department.
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Public Service Agreements
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress his Department has made towards fulfilment of each aspect of Public Service Agreement Target 4 in the last six months; whether his Department is on track to meet each aspect of the target; and if he will make a statement. [31577]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 24 November 2005]: The UK remains on course to achieve its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008–12. Latest provisional estimates show that UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2004 are estimated to have fallen to about 12.6 per cent. below 1990 levels.
In order to meet the very challenging domestic goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2010 it is recognised that more needs to be done, as existing policies in the current climate change programme will not on their own achieve the target reduction. Current analysis shows that carbon dioxide emissions increased by around 1.5 per cent. between 2003 and 2004, mainly due to estimated increases in industrial and transport sector emissions. The current review of the Climate Change Programme gives the opportunity to examine a wide range of policies that we might put in place for the future, to put us back on track towards the 2010, and our longer-term carbon dioxide goal. Key contributions to the revised programme will be initial plans for Phase2 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS); the results of the Energy Efficiency Innovation Review; and the recently announced Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. Responsibility for the delivery of this goal is held jointly with the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, and Department for Transport.
Overall position on energy supplies was covered in the first Annual Report to Parliament (Section 172 Security of Supply report was published July 2005). This covers in detail the short and medium term outlook for the UK supply-demand balance, drawing on National Grid's preliminary outlook for this winter published by OFGEM. The Government's market-based approach has delivered benefits over a number of years in terms of low prices and reliable supplies. However, this winter the gas market is likely to be tighter than in recent winters. Under normal weather conditions there are sufficient gas supplies and electricity to meet demand. If the forthcoming winter is much colder than average there will be a need for a response from the demand side of the gas market. DTI and Ofgem have been working with major users to try to encourage this response if necessary. National Grid have made it clear in their winter outlook statement that there will be no problem for domestic gas customers, small businesses and organisations, no matter how severe the winter, barring freak technical disruptions. Looking to the medium term the Government and OFGEM continually monitor developments in the gas and electricity market through the Joint Energy Security of Supply Group (JESS).
The latest independent report published in November 2005, based on provisional data for 2004 and using established benchmarking methodology, indicates that the UK continues to exhibit the most competitive
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electricity and gas markets within the EU and G7. This has been due to early liberalisation of gas and electricity markets in the UK. However, the dynamic effect of the liberalisation programme across continental Europe may change that position in the future.
Progress against the Government's fuel poverty targets is published in an annual report (the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy 3rd Annual Progress report, published July 2005). The number of households in fuel poverty in the UK as a whole has fallen by around 4.5 million since 1996, to a level of around 2 million in 2003. However between 2003 and 2006 the number of households in fuel poverty will have increased as a result of higher prices. This will make reaching the 2010 fuel poverty target more challenging. Departments are working with suppliers and voluntary organisations to look at ways that vulnerable consumers can best take advantage of the current assistance available. The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group in England published its third annual report this year, highlighting the need for consideration to be given to the resources needed to tackle fuel poverty, and the importance of all Government Departments continuing to work together on the issue. DTI and the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs share wording on this goal within their respective PSA targets.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the feasibility of consolidating the data from different Departments on different time scales which are needed to assess 2004 PSA Target 9. [30060]
Alan Johnson: When this PSA target was set, details of the various sub-targets that underpin it were brought together in the Technical Note for this target. This is available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/pdfs/psa_9.pdf.
Progress against all the sub-targets will be reported in the Department's twice yearly public reports on PSA delivery. The next of these reports—and the first assessment of progress towards the PSA targets set out in the 2004 Spending Review—will be in the forthcoming autumn performance report 2005, which will be laid before Parliament in mid-December.
As data from different Departments is produced to different timescales, assessments of progress are made on the basis of latest available data. A final assessment will be made when final data are available for all sub-targets.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what time scales his Department has set for achieving 2004 Public Service Agreement Target (a) 4 and (b) 6. [30061]
Alan Johnson: The information is as follows.
The Energy White Paper published in 2003 set out a long-term framework for policy development with four key objectives; to put ourselves on the path to cutting UK carbon dioxide emissions, to maintain the reliability
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of security of supplies, to promote competitive energy markets in the UK and beyond and to ensure every home is adequately and affordably heated. These form the basis of the 2004 PSA Target 4.
The first goal within the PSA target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels, and move towards a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels, by 2010. These are initial stages towards meeting our goal to put the UK on a path to cut carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by about 2050. Responsibility for the delivery of this goal is held jointly with the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, and Department for Transport.
The goal for energy reliability, within the PSA target, is that the market provides sufficient capacity to meet maximum gas and electricity demand in each year to 2008.
The goal for competitive energy markets, within the context of the PSA target, is that UK energy markets remain in the top three of the EU and G7 countries. This is measured annually by independent assessment, using indicators of competitiveness peer reviewed by energy market experts.
The final goal of the PSA target is to eliminate fuel poverty in vulnerable households, as far as reasonably practicable in England by 2010 in line with the Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy objective.
This PSA has three sub-targets (i) an increase in the number of people considering going into business, (ii) an improvement in the overall productivity of small firms and (iii) more enterprise in disadvantaged communities. These targets are to be achieved by 2008.
Details of how these targets are measured are set out in the Technical Note for this target. This is available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/pdfs/psa_6.pdf.
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