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18 Apr 2006 : Column 35W—continued
Waste and Resources Action Programme
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding the Waste and Resources Action Programme has received from the Department in each year since its creation. [62832]
Mr. Bradshaw: In 2001–02, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) received £6,325,723 from Defra. This increased to £10,473,250 in 2002–03. In 2003–04, Defra provided £29,732,547 and in 2004–05 £45,708,474. WRAP'S final outturn against Defra payments in 2005–06 will be £68,205,250. For the financial year 2006–07, Defra have offered WRAP up to £65,505,000.
Waste Incinerators
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the annual volume of water typically required to enable a household waste incinerator to operate. [63153]
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Mr. Bradshaw: Most municipal waste incinerators in England use a semi-dry gas scrubbing system. Technical Guidance published by the Environment Agency estimates that these typically use between 250–350 litres of water per tonne of waste incinerated. The remainder use dry gas scrubbing systems which do not use significant quantities of water.
Water Company Privatisation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) real term price and (b) percentage increases in water rates on the previous year have been for each water company in each year since privatisation. [58699]
Mr. Morley: Ofwat is the economic regulator for water and sewerage services in England and Wales and sets price limits for each water company at price reviews. At privatisation price limits were set by the Secretaries of State for the Environment and Wales.
Water and sewerage bills and price limits are a matter for Ofwat. I have obtained this information and it has been placed in the Library of the House.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what real terms funding for infrastructure each water company has made in each year since privatisation. [58700]
Mr. Morley: The Office of Water Services (Ofwat)publishes in its Financial Performance and Expenditure of the Water Companies in England and Wales" each water and sewerage companies' investment to maintain its assets. This includes investment in both below ground assets such as pipes and sewers (termed as infrastructure by Ofwat) and above ground assets such as treatment works (termed as non-infrastructure by Ofwat) Determination of the amount of investment to maintain companies' assets is a matter for Ofwat. I have obtained this information and it has been placed in the Library of the House.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times (a) her Department and (b) Ofwat has (i) approved and (ii) not approved increases in water rates charges in each year since privatisation. [58703]
Mr. Morley: Water companies fix their own charges within set price limits. In 1989 the Secretaries of State for the Environment and Wales set the original price limits that allowed increases in bills between 1990 and 1995. Since 1990 Ofwat has had responsibility for setting price limits in England and Wales. Ofwat has carried out three reviews of price limits and at each review has set a price limit for each company for each of the following five years. Ofwat set price limits in 1994 and 2004 that allowed increases in the two five-year periods that followed, but it set price limits at the 1999 review thatrequired companies to reduce prices in 2000. Ofwat last set price limits in December 2004, allowing price rises for the five years 2005 to 2010.
Ofwat has also adjusted price limits by interim determinations between price reviews.
Determination of price limits is a matter for Ofwat. Ihave obtained this information and it has been placed in the Library of the House.
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Water Saving Group
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions the Water Saving Group has met since October 2005. [61335]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 27 March 2006]: The establishment of the Water Saving Group fulfils a Government manifesto commitment to work with the water industry and others to establish a water savings body. Its purpose is to bring together key water industry stakeholders to promote the efficient use of water in households as part of the wider effort to ensure the long term sustainability of the water supply. It is not a response to the shorter term problems of drought in the South East, but seeks to contribute to demand management in the long term.
The Water Saving Group had its first meeting on 20 October 2005. It is chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Climate Change and the Environment and it will meet again on 18 May. Between meetings, work is co-ordinated and assessed by a working group of representatives of all the Group members. The working group is led by the Director, Water in Defra and has met twice since last October.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
1911 Census
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the National Archive has given reasons for the application of exemption 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to extracts of the 1911 census; and whether an internal review of the decision to apply the exemption has been carried out. [63305]
Bridget Prentice: In consultation with the Office for National Statistics, The National Archives has applied the S.41 exemption, relating to information provided in confidence, to requests for information in the 1911 census returns. This is in accordance with the Government's policy that census returns should become open only after 100 years, in order to maintain the public's trust in the confidentiality assurances on census forms. Internal reviews have been carried out by The National Archives in relation to specific requests, and, after careful consideration, it has been concluded that the original decision to apply the S.41 exemption is correct.
Burial Grounds
Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when her Department's survey of burial grounds will be published; and what assessment she has made of the cost of carrying out the survey. [62392]
Ms Harman:
The responses to the survey are currently being processed and it is hoped to make available the findings from this exercise in October. The cost of carrying out the survey has been estimated at £50,000.
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Capita Group
Chris Grayling: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much business her Department has placed with (a) Capita Group plc and (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years; what the total value is of outstanding contracts placed with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries by her Department; for which current tenders issued by her Department (i) Capita Group plc and (ii) its subsidiaries have been invited to bid; and whether (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries have seconded staff (1)temporarily and (2) on a longer-term basis to (X) her Department and (Y) its agencies. [61083]
Ms Harman: The value of known contracts placed over the last three financial years is as follows:
| (a) Capita Group plc | (b) Capita subsidiaries | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 0 | 1,267,379 |
| 2004–05 | 0 | 498,678 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 12,250 |
| 2002–03 | 0 | 17,165 |
| 2001–02 | 0 | 3,800 |
The value on these outstanding contracts is as follows:
There is one current tender in which a subsidiary of Capita Group plc has been invited to bid—provision of an authorised pensions administration centre for the Department.
No staff have been seconded from Capita Group plc or its subsidiaries to my Department or its agencies, either temporarily or on a longer-term basis.
My Department does not hold a central register of contracts. The information on known contracts with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries has been given above. However, it may not be comprehensive. This is chiefly because the Department inherited a large number of contracts at the time that HMCS was created in April 2005. The Capita Group plc has many subsidiaries, some of which have no obvious connection to the holding company and it is possible that a relevant contact may not have been identified as such. Confirming the complete list of contracts with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the value of contracts held by her Department with (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries was in the last three financial years. [61432]
Ms Harman:
The value of known contracts placed over the last three financial years is as follows.
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| (a) Capita Group plc | (b) Capita subsidiaries | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 0 | 1,267,379 |
| 2004–05 | 0 | 498,678 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 12,250 |
My Department does not hold a central register of contracts. The information on known contracts with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries has been given above. However, it may not be comprehensive. This is chiefly because the Department inherited a large number of contracts at the time that HMCS was created in April 2005. The Capita Group plc has many subsidiaries, some of which have no obvious connection to the holding company and it is possible that a relevant contact may not have been identified as such. Confirming the complete list of contracts with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many tenders (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries has submitted to her Department in each of the last three years; and how many tenders were successful. [61433]
Ms Harman: Records of lists of tenderers are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information is held centrally on the award of some contracts but may not be complete. This is chiefly because the Capita Group plc has many subsidiaries, some of which have no obvious connection to the holding company and it is possible that a relevant contact may not have been identified as such. Confirming the complete list of contracts awarded to the Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. The number of known contracts awarded to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries is shown as follows:
| Capita Group plc | Capita subsidiaries | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 0 | 30 |
| 2004–05 | 0 | 8 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 1 |
James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many contracts her Department holds with (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries which have a potential duration of five years or more. [61434]
Ms Harman:
My Department does not hold a central register of contracts. Some information is held centrally, but it may not be comprehensive. This is chiefly because the Department inherited a large number of contracts at the time that HMCS was created in April 2005. The Capita Group plc has many subsidiaries, some of which have no obvious connection to the holding company and it is possible that a relevant contact may not have been identified as such. Confirming the complete list of contracts with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
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Known details of contracts with a potential duration of five years or more are as follows:
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